Sligo Science Festival 2022 Brochure

The Wonders of Science

Infinite Possibilities

A GLANCE

ALL WEEK

The Sligo Science Trail in city centre shop windows

Sligo Science Festival 2022

13th – 20th NOVEMBER // PART OF NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK

A BLENDED EXPERIENCE

This year’s Sligo Science Festival including the Sligo Science Fair will be a blended delivery of Live, In-Person events and Online events. Please look for the ‘LIVE’ or ‘ONLINE’ symbols.

Friday 11th Nov.

Current Chemistry Investigators (CCI) - LIVE ‘In Person’ workshops. Workshop 1: 9.45 - 11.45am Workshop 2: 12.00 - 2.00pm TY Students only event.

Sunday 13th Nov.

The Sligo Science Fair - LIVE ‘In Person’ 12.00 - 5.00pm Family event explaining science in a fun wayPublic Event (All Ages).

Monday 14th Nov.

Fan Powered Cars - LIVE ‘In Person’ Workshop with Wonderstruck. 10.00am and 1.00pm At your Primary School only event (8+ years).

sligo science festival

Professor Plunger - LIVE ‘In Person’ Science Roadshow with the Fanzini Brothers. 10.00am and 1.00pm. At your Primary School only event. Dr Ken’s Spectacular Science Circus Show - LIVE ‘In Person’ Science Roadshow with Dr Ken Farqhuar. 10.00am and 1.00pm. At your Primary School only event.

So, You Want to be a Forensic (Medical) Scientist?

- LIVE ‘In Person’ Talk with Dr Geraldine Dowling and Professor Nikolas P. Lemos. 7.00pm.

Tuesday 15th Nov.

Primary Science Day at the Organic Centre - LIVE ‘In Person’ 10.00am - 2.00pm The Organic Centre, Rossinver Co Leitrim.

Primary Schools Event

Each workshop runs 3 times: 10.00am, 11.15am & 1.00pm. Compressed Air Rockets with Wonderstruck / Nature on our Doorstep with Michael Bell / Dr Ken’s Spectacular Science Circus Show.

Professor Plunger - LIVE ‘In Person’ Science Roadshow with the Fanzini Brothers. 10.00am and 11.30am, ATU Donegal Letterkenny Lecture

Theatre 1101. Primary Schools only event.

Resilient food crops for the future

- Online pre-recorded Webinar with Klaus Laitenberger. 11.00amSecondary Schools only event. 7.00pm - Public Event (12+).

What lies beneath? - LIVE ‘In Person’ talk with Dr Shane O’Reilly. The chemistry and biology buried below Ireland’s seafloor. 7.00pm, ATU Sligo room A0004. Public Event (12+).

Science Friction… How surface interactions shaped the world - Online Talk with Laurie Winkless. 8.00pm. Public Event (12+).

Chemistry in the Movies - LIVE ‘In Person’ with Dr. John O’Donohue. 8.00pm, ATU Sligo Room A0005. Public Event (15+).

Wednesday 16th Nov.

WOW Airshow - LIVE ‘In Person’ Science Show with Professor Egghead. 10.00am and 1.00pm. Schools only event (8 -12 yrs).

The Devastatingly Dramatic Climate Show - Online pre-record Science Show with Science2Life. 10.00am. Primary Schools only event (2 schools only).

Rethink Revision - Online live Workshop with Braintastic. 11.00am. Secondary Schools only event (10-14yrs).

Mastering Memory - Online live Show with Braintastic. 1.00pm. Secondary Schools only event (10-14yrs).

The Science Of Monsters! - LIVE ‘In Person’ talk with Dr Declan McKenna. ATU Sligo room A0004, 7.00pm. Public Event (12+).

Do we understand the rate of expansion of the Universe?

- In Person talk with Dr Eoin O Colgain. ATU Sligo Room A0005, 8.00pm. Public Event (12+).

Thursday 17th Nov.

WOW Airshow - LIVE ‘In Person’ Science Show with Professor Egghead. 10.00am and 1.00pm. Schools only event (8 -12 yrs).

The Devastatingly Dramatic Climate Show - Online pre-recorded Science Show with Science2Life. 10.00am. Primary Schools only event (2 schools only).

From Graduating to Advanced Research - Online live Webinar with Dr Gordon Joyce. 11.30am. Secondary schools/TY Students/1st Year 3rd level students. Rethink Revision - Online live Workshop with Braintastic. 11.00am. Secondary Schools only event (10-14yrs).

That’s Nonsense - Online live Show with Braintastic. 1.00pm. Schools only event (711yrs).

Memory Games - Online live Show with Braintastic. 6.30pm. Public Family Event.

Basking Sharks - LIVE ‘In Person’ Talk with Dr. Simon Berrow. ATU Sligo Room A0004, 7.00pm.

Senior Science Quiz for Second Level Schools The annual ISTA science quiz sponsored by AbbVie. ATU Sligo Room A0006, 7.00pm.

Overview of Forensic Autopsy Pathology

LIVE ‘In Person’ Talk with Dr. Paul Hartel, MD. ATU Sligo Room A0005, 8.00pm. Public Event (Age 16+).

Friday 18th Nov.

Current Chemistry Investigators (CCI)

LIVE ‘In Person’ workshops. Workshop 1: 9.45 - 11.45am Workshop 2: 12.00 - 2.00pm

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Saturday 19th Nov.

Who Fell to Earth

Show with

Sligo Science Fair

SUNDAY 13th NOVEMBER, 12.00 - 5.00pm

FAMILY EVENT EXPLAINING SCIENCE IN A FUN WAY

The Annual Science Fair will include a wide range of performances, interactive displays and demonstrations for all the family to enjoy. Experiments, discovery and lots of fun guaranteed for both children and adults. A fun day of drop in demonstrations, shows and activities at ATU Sligo.

Mad Professor with Niall O’Dwyer Room A0004

1.00, 2.30 & 4.00pm

Fun and interactive science experience.

Join the Mad Professor on a journey through many principles of science seeing how everyday items help shape the world of science.

Professor Plunger Room A0006

1.30 & 3.30pm

Interactive street show with Professor Plunger, a nonverbal comedy clown show. The Professor is ready to show off his greatest invention; his amazing hair! An inventive and original show featuring dancing, hair, plungers and a bell-playing finale. The Professor is a charming old world rogue with a little cheeky grin.

Professor Plunger is a non-verbal show using the international language of comedy and music.

Wonderstruck

Dangerous Science Show

ATU Sligo Hume Hall 12.30 & 3.00pm

The Dangerous Science Show examines the impact that our ability to use the energy of expanding gases has had on human civilisation.

So where does the ‘Dangerous’ fit in? This show contains some of our most dangerous demos:

• The Burning Bed of Nail

• The Fire Axe Pendulum

• The Exploding Helmet of Pain And plenty more!

WOW Airshow with Professor Egghead Room E0011

12.15, 1.30 & 4.15pm

Watch how Professor Egghead explorers the Air around us. See, what amazing experiments can be conjured up using just Air. Professor Egghead is not interested in the ordinary but very interested in the EXTRAORDINARY.

Come on a journey of exploration and discovery and find out what’s all around us and how it can affect our lives.

Science - It’s like Magic but real... with Graham Hewston Room E0017

12.45, 2.10 & 4.10pm

In this fun-filled presentation

Graham will draw the fine line between science and magic and then we will explore the consequences of crossing and double-crossing that line! Highlights include: confusing illusions, wandering water, mysterious floating objects and things which shrink or grow just by looking at them. Audience volunteers be ready to sort out the magic from the science...

Dr Ken’s Spectacular Science Circus Show Room A0005

12.00, 2.00 & 4.00pm

Roll up, roll up it’s time for Dr Ken’s Spectacular Entertaining Circus Science show.

Hold on to your seats as he eats fire, spin’s things, and cracks whips. All in the name of science.

Champion juggler & scientist Dr Ken explores the scientific principles behind skilful circus tricks and dangerous stunts.

Find out why jugglers love gravity, unicyclists keep moving to stay still, if friction can be your friend and much much more.

It’s science but not as you may know it!!!

DROP IN, IN PERSON, DEMONSTRATIONS, PERFORMANCES & INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES

The Wonder of Marine Life with Robin Barry Room B1201

All day Drop In

Experience the wonderful magic of the Marine World around us and learn how to identify different sea shore species edible and non-edibles, such as shellfish, seaweed plants, fish, birds and mammals emphasizing the importance of protecting marine life from the dangers of plastics entering our waterways. Join Robin for a journey of marine life discovery.

sligo science festival

Victoria Walker’s Chemical Crew

The Black Box 1.00, 2.30 & 4.00pm

Investigate what happens when the worlds of dance and science collide!!

Find out when the Victoria Walker’s “Chemistry Crew” Dancers perform an explosive jazz dance that will blow your mind!!! Watch as our dancers combine the raw materials of music, movement, space and time to create the must see event of the Science Fair.

Join our experiment and explore dance in one of our workshops with our professional dance teacher and her “Chemistry Crew”.

For any budding performers you will also have the opportunity to join our Chemistry Crew in the finale. Add your X Factor to our secret formula!!!

Nature Challenge with Michael Bell Room B1080

All day Drop In

Learn all about the wonderful world of nature to be found in and around Co Sligo with quizzes to test your nature knowledge, live mini beasts to view and bones from the second largest animal in the world that were found in Sligo!

Join Michael and discover Nature around us.

Mermaid with Circus 250

Main Concourse

All day

Find out what a mermaid has to say about ecology of our shores! She is actually a ‘qualified’ mermaid – and will be showing a film of her swimming underwater with a tail and a certificate to prove it!

Exploration Dome with Martin Conroy

Dopios café area –C block 12:00, 12:30, 1.00, 1.30, 2.30, 3.00. 3.30, 4.00 & 4.30pm

The 20 minute online Planetarium experience that gives children a chance to interact with the planets and stars in our universe.

Please collect tickets for the science festival reception on the day or pre-book your time via the festival website.

All-Ireland Pollinator Plan with Leif Barry

Room B1081

All day Drop In

Leif Barry is an environmental scientist from the Burren in Co. Clare. Leif is a Bumblebee recorder for the National Biodiversity Data Centre.

Learn all about our many wild pollinators and how to provide them with nectar and pollen sources so they can survive and thrive. Identification aimed at Adults, parents and children. Join Leaf and learn how to become a citizen scientist!

Scientists on stilts with Circus 250

Roaming the fair all day

Do you look up to scientists? Well now you really can! Science on Stilts is a walkabout show where real life scientists - who are also accomplished stilt walkers – do experiments with you. Science on Stilts elevates how atoms are made or why bubbles reflect colours to a new height – and huge fun.

AbbVie – Promoting STEM in our communities

ATU Aurivo Theatre Times TBC

AbbVie’s commitment to promoting science within our communities is exemplified by the company’s ongoing sponsorship of the Sligo Science Festival. AbbVie’s support has helped the festival undertake exciting initiatives including performances, educational exhibits and STEM-focused engagements with local schools.

This year, employees from AbbVie’s manufacturing facilities in Sligo will be joined by a very special guest speaker to host a number of exciting and engaging shows showcasing the impact of STEM.

This is an event parents and kids will not want to miss!!!

Kitchen Chemistry with St Angela’s College

Main Concourse All day Drop In

Cooking up a Chemical Storm” students from St Angelas’s College, will blow your minds with their chemical wizardry just using a few ingredients from the kitchen cupboard! Come along and learn how to make DNA, rain clouds, elephants’ toothpaste, rainbows and lots more!

Sustainable Foods - What would you eat to save the world?

Main Concourse

All day Drop In

Food production systems nowadays are facing multiple challenges; on one hand there is a growing demand for food due to the increasing world population, while on the other hand scarcity of natural resources, climate change and the impact of food production on the environment call for more sustainable practices. Researchers around the world and in ATU are exploring the use of insects as a source of protein that would have lower environmental footprint than

traditional livestock production. At the Science fair we will be showing you products made from insects. Would you be willing to eat insects or products containing insects?

Adding to the increasing problem of food security, is the fact that one third of world food production is lost or wasted.

In Ireland for example, we waste approximately 1 million tonnes of food every year. At the Science Fair we will be showing you food products such as smoothies and soups that have been produced using peelings and cores of fruit and vegetables, with aim to reduce food losses along the food supply chain. This concept is characterised as circular eating. Would you be willing to consume products containing these ingredients?

Join researchers from ATU at the Science fair to find out more about the concept of entomophagy and circular eating.

Sources: Food waste | Environmental Protection Agency (epa.ie), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) (2011), UN SDGs (2015)

Soil Makers with the Organic Centre Main Concourse All day Drop In

The Organic Centre’s drop in workshop explores the science of soil making, a DIY guide to recycling food and garden waste, demonstrating what you can do at home in a small space and in a short space of time. Saving the Planet in the modern world! Child and Adult friendly.

Primary School Science C Block Foyer 12.30 – 2.30pm

Visit our Primary Schools Science area to view videos and exciting experiments and activities demonstrated by primary school pupils from Sligo town and county.

Sligo Bay Life Boat Services

Sligo Garda Siochana

The Mountain Rescue Team

Sligo Fire Department

Birdwatch Ireland

Main Canteen and Reception All day Drop In

Science Week

13th - 20th NOVEMBER

Sligo Science Festival’s Lectures, Events and Performances

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS – ALL EVENTS FREE

Sligo Science Festival 2022 Back In Person (mostly!)

This year’s Sligo Science Festival is back In Person (mostly!) with a peppering of Online events.

FRIDAY 11th NOVEMBER

Please look for the ‘LIVE’ or ‘ONLINE’ symbols.

To guarantee your place for online events please book via our website: www.sligosciencefestival.ie

For schools activities please contact our festival producer, Oli Melia – oli.melia@atu.ie

These

are an SFI funded project delivered by ATU in collaboration with

Current Chemistry Investigators (CCI) In Person Workshop

ATU Sligo, Room B2061 Workshop 1 - 9.4511.45am / Workshop 2 - 12.00 - 2.00pm

T Y Students only event.

Current Chemistry Investigators (CCI) is an informal education project about the science of energy storage and chemical analysis. The 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for

the discovery of the LithiumIon battery, a technology that has revolutionized modern society! These batteries are now in our phones, cars, laptops and houses. However, modern batteries need chemical elements from all over the world to store energy. We are also in the middle of an energy crisis and we need to find more efficient ways to store and transport energy to make better use of renewable energy. We have designed our CCI workshop around “ElectroAnalytical Chemistry” where the topic or electrochemistry is subtly introduced through familiar chemical analysis techniques. TY/LC students will need to figure out what happened to a fictional battery powered car that went on fire by analyzing the electrolyte

with a conductivity meter. It contains plenty of lab skills like making standards, using pipettes, drawing a calibration graph, figuring out an unknown as well as theory like qualitative and quantitative analysis, ions in solution, electrolytes, ion-exchange etc. We will bring everything with us, including 10 conductivity meters so students can work in small groups.

This workshop is a great opportunity for students to use professional lab equipment and learn about the chemistry of batteries as well as chemical analysis.

Workshop sessions also on Friday 18th

Limited places available: For details and bookings, Contact Dr. Fiona McArdle (fiona.mcardle@atu.ie)

MONDAY 14th NOVEMBER

Dr Ken’s Spectacular Science Circus Show In Person Science Roadshow

10.00am and 1.00pm

At your Primary School only event.

Roll up, roll up it’s time for Dr Ken’s Spectacular Entertaining Circus Science show.

Hold on to your seats as he eats fire, spin’s things, and cracks whips. All in the name of science. Champion juggler and scientist Dr Ken explores the scientific principles behind skilful circus tricks and dangerous stunts.

Find out why jugglers love gravity, unicyclists keep moving to stay still, if friction can be your friend and much much more.

So, You Want to be a Forensic (Medical) Scientist? In Person Talk with Dr Geraldine Dowling and Professor Nikolas P. Lemos

ATU Sligo Room

A0005, 7.00pm

Public Event (12+).

Interested in a field full of scientific and judicial challenges (and rewards)? Join ATU Sligo’s

Professor Plunger In Person Science Roadshow with the Fanzini Brothers

10.00am and 1.00pm

At your Primary School only event.

Interactive street show with Professor Plunger, a nonverbal comedy clown show. The Professor is ready to show off his greatest invention; his amazing hair! An inventive and original show featuring dancing, hair, plungers and a bell-playing finale. The Professor is a charming old world rogue with a little cheeky grin and a very large head of hair. Professor Plunger is a non-verbal show using the international language of comedy and music.

Fan Powered Cars In Person Workshop with Wonderstruck

10.00am and 1.00pm

At your Primary School only event (8+ years).

Pupils work in teams of three to build a prototype model fan-powered car. They test the prototype to establish a benchmark performance and then are given access to a wide range of different components with which to improve the performance of their cars. The session ends with a competition to find the ‘best’ car!

Dr Geraldine Dowling and Professor Nikolas P. Lemos, Director of Cameron Forensic Medical Sciences at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry in London, describe how they got involved with Forensics, as well their own their personal involvement in some fascinating cases!

Professor Lemos’s consults in administrative, civil and criminal cases all over the world including working closely

with the San Francisco Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, the FBI, the US Park Police and has testified in over 330 trials.

More information on this talk at www.sligosciencefestival.ie

TUESDAY 15th NOVEMBER

Primary Schools Events. Booking required: Contact Oli Melia (oli.melia@atu.ie)

Primary Science Day at the Organic Centre In Person Science Roadshow

The Organic Centre, Rossinver Co Leitrim 10.00am – 2.00pm

The three Workshops listed below each run 3 times: 10.00am, 11.15am & 1.00pm

Nature on our Doorstep with Michael Bell

Learn about the nature that lives all around us with Michael Bell of Nature Learn. Michael will talk about many of the animals and plants that share our neighbourhood and plenty of hands on activities to look at. Be prepared to go on a minibeast safari around the grounds of the Organic Centre.

Compressed Air Rockets with Wonderstruck

Pupils work in pairs or individually to build paper and card rockets. Once complete, we launch the rockets from our custom built launchers, supplying launch pressures up to 100 psi! The main STEM topics covered in this workshop are: Forces, Aerodynamics & Friction, as well as more holistic skills such as team working, communication, investigation etc.

Dr Ken’s Spectacular Science Circus Show

Roll up, roll up it’s time for Dr Ken’s Spectacular Entertaining Circus Science show.

Hold on to your seats as he eats fire, spin’s things, and cracks whips. All in the name of science.

Champion juggler and scientist Dr Ken explores the scientific principles behind skilful circus tricks and dangerous stunts.

Professor Plunger In Person Science Roadshow with the Fanzini Brothers

ATU Donegal

Letterkenny Lecture Theatre 1101 10.00am and 11.30am

Primary Schools only event. Interactive street show with Professor Plunger, a non-verbal comedy clownscience show.

Please contact ATU Donegal Lauren Reynolds (lauren. reynolds@atu.ie) or Victoria Wilson (victoria.wilson@atu.ie) to book your school place.

Resilient food crops for the future

Online pre-recorded Webinar with Klaus Laitenberger

11.00am - Secondary Schools only event. 7.00pm - Public Event (12+)

There are thousands of edible food crops available to humanity but yet we limit ourselves to just a handful of those.

More than 50 percent of our daily calories come from four staple crops: rice, wheat, maize and potaotes!

These are so highly bred and some of them genetically engineered and also highly dependent on chemical inputs because they are grown on large-scale monocultures.

sligo science festival

When the Spanish Conquistadores went to Peru, they took all their gold and also their potato, but left all the other vegetable treasures behind – Yacon, oca, mashua, ulluco, tarwi – just to mention a few. I have grown many of these Lost Crops of the Incas in Ireland.

One of these – yacon, along with a North American cousin – Jerusalem artichokes have a great potential as a new resilient crop in Ireland. They are both high yielding and are already used in some countries as a healthy sugar alternative.

Imagine a sugar replacement that is also a prebiotic and healthy for you!

In the talk we will discuss many topics in relation to this and may lead into other areas on climate smart gardening.

My background

Klaus Laitenberger is the author of four gardening books: ‘The Self-Sufficient Garden’, ‘Vegetables for the Irish Garden’, ‘Fruit and Vegetables for the Polytunnel and Greenhouse’ and ‘A Vegetable Grower’s Handbook’. He works as an Organic Inspector for the Organic Trust Ltd and manages a number of private gardens.

Together with his wife, Joanna, they started a seed company, specialising in the most suited vegetable varieties for the Irish climate as well as the most resistant and delicious ones (Green Vegetable Seeds).

He is a regular contributor to the BBC Gardener’s Corner and to various gardening magazines eg. The Irish Garden, Irish Independent and Irish Examiner. Klaus also works as an organic advisor and runs gardening courses throughout the country.

What lies beneath? In Person talk with

Dr Shane O’Reilly - The chemistry and biology buried below Ireland’s seafloor.

ATU Sligo Room

A0004, 7.00pm

Public Event (12+)

At the bottom or our seas, oceans, and bays – buried beneath the sediment on the seafloor - exists one of the largest habitats for life on Earth. Here, microorganisms with unique metabolisms and ingenuity dominate and critical chemical reactions happen that ensure the balance of our carbon cycle and other natural systems. Ireland’s seabed territory is more than ten times our landmass, yet we have barely scratched the (seafloor) surface. In this talk, we will what organisms eke out a living in these extremes, what unique geochemistry they drive and how, perhaps, they can be utilized for the benefit of society and the environment.

Science Friction…How surface interactions shaped the world

Online Talk with Laurie Winkless 8.00pm

Public Event (12+)

We are surrounded by stickiness. From the bike tyre that grips the road and the Post-it note that’s become an office mainstay, to your non-stick frying pan, and the ice that transforms waterways each winter. All of these things are controlled by tiny forces that operate on and between surfaces, with friction playing the leading role. In this talk, Laurie will explore the role of friction in both the manufactured and natural worlds. She will describe how our understanding of surface science, and our ability to manipulate stickiness, have developed throughout history, transforming the world around us. If you’ve ever wondered how the ancient Egyptians could move colossal stone blocks, or why earthquakes happen, you might find the answers here.

This talk is inspired by Laurie’s latest book, ‘Sticky: The Secret Science of Surfaces’, which was published worldwide by Bloomsbury earlier this year.

Chemistry in the Movies In Person with Dr. John O’Donohue

ATU Sligo Room A0005, 8.00pm

Public Event (15+).

This short and snappy talk will take a scientific and filmographic look at how chemists and chemistry have been portrayed in the movies. It will use short clips and simplified graphics to talk about the topic in an engaging and light-hearted format. The movies chosen for this discussion are based around a number of themes; problem solving, plot devices, chemical companies and people. Details about where and how to access the relevant movies in Ireland will also be provided (Netflix, Youtube, Apple etc). We hope this talk will give you the inspiration to start your own chemistry movie marathon! This talk is aimed at adults as there are some references to movies and themes which are certified 15.

More information on these three talks at www.sligosciencefestival.ie

WEDNESDAY 16th NOVEMBER

WOW Airshow In Person Science Show with Professor Egghead

10.00am and 1.00pm Schools only event (ages 8-12 yrs).

Watch how Professor Egghead explorers the Air around us. See, what amazing experiments can be conjured up using just Air. Professor Egghead is not interested in the ordinary but very interested in the EXTRAORDINARY. Come on a journey of exploration and discovery and find out what’s all around us and how it can affect our lives.

The Devastatingly Dramatic Climate Show

Online pre-record Science Show with Science2Life 10.00am

Primary Schools only event (2 schools only). Age: 6-13.

Weather can be extreme, scary and devasting and the effects of climate change is just going make weather even scarier. No better topic for Scientific Sue to use her drama skills to entertain you!!

We all know about tornados but did you know fires can also spin! Join usto find out how fire tornados can be formed and why the Australian fire brigade call the eucalyptus tree ‘the gasoline tree’.

Something must be melting to cause the Earth’s water levels to rise. What is it? Thinking icebergs? Wrong!!

The consequences of any changes to our climate could lead to intense droughts, storms, heat waves and rising sea levels - we don’t want to alarm you we want to scare you!

Scare you with crazy, innovative science demonstrations which will answer many questions about climate change but may also put your volunteer’s very existence in danger!

Rethink Revision Online live Workshop with Braintastic 11.00am

Schools only event (10-14yrs).

By understanding what’s actually going on in their amazing brains, students can boost learning, helping make it that little bit easier to prepare effectively for exams. In this workshop we explore the best techniques for revision.

In this small-group workshop, we will cover memory retention techniques and explore psychology and neuroscience research that can help boost learning by better understanding our amazing brains. During the session students will learn how to design more effective revision plans, to take away with them, and discuss their revision woes with our expert presenter.

Students should have access to pens and paper to create their own revision timetable.

Mastering Memory with Braintastic

Pre-record schools show with live Q&A

1.00pm

Schools only event (10-14yrs).

Can you trust your memories? Maybe not. In this interactive science show students learn how memories stored in the brain can play tricks on you, through a series of memory games and quizzes. We’ll also share top memory tips and explore psychology and neuroscience research that can help boost your learning and revision skills. Plus, after the show, there will be time to ask our brain expert any questions you might have about your incredible brain!

To fully join in with the interactive elements, schools should print the handout supplied before the show begins. Download at: www.sligosciencefestival.ie

The Science of Monsters

In Person talk with Dr Declan McKenna

ATU Sligo Room A0004, 7.00pm

Public Event (12+).

For thousands of years, people have shared stories about mythical creatures such as werewolves, giants, vampires and dragons. But is there any scientific basis for these iconic monsters? This fun lecture will explain how real-life diseases, natural phenomena and medical misunderstandings throughout history have helped contribute to the mythology around these fantastic beasts. Amazingly, some of them may be more real than you think!

Do we understand the rate of expansion of the Universe?

In Person talk with Dr Eoin O Colgain

ATU Sligo Room A0005, 8.00pm

Public Event (12+).

Our understanding of the Universe rests on a relatively simple 6 parameter model. The parameters are constrained to percent level precision using the earliest light in the Universe. Nevertheless, the rate of expansion inferred from the model and the rate of expansion we determine in the local Universe no longer agree. Taken at face value, this says the existing model is wrong. I will explain why this is likely to be the case and highlight other observations suggesting that even our understanding of the rate of expansion may be incomplete.

Eoin Ó Colgáin is a mathematical physicist who is interested in anomalies in astronomical data sets.

THURSDAY 17th NOVEMBER

For the three programmes listed below please see Wednesday 16th listings.

The Devastatingly Dramatic Climate Show

Online pre-record Science Show with Science2Life

10.00am

Primary Schools only event (2 schools only). Age: 6-13.

WOW Airshow

In Person Science Show with Professor Egghead

10.00am and 1.00pm

Schools only event (ages 8-12 yrs).

Rethink Revision

Online live Workshop with Braintastic

11.00am

Schools only event (10-14yrs).

From Graduating to Advanced Research

- the immune system and structure-based vaccine design and covid/emerging viruses

Online Webinar with Dr Gordon Joyce 11.30am

Secondary schools/TY Students/1st Year 3rd level students.

Join M. Gordon Joyce, Ph.D, Chief, Structural Biology at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. in Maryland, USA.

From graduating from GMIT (now ATU Galway) to his current role, supporting the Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch (EIDB) and the US Military HIV Research Program (MHRP), providing advanced research in structure-based vaccine design for emerging viruses.

Dr Joyce has been working diligently to advance research efforts to prevent and treat COVID-19 and to understand and document the structural biology of this novel disease. He successfully produced the most detailed atomic level view of the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain - the part of the virus that binds to the lungs.

That’s Nonsense

Online live Workshop with Braintastic

1.00pm

Schools only event (7-11yrs).

Explore the wonderful world of our senses, and the tricks they play on us. Think you see with your eyes and taste with your tongue? Ever wondered why you get dizzy when you spin? How many senses do you even have? Prepare to be amazed and confounded by sensory and optical illusions in this demo-packed exploration of your brain, as we discover your senses aren’t quite as simple as they seem…

To fully join in with the interactive elements, schools should provide each student with:

a fruity sweet (or something else fruit flavoured)

a mint sweet (or something else mint flavoured) a pen or pencil

a piece of paper.

ISTA Senior Science Quiz for Second Level Schools

The annual ISTA science quiz sponsored by AbbVie ATU Sligo Room

A0006, 7.00pm

Public Event (Age 16+).

The Irish Science Teachers’ Association, Eol Oidí na hÉireann, is the professional association for teachers of science in the Republic of Ireland. As such it is represented on the relevant subject development groups of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. Since its foundation in 1961 it has been providing continuous

professional development and support for its members at both national and branch levels.

The Association has close affiliations with the Association for Science Education in the UK and is a founding member of ICASE, the International Council of Associations for Science Education. It is also represented on SCIENTIX which promotes and supports a Europe-wide collaboration among STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) teachers, education researchers, policymakers and other STEM education professionals.

Members are also supported and informed of developments through the Association’s website (www.ista.ie) and through its Journal, SCIENCE, which is posted to members three times a year.

For up-to-date information visit:

• Website: www.ista.ie

• Twitter: @IrishSciTeach

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/Irish ScienceTeachersAssociation

Public Family Event.

In this interactive science show you will discover how the brain changes when we learn new things. Through a series of memory games and quizzes, we explore how memories are stored in the brain, and cover tips and tricks for making the most of their memories.

Memory Games Online live Workshop with Braintastic 6.30pm

To fully join in with the interactive elements, please print the handout available at www.sligosciencefestival.ie (or have it accessible on another device) before the show begins.

Basking Sharks In-person Talk with Dr. Simon Berrow

ATU Sligo Room

A0004, 7.00pm

Public Event 12+.

Join Dr Simon Berrow as he talks about the rarely observed circling behaviours of endangered basking sharks seen off the coast of Ireland. This occurrence has now been explained as ‘shark speed dating’ courtship displays, thanks to a new study from the Marine Biological Association (MBA), the Irish Basking Shark Group and colleagues.

Simon Berrow is Chief Science Officer and Acting CEO of the IWDG. He is a founder member of the IWDG and has been coordinating its activities since his return to Ireland in 2000. He is Project Manager of the Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation (www.shannondolphins.ie) based in Kilrush, Co Clare. Simon carried out his PhD at Lough Hyne Marine Reserve while at University College, Cork where he set up the IWDG and also spent 2.5 years on South Georgia with the British Antarctic Survey. He lectures at ATU Galway on the Applied Freshwater and Marine Biology degree and IMBReSEA Masters programme.

Overview of Forensic Autopsy Pathology

In Person talk with Dr. Paul Hartel, MD

ATU Sligo Room

A0005, 8.00pm

Public Event (Age 16+).

An engaging talk by Dr. Paul Hartel. Dr. Hartel is Clinical Lead Consultant Histopathologist at Sligo University Hospital, clinical Associate Professor with the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at West Virginia University School of Medicine and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Pathology at National University of Ireland, Galway, School of Medicine. He is active in teaching and research with numerous publications and has been invited to speak nationally and internationally, and as expert witness for Irish and US law firms. Dr. Hartel is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pathology and Fellow of the Faculty of Pathology, Royal College of Physicians in Ireland, College of American Pathologists and American Society of Clinical Pathology.

FRIDAY 18th NOVEMBER

Sensational Science Online Workshop with Braintastic

11.00am

Schools only event (7 -11 yrs).

Exploring the science of optical illusions, this workshop is crammed full of hands-on activities as the kids make their own illusions to take home and try on friends and family.

Bugs for Life

In person Talk with Craig MacFarlane

ATU Sligo Room

A0004, 7.00pm

Public Event (Age 12+).

Craig Macfarlane is an enotmophagy enthusiast and co-founder of the charity Bugs for Life, which researches and promotes edible insects in Benin. Join him as he shares his experiences of his researching, foraging and farming insects in Scotland, West Africa and South East Asia.

These workshops are an SFI funded project delivered by ATU in collaboration with TCD.

Current Chemistry Investigators (CCI) In Person Workshop

ATU Sligo, Room B2061

Workshop 1 - 9.4511.45am / Workshop 2 - 12.00 - 2.00pm

TY Students only event.

For further information, see the workshop information from Monday 11th November

Limited places available: For details and bookings, Contact Dr. Fiona McArdle (fiona.mcardle@atu.ie)

Moonwalking in Sligo Live In Person Event with Northwest Adventure Tours

8.00pm

Public Event (Age 12+).

Moon walking, like you’ve never seen before, no, not that kind! After a three-year hiatus the Science Week Night Hike is back!

Join the team from Northwest Adventure Tours for a fun and fact-filled starlight night hike this Friday night (enter date).

Trek under the dark skies of Slishwood Forest trail, as the guides bring the sky to life with stories of old celestial traditions in Sligo, and help guide your eyes through the cosmos of stars, planets and distant galaxies.

Making an appearance for 2022 are the giant planets of Jupiter and Saturn and the smaller, but striking red Mars.

Discover how the Star Wars origin story is based off events in Sligo and relax under the stars while enjoying a warm drink brewed by the guides and hear from a professional night sky photographer who will be on hand to provide some advice for capturing the night sky in all its glory. Be sure to bring your cameras along and pick up some new tips along the way.

Northwest Adventure Tours torches will light the way through this ancient landscape that is steeped in history and astronomical connections. The hike will coincide with the Leonids Meteor Shower, the last great shooting star show of the year, heads up and you might be lucky enough to spot a few!

For further information and bookings contact festival producer Oli Melia oli.melia@atu.ie

Birds, Bugs and Botany: a lifetime of discovery

In Person Talk with Ralph Sheppard

ATU Sligo Room

A0005, 8.00pm

Public Event (All Ages). Ralph Sheppard grew up in the NW, and returned here after a decade lecturing in ecology in Bristol, to spend more than three decades in consultancy. For both Ralph and Don, birds were the spark that lit their early passion for wildlife - insects and wildflowers inevitably followed. Both found that the dearth of knowledge in their respective counties (Don in Sligo and Ralph in Donegal) kept them largely rooted within the county boundaries. This talk will outline Ralph’s explorations of Donegal’s wildlife.

Sligo

SATURDAY 19th NOVEMBER

The Kids Who Fell to Earth In Person Science Show with Eureka Edinburgh

ATU Sligo Hume Hall, 1.00pm and 3.00pm Public Event (All Ages)

Join Zing and Zong in an exciting adventure through space and time and help them as they discover the science that holds

the key to saving their civilisation. Watch as they explore states of matter and materials by experimenting with some of the coldest substances around, before uncovering the secrets of space travel (with some dramatic explosions) to make their way back home.

It’s an out of this world epic!

ROADSHOWS

Science Roadshows for Children in the Northwest Science roadshow, ‘WOW Airshow’ in association with County Sligo LEADER Partnership Company Limited. For further information please contact: kgabbidon@sligoleader.com

AbbVie Schools Roadshow

AbbVie employees from their manufacturing sites in Sligo are participating in company supported outreach that’s focused on promoting science role models currently active in the Irish workplace. The company’s employees are aiming to drive greater student awareness of the rewarding career opportunities that can be unlocked by studying STEM subjects.

Over the coming weeks and months, AbbVie employees will visit schools and host students on site. If you are interested in a session with the AbbVie team at your school, contact: andrew.shaw@abbvie.com

Guys – get your health in Gear

Poster/Info Launch

Wednesday 16th, ATU Sligo reception area, 1.00pm

The 19th November this year marks ‘International Men’s Day’. This Men’s Health event aims to increase awareness and educate all men on some of key health issues that may affect them in relation to their health and well-being. The final year students from the Public Health and Health Promotion programme in ATU along with their lecturer Margaret Mc Loone are here to help answer your questions and to signpost you to the appropriate supports and services available to all men here in Ireland. This awareness event will be launched at 1pm on Wednesday 16th November in the main reception, ATU Sligo and everyone is welcome. This event is kindly supported by the Equality, Disability, and Inclusion team within the ATU.

ALL WEEK: SUNDAY 13th - SUNDAY 20th NOVEMBER

The Sligo Science Trail science objects in shop windowscan you find them?

Sligo City Centre Public Event (All Ages)

ATU Sligo Science Department have placed Science objects in shop windows in Sligo City Centre. Can you find them all?

Download the map from www.sligosciencefestival.ie and start the hunt. Once you complete the trail, e mail your completed maps to info@sligosciencefestival.ie to enter the prize winning draw.