6–11 June 2017 Box Office 01242 850270 cheltenhamfestivals.com #cheltscifest
THANK YOU to our Partners and Supporters In Association with
Principal Partners
Major Partners
Strategic Partner
Festival Partners
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WELCOME A warm welcome to the 2017 #cheltscifest. This June we celebrate our 15th birthday and in our three headline themes we’ll be gazing into the future of our planet and human society, delving into the science of sound and music, and uncovering the mystery of how our brains make us who we are. We’ll also be attempting to understand the universe, exploring the link between science and the criminal justice system, discussing the latest research in health and wellbeing, looking at tech, wildlife, making, politics, history, comedy... and so much more! Join us in questioning everything.
Mark’s Picks Brainwash LIVE page 31 Can We Predict The Day You’ll Die? page 19 How Does A Hack Work? LIVE page 15 Fact, Fiction And The Rise Of Fake News page 24
Entertainment Vampires page 33 Dr Jiggs Bowson’s Charming Science Cabaret page 29 Science Festival Variety Night page 34 Chocolatology page 32 Gemma Arrowsmith: EARTHLING page 39
The Universe Roger Penrose And Marcus du Sautoy page 39 The Universe: What Do We Know? page 30 The Universe: What Don’t We Know? page 31 Do We Exist In A Multiverse? page 28 Proxima b: The Earth Next Door? page 25
Forensics & Law The Criminal Mind: Can You Blame Your Brain? page 19 A Guide To Forensics page 27 Jury Live page 29
Nature & Wildlife Doug Allan: Adventures Of A Wildlife Cameraman page 21 The Brilliance Of Birds page 15 If We Could Talk To The Animals page 19 The Spider Appreciation Society page 23 Jurassic Britain page 38
Health & Lifestyle I believe that science can change the world. It shouldn’t be a pipedream. In times of uncertainty it is essential to bridge walls and evoke and inspire a passion for truth and curiosity in all. To make our world a better place, we must first try to understand it. Come and ask the right questions with us at #cheltscifest. Mark Lythgoe Chair of Cheltenham Science Festival
Living With Dementia page 15 Food Allergies And Intolerances: Fact vs Fiction page 26 Young Minds Under Pressure page 21 How To Train For A Triathlon page 29 Surviving Social Media page 32
Origins Of Life The Incredibly Unlikely History Of Everyone Who Ever Lived page 29 In Conversation With Richard Dawkins page 37 Why Is Life The Way It Is? page 23 Survival Of The Smartest page 34 and loads more, dive in... 3
FREE INTERACTIVE ZONE
EDF Energy is delighted to be the Associate Title Partner of Cheltenham Science Festival Come and find out about our programmes to inspire the next generation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM): visit us in the EDF Energy Zone in Imperial Square, or inside the Discover Zone in Cheltenham Town Hall, to find out how we are encouraging the scientists, engineers and thinkers of tomorrow. As the UK’s largest producer of low carbon electricity, EDF Energy is committed to helping young people understand the great career opportunities available in a STEM related industry. Currently only one in five people working in core science, technology, engineering and maths fields is female. Our Pretty Curious campaign aims to change this, as we look to increase our intake of female STEM apprentices to 30% by 2018. To find out more visit www.edfenergy.com/prettycurious 4
THEMES
Our Future World From climate change to the future of work, food and travel, we ask the big questions about our planet and human society, considering the issues and developments that will affect our lives in the years to come.
Events to look out for: The Future Of Travel page 31 Food: A Guilt-Free Future page 24 Living In A Machine World page 32 Brexit: Keeping Britain’s Science On Top page 22 Populations And People page 28 Our Connected Future page 19 Our Changing Climate page 26 The Future Of Work page 31 The Future Of Our Oceans page 19 Rewriting Economics page 34 Join Dallas to discuss Our Future World in our free Quick Chats on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon (see pages 19 & 23).
Dallas Campbell is one of the best known factual television presenters in the UK. He has worked across a wide range of subjects on programmes such as The Gadget Show, Bang Goes The Theory and Stargazing Live, and on documentary series including Supersized Earth, City In The Sky, and Britain Beneath Your Feet.
Guest Director: Dallas Campbell I’m thrilled to be back at everyone’s favourite Science Festival. Cheltenham always brings together the best of the best from familiar faces to rising stars. This year I’m particularly excited about peering into our crystal ball to see what the future might hold, as we meet people whose ideas and research could define the way we live on planet earth. 5
THEMES
Mysteries Of The Mind The human brain is made up of billions of neurons and trillions of connections, unconsciously ticking away and resetting while we sleep. How does this blob of matter not only allow us to function and make sense of the world around us, but also define us and give us our identity?
Events to look out for: What Is Reality? page 17 What Do Babies Think? page 33 What Is Consciousness For? page 31 Can You Retrain Your Brain? page 28 Why Do We Laugh? page 40 Is Pain All In The Brain? page 27 Stress page 16 Introvert, Extrovert, Or Just You? page 39 Your Irrational Brain page 20 Sex, Lies And Brain Scans page 18 The Machine Mind page 32
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Guest Director: Ellen Stofan
Events to look out for:
Ellen Stofan is a planetary geologist and the former Chief Scientist of NASA. She has been at the forefront of incredibly exciting discoveries, informing our understanding of our own planet and our solar system. Ellen is also an Honorary Professor at University College London and co-chair of the World Economic Forum Space Council.
Fact, Fiction And The Rise of Fake News page 24 Ellen Stofan: A Life Scientific page 27 Ellen Stofan: Life Beyond Earth page 33 Family: A Voyage Through Our Solar System (Ideal for 8+) page 41
THEMES
Music And Sound Whether it’s the busy hum of the city or the melody of your favourite pop song, sound and music are a universal feature of our culture and a permanent fixture of our daily lives. Join us as we trace the evolutionary origins of music, explore how we can not only hear but also feel sound, question what it takes to become a musician, learn how an instrument’s design can change its sound and understand how music is being used as medicine. Dazzle the senses with unique performance, lively debate and installations; our 2017 programme offers up a symphony of sound that you won’t want to miss.
Events to look out for: Sounds Of Science page 28 Evelyn Glennie: Feeling Sound page 30 Can Science Explain Music? page 16 Music On The Brain page 38 The Singing Neanderthals page 27 Music On Prescription page 14 What Makes A Musician? page 17 Instrumental Acoustics page 21 Will Gregory: Writing Emotion Into Music page 37 The Sound Of Symmetry page 39 Chladni Plates Installation (Activity Tents) page 9
I’m looking forward to sharing the excitement of space exploration with everyone at Cheltenham Science Festival. This generation of kids will one day walk on the surface of Mars. I want to inspire those future Mars astronauts. 7
FESTIVAL GUIDE Free interactive zones EDF Energy Zone Open 10–12 June
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre GL50 3AA 5 minute walk
Toilets
All ages
Regency Café
Design your ideal high-tech smart bedroom. Work with EDF engineers to build electronic circuits and then test them live.
Pillar Room Imperial Garden Bar
Siemens Curiosity Zone Open 11–12 June 10am–6pm
The Cube
Siemens Curiosity Zone
All ages
Holst Statue
See page 10 for details.
Box Office
Activity Tents
Discover Zone
Festival Café
Open daily 10am–5pm
MakerShack
Conversation Corner
All ages (late opening for adults Fri 9 June 8-10pm)
Waterstones Book Shop
See page 13 for details.
GE Pavilion Open daily 10am–6pm
All ages (late opening Wed 7 & Fri 9 June, till 8pm) See page 12 for details.
MakerShack Open daily
All ages
See page 11 for details and opening times.
16-25? 16-25 Members
receive 10% off at all cafés*: Festival Café, Imperial Garden Bar & Regency Café in the Town Hall.
*Includes all food and hot drinks. Visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/16-25 to find out how to register.
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Food & Drink See page 42 for our fabulous food and drink offerings. Vegetarian and gluten-free options available at all cafes.
Imperial Square, Cheltenham, GL50 1QA Site opens 6 June free entry
Free activities Discover Zone
Science Trail
Toilets
Open daily
Town Hall
All ages Collect your quiz sheet from the Science Trail start point and follow the Trail around Imperial Square.
Toilet
GE Pavilion Science Trail Start
ExperiTent
EDF Energy Arena
Activity Tents Open daily
EDF Energy Zone
All ages A selection of hands-on activities exploring the natural world. Find out what it’s like to be a heart scientist and try your hand at CPR with the British Heart Foundation, explore a range of topics with the University of Southampton, and join Hartpury University Centre to discover whether you’re fit to ride a racehorse, how drumming can change your brain, and much more.
The Crucible Helix Theatre
Toilets
On Saturday and Sunday have a play with a Chladni plate installation and experience the sound of symmetry. See event S139, page 39 for more information.
Large Animal Dissection 11 June 10am–4pm
RPS International Images For Science Conversation Corner
Open daily
Open Daily, Drop in
Follow the trail around the Town Hall through this exhibition of amazing science images from the Royal Photographic Society. Solve ten clues to identify the key pictures and enter a prize draw for a Nikon camera!
Have our speakers got your brain whirring? Share ideas, be inspired and join other audience members for an informal chat at Conversation Corner in the Festival Café. Places limited, unreserved seating.
Town Hall All ages
Activity Tents, Imperial Square From head to hoof: Join a specialist team from Hartpury University Centre to explore equine anatomy through a detailed dissection.
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FREE INTERACTIVE ZONE
11-12 June, 10am-6pm
Siemens Curiosity Zone All ages Free entry The Curiosity Project is a three-year engagement programme by Siemens, aimed at bringing science, technology, engineering and mathematics to life for young people in the UK, addressing the UK’s chronic shortage of engineers and inspiring the next generation. Find out more at siemens.co.uk/curiosity-project Siemens is a global engineering and technology company, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization, and is one of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies. 10
Working with our friends from Greenpower and The London Transport Museum, there will be plenty of transportthemed interactive, hands-on activities for you to get involved with in the Siemens Curiosity Zone. Whether you want to have a go at assembling an electric car, building your own railway, or learning how to code your way through a digital railthemed challenge using the BBC micro:bit, there are lots of activities to explore and experiments to tackle!
MAKERSHACK
6–9 June 3–5pm, 10–11 June 10am–5pm Free Entry, All Ages Enter a carnival of creativity in the MakerShack: explore wondrous materials and intriguing techniques with a host of makers, engineers and craftspeople, and put your newfound knowledge to the test as you make your very own creations and inventions. From the mysterious world of invisibility to curious materials with strange properties, get hands on with a surprising selection of stuff. Discover traditional and futuristic making technologies – and find out how makers are fusing past and current techniques to create new methods of craftsmanship. From Tuesday to Friday, help us code a robot to get it ready to journey into space, and join us at Mission Control on Saturday 10th to launch and track its journey.
FREE INTERACTIVE ZONE
Friday 9 June 8–10pm
Late opening Over 16s only. Free Entry
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FREE INTERACTIVE ZONE
Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10am–6pm
GE Pavilion Late opening Wed 7 & Fri 9 June, till 8pm
All ages Free entry Plant yourself in GE’s green pavilion and unearth your passion for science, technology, engineering and maths. Embark on a journey to discover the new GE technologies that will shape the world, experience different branches of digital industrial engineering and explore how GE is digging down to the root issues that will affect the future of the planet. Enjoy handson activities and meet the engineers that are shaping our future. GE is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the “GE Store,” where each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. 12
FREE INTERACTIVE ZONE
Open daily 10am–5pm
Discover Zone Cheltenham Town Hall, Main Hall All ages Free entry A huge, free interactive space to get hands-on with the latest exciting research and technology. Find out more about the world and how it works: with virtual reality, aeroplane engineering, steam, chemistry, cyber security, quantum computing, brains and memories, canal design, microscopic bugs and so much more!
Friday 9 June 8–10pm
Late opening for adults Cheltenham Town Hall, Main Hall Bar open. Over 18s only. Free Entry Don’t miss our special late opening for adults. Drop in to avoid the crowds, enjoy a drink and try all the activities for yourself – without kids and with the bar open. Safran Landing Systems is the world leader in the design, development, manufacture and support of aircraft landing and braking systems. We are proud to support Cheltenham Science Festival and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers as lead partner for the Discover Zone. 13
TUESDAY 6 JUNE
Box Office 01242 850270
S001
Becoming British: Immigration And Integration 10am 11am
11am
12noon
12noon
TUESDAY 6 JUNE PLANNER
EDF Energy Arena
The Crucible
CLC, Parabola Arts Centre
The Helix
The Cube
ExperiTent
Siemens Curiosity Zone 10am
1pm
S001 BECOMING BRITISH: IMMIGRATION & INTEGRATION
1pm
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £7 * Belonging. Citizenship. Integration. These words resonate so strongly in a country that for many of us feels divided, shaped by an uncertain future where borders hang in the balance. Shining a spotlight on the experiences of immigrants and refugees, Nilufar Ahmed considers the psychological impact that fleeing political upheaval and arriving in sometimes hostile environments can have on those who have been displaced.
2pm 3pm
3pm
S002 MUSIC ON PRESCRIPTION
2pm
4pm
S003 LIVING WITH DEMENTIA
S004 THE SEDUCTIVE MYTH OF TIME TRAVEL
4pm
5pm
S006 THE BRILLIANCE OF BIRDS
6pm
2.15–3.15pm
S002
S014 MARIE CURIE: A CELEBRATION
S015 STRICTLY COME SCIENCING
8pm
S008 WORKSHOP: SKELETON ZOO
S012 WORKSHOP: MAKE YOUR OWN LIE DETECTOR
7pm
Music On Prescription
8pm
Music And Sound 7pm
S009 HOW DOES A HACK WORK? LIVE
S010 CAN SCIENCE EXPLAIN MUSIC?
S011 STRESS
6pm
S007 WORKSHOP: SKELETON ZOO
S005 THE SECRET LIVES OF PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
5pm
The Crucible £7 *
9pm
S017 WHAT IS REALITY?
S018 WHAT MAKES A MUSICIAN?
S016 CONNECTING WITH YOUR CONNECTED CHILDREN
S013 WORKSHOP: MAKE YOUR OWN LIE DETECTOR
9pm 10pm
10pm
11pm
11pm
14
1–2pm
We’ve all heard the saying that music is good for the soul, but how much evidence is there that it improves our mental and physical health? Social entrepreneur Tim Joss is joined by medicinal music expert Vera Brandes, singer-songwriter Hannah Peel and psychologist Lauren Stewart as they delve deeper into our understanding of healing harmonies and explore how this knowledge is being used both in clinical settings and our day-to-day lives.
TUESDAY 6 JUNE
cheltenhamfestivals.com 3.30–4.30pm
S004
The Seductive Myth Of Time Travel
S003
EDF Energy Arena £7 * Dementia affects thousands of people in the UK every year with devastating consequences. Broadcaster, journalist and campaigner Fiona Phillips is joined by a patient, their caregiver and memory research scientist Chris Butler to explore the reality of living with dementia. They consider signs and symptoms, the road to diagnosis and treatment, and explore how research is informing our understanding of the disease.
Dementia Friends Information Session (Free) 5:30–6:30pm The Tivoli, Cheltenham Learn more about what it is like to live with dementia and turn that understanding into action in this 60 minute session. For more information and to register, please visit www.dementiafriends.org.uk and select ‘Attend an Info Session’.
4.45–5.45pm
S007 S008
Skeleton Zoo
For most of us, time is composed of mornings, afternoons and evenings. We hurry, we wait, we endure. Physics tries to explain time as the ‘fourth dimension’, where we can theoretically move forwards or backwards, with no consideration for our human experience at all. Philosopher Raymond Tallis snatches time back from the jaws of physics, criticising this idea of time travel and restoring human consciousness to the heart of our attempts to understand it.
Living With Dementia
Workshop
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £7 *
3.30–4.30pm
5.15–6.45pm 7–8.30pm
ExperiTent £10 * Uncover the fascinating world of skeletons and bones with expert anatomists from the University of Bristol. With cow, crocodile and other skeletons, take a fascinating hands-on tour of evolutionary history. Find out more about our very own bones, and discover how anatomical differences reflect the way species have adapted to their particular lifestyles and environments.
S005
The Secret Lives Of Particle Accelerators The Cube £7 * What good is a Higgs boson? Do particle accelerators have any impact on our dayto-day lives? Are they worth the billions of pounds we spend on them? Physicist Suzie Sheehy discusses how particle accelerators such as the Large Hadron Collider contribute to society, and ponders some tough practical, moral and ethical questions about her field.
4.45–5.45pm
S006
The Brilliance Of Birds The Crucible £7 * Research has shown that many birds have sophisticated brains with abilities spanning empathy, imagination and problem solving. Join cognitive biologist Nathan Emery for a fascinating exploration of how birds learn, think and feel, as he gives a beautifully illustrated insight into some of the masterminds of the avian world.
6–7pm
S009
How Does A Hack Work? LIVE EDF Energy Arena £9 * Launching a hack live on stage, cybersecurity experts FC and Jessica Barker show us how some of the UK’s biggest companies have been infiltrated. Highlighting cracks in the system and exposing cyber criminals’ weapons of choice, they are joined by Olly Mann to reveal how they are striving to remain one step ahead of the hackers to keep our personal data safe.
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
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TUESDAY 6 JUNE 6–7pm
Box Office 01242 850270
S010
Music And Sound
Can Science Explain Music? Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £8 * Physicists study vibrations and the physical mechanisms of making music, and neuroscientists visualise our brain activity when listening to it. But is music ever going to be something that can be understood or explained using science? Arguing “yes” is physicist and musician Mark Lewney against an emphatic “no” from neuroscientist, doctor, and philosopher Raymond Tallis.
6–7pm
S011
Mysteries Of The Mind
Stress
16
7–8pm 8.30–9.30pm
S012 S013
Workshop
Helix Theatre £8 *
Make Your Own Lie Detector
Heart racing, blood thumping – do you thrive or crumble under pressure? Whether it’s athletes stepping into the arena or that looming deadline, positive stress can help us reach our full potential. But severe and chronic stress has been connected to serious health conditions including anxiety and heart disease. Neuroscientist Vin Walsh delves into what happens when our brain is pushed to its limits with brain systems expert Shane O’Mara and psychologist Jennifer Wild.
Siemens Curiosity Zone £12 * Want to be able to check whether someone is telling the truth? Join the team from MadLab to wire up your own lie detector. With specially designed circuits and a soldering iron, the team guide you through the process. No experience of electronics or soldering required, completed lie detector is yours to take away.
7.15–8.15pm
S014
Marie Curie: A Celebration The Crucible £8 * Winning Nobel Prizes in both physics and chemistry, Marie Curie paved the way for nuclear physics and cancer therapy and transformed the role of women in science. To coincide with the 150th anniversary of Curie’s birth, historian of science Patricia Fara talks to Vivienne Parry and explores the life, work and extraordinary legacy of one of science’s greatest pioneers.
TUESDAY 6 JUNE
cheltenhamfestivals.com
7.15–8.15pm
8.30–9.30pm
S015
Music And Sound
EDF Energy Arena £9 *
The Cube £9 *
How do our brains make sense of the world? With exercises and illusions, neuroscientist Beau Lotto reveals startling truths about our perception, showing us that we don’t see reality, but something far more interesting… and indeed, far more useful. Join him to discover how ‘seeing differently’ requires knowing less, not more.
8.30–9.30pm
S016
Connecting With Your Connected Children Helix Theatre £8 *
Strictly Come Sciencing: Taster Dance Class (Free) 8.30–9.30pm Pillar Room, Town Hall After sifting through the science of dance, join Jamie Gallagher for drop-in taster Salsa dance class. Come along for as little or as long as you’d like whilst enjoying a drink from the bar. The bar will be open during this event.
S017
What Is Reality?
Strictly Come Sciencing
Behind the glitz and glamour of the ballroom lies a treasure trove of extraordinary science. Jamie Gallagher hosts a lively discussion between dance scientist Emma Redding and anthropologist Bronwyn Tarr. With live dancing on stage, find out about the physiology and psychology of dance and investigate why you might want to trade in your running shoes for a pair of heels.
Mysteries Of The Mind
From toddlers with touch-screens to smart-phone addicted teens, it can be difficult for parents to strike a balance between nurturing digital skills and protecting their family from online risks. Presenter and writer Olly Mann is joined by developmental psychologist Natalia Kucirkova, NSPCC Associate Head of Child Safety Online Amanda Azeez and tech journalist, comedian and Scummy Mummies podcaster Ellie Gibson as they share tips and advice on how to keep your family’s tech in check.
8.30–9.30pm
S018
Music And Sound
What Makes A Musician?
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £8 * Does practice really make perfect or do musicians need a special innate ability to succeed? Neuroscientist Vin Walsh joins psychologist Lauren Stewart, music teacher and researcher Adam Ockelford, and composer and guitarist Milton Mermikides to discuss musicality, whether you can teach musicianship, and why some of us are more drawn to making music than others.
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
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WEDNESDAY 7 JUNE
10am–12noon 1.15–3.15pm 4.15–6.15pm
10am 11am
S019 FAMELAB INTERNATIONAL SEMI-FINALS
11am
12noon
S022 SEX, LIES AND BRAIN SCANS
12noon
1pm
S019 S020 S021
FameLab International Semi-Finals Helix Theatre Free no ticket required The pressure is on as the world’s greatest international science competition returns – giving each contestant just three minutes to enlighten and entertain! Join our 31 national finalists from across the globe as they battle it out for a coveted place in the FameLab International Final. Hosted by Quentin Cooper. See the final ten compete for the grand prize in the FameLab International Final on Thursday 9th June at 8.30pm.
2pm 3pm
3pm
S024 CAN WE PREDICT THE DAY YOU’LL DIE?
2pm
S020 FAMELAB INTERNATIONAL SEMI-FINALS
S023OUR CONNECTED FUTURE
1pm
WEDNESDAY 7 JUNE PLANNER
EDF Energy Arena
The Crucible
CLC, Parabola Arts Centre
The Helix
Town Hall, Pillar Room
The Cube
ExperiTent
Other Venues 10am
S035 WHAT’S NEXT FOR PARTICLE PHYSICS
4pm
S027 THE CRIMINAL MIND: CAN YOU BLAME YOUR BRAIN?
5pm 6pm
11.45am–12.45pm
S022
Sex, Lies And Brain Scans
8pm
Mysteries Of The Mind 7pm
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £7 *
9pm
S042 DOUG ALLAN
S043 YOUNG MINDS UNDER PRESSURE
S041 THE STORY OF THE MOSQUITO
S040 INSTRUMENTAL ACOUSTICS
S037 YOUR IRRATIONAL BRAIN
S038 SCIENCE, BUSINESS AND TRUST
9pm
10pm
10pm
S044 WORKSHOP: S045 STARGAZING MAKE YOUR OWN IN THE GARDENS BURGLAR ALARM
S033 WORKSHOP: THE REAL CSI
8pm
S039 WORKSHOP: MAKE YOUR OWN TELEGRAPH MACHINE
7pm
S032 WORKSHOP: THE REAL CSI
S036 THE DRUGS DON’T WORK: A TALE OF RESISTANCE
S030 THE FUTURE OF OUR OCEANS
S021 FAMELAB INTERNATIONAL SEMI-FINALS S034 THE RECOVERING BRAIN
6pm
S031 WORKSHOP: THE REAL CSI
S029 CANCER VS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
5pm
S028 QUICK CHATS: OUR FUTURE WORLD
S026 IF WE COULD TALK TO THE ANIMALS
4pm
11pm
11pm
18
Box Office 01242 850270
Neuroimaging presents us with exciting possibilities, allowing the brain to be observed in real-time and giving us a greater insight into an individual’s thoughts, motivations and behaviour. But can brain scans really reveal what is going on inside our heads? Neuroscientist Barbara Sahakian examines what neuroimaging can tell us and considers the ethical risks associated with ‘reading minds’.
WEDNESDAY 7 JUNE
cheltenhamfestivals.com 1–2pm
S023
Our Future World
The Crucible £7 * As our world becomes increasingly connected, how will our lives change? How can we use this technology to improve accessibility and care for our environment? Will we be more, or less connected to each other? Guest Director Dallas Campbell goes beyond the hype and headlines with digital transformation enthusiast Deborah Sherry, connected homes expert Richard Harper and city innovation specialist Suzanne Wilson to discuss the benefits and pitfalls of hyperconnectivity.
S027
The Criminal Mind: Can You Blame Your Brain?
Our Connected Future
2.15–3.15pm
3.30–4.30pm
S024
If an injury or illness causes you to act out of character and commit a crime, are you to blame? Could we one day be able to prove somebody’s guilt by using a brain scan? As our understanding of the brain improves, the courtroom is increasingly faced with difficult ethical questions. Neuroscientist Barbara Sahakian, Professor of Legal Theory Dennis Patterson and criminal law expert Lisa Claydon examine neuroscience’s impact upon crime and punishment.
If We Could Talk To The Animals
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £7 *
The Crucible £7 *
2.30–4.30pm
S025
Crickley Hill Walk: Cotswolds In Miniature Free (booking required via email) Join Cotswolds’ warden John Heathcott as he leads this guided nature walk at Crickley Hill. Explore the beautiful landscape and its flora, and find out about local history, archaeology and geology along the way. To book please email cotswoldwalk@ cheltenhamfestivals.com
As our understanding of animal behaviour improves, we have discovered some surprisingly sophisticated communication systems. But will we ever be able to chat to chimpanzees or converse with whales? Biologists Katie Slocombe and Luke Rendell join linguist David Adger to discuss whether animals have language in the same way we do, how we would ever know, and whether we could ever understand them.
4.45–5.45pm
S029
Harnessing the power of your immune system, immunotherapy has been heralded as a turning point in the fight against cancer, producing long-lasting responses even in late-stage disease. But why is cancer such a challenge for the immune system and how do these new immunotherapies work? Oncologist Sam Guglani is joined by medical oncologist Gary Middleton and molecular immunologist Ben Willcox, as they discuss some of the cutting-edge treatments that are currently in the pipeline.
S026
Can We Predict The Day You’ll Die?
Half a million volunteers are having their genetics tested, their bodies imaged and their lifestyles monitored, all in the name of understanding more about a wide range of serious and life-threatening illnesses. Jimmy Bell joins Mark Lythgoe to discuss how imaging data from this revolutionary project is giving a completely new perspective to predicting our health, allowing us to see physical changes in the body before disease symptoms even develop.
Cancer vs The Immune System The Cube £7 *
EDF Energy Arena £7 *
3.30–4.30pm
4.45–5.45pm
S028
4.45–5.45pm
S030
Our Future World
The Future Of Our Oceans
Quick Chats: Our Future World
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £7 *
Siemens Curiosity Zone Free no ticket required
Our amazing oceans are home to millions of species, regulate the climate and the air we breathe, and are an integral part of the global economy. But they are at risk. What does the future hold for the beating heart of our planet? Physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski, marine conservationist Steve Rocliffe, microbial oceanographer Sonya Dyhrman and marine strandings expert Rob Deaville dive headfirst into our changing ocean.
Pop in for an informal discussion with Guest Director Dallas Campbell, speakers from the day’s events and other audience members. What questions have been raised by our Festival theme, and what is your vision of Our Future World?
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
19
WEDNESDAY 7 JUNE 5–7pm
Box Office 01242 850270
Engineering Digital Futures GE Pavilion Free no ticket required For all ages Join GE’s engineers to invent your very own solution to a global issue. Get hands on with a range of tech as you design, build, code and test your new creation.
6–7pm 5.30–6.30pm 6.45–7.45pm 8–9pm
S031 S032 S033
The Real CSI ExperiTent £8 * Explore the real science that goes into solving crimes as you try your hand at true-to-life forensic analysis. What can we learn about a victim from their bones? How does fingerprinting work? Which insects can help solve crimes? With experts from the University of Wolverhampton to guide you.
S035
EDF Energy Arena £8 *
Workshop
6–7pm
What’s Next For Particle Physics
S034
Mysteries Of The Mind
The Recovering Brain Town Hall, Pillar Room £8 *
In 2010, Kate Allatt suffered a severe stroke that left her ‘locked-in’: unable to move or communicate, but fully aware of her surroundings. Told she would never walk or talk again, miraculously, Kate regained speech and mobility in less than a year. Join Kate and neurologist Parashkev Nachev as they discuss her remarkable recovery and explore how her experiences are helping us to think differently about the brain after trauma.
The discovery of the Higgs Boson marked a turning point in our understanding of the inner workings of the universe. But what remains to be discovered? It’s a question posed daily by experimental particle physicist Gavin Hesketh and others like him who work at the Large Hadron Collider. Looking towards the next scientific revolution, he guides us through our latest understanding and asks how close we are to a Theory of Everything.
6–7pm
S036
The Drugs Don’t Work: A Tale Of Resistance The Crucible £8 * Tackling the global issue of antibiotic resistance with light-hearted sketches, microbiologist Anthony Hilton and his team of experts deliver a stage play with a difference. What happens when we misuse antibiotics? What happens when they stop working altogether? And what can we all do to prevent the antibiotic apocalypse?
Supported by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) & Biomaster
20
7.15–8.15pm
S037
Mysteries Of The Mind
Your Irrational Brain Helix Theatre £9 *
What shall we have for dinner? Should I take that new job? Every day we make hundreds of decisions, from the trivial to the lifechanging. So how do we make decisions and how sensible and rational are they? Ginny Smith puts your brain to the test to see just how rational, or irrational, you are. Please note, to get the most out of this event you will need an internet enabled device such as a smartphone or tablet.
7.15–8.15pm
S038
Science, Business And Trust The Cube £7 * In a post-Brexit economy, Britain’s fortunes are dependent upon the performance of our industry, particularly those linked to science. Yet whether it’s access to health data, development of medicines or the introduction of new technologies, confidence in industry has declined sharply to its lowest level since 2008. Vivienne Parry is joined by GE’s Duncan Frame and other top experts as they explore what business leaders need to do to earn the trust of the public and to restore our faith in industry.
WEDNESDAY 7 JUNE
cheltenhamfestivals.com 7.15–8.15pm
S039
Workshop
Make Your Own Telegraph Machine Siemens Curiosity Zone £12 * Always wanted to try out morse code? Join the team from MadLab to wire up your own telegraph machine – inspired by the earliest form of electrical communication device. With specially designed circuits and a soldering iron, the team guide you through the process. No experience of electronics or soldering required, completed telegraph machine is yours to take away.
7.45–9.15pm
8.30–10pm
S041
The Story Of The Mosquito Town Hall, Pillar Room £8 * Mosquitoes are a global menace, spreading deadly infections that kill millions of people each year. Join mosquito and malaria experts Ailie Robinson and Will Stone, and the archives team from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine as they explore the ongoing battle of man versus mozzie and where this has sometimes ended in victory for our tiny foes. Featuring a live mosquito dissection (don’t worry, we’ll zoom in). View the original archives after the event.
S040
Instrumental Acoustics
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £12 *
8.45–9.45pm
S044
Workshop
Make Your Own Burglar Alarm Siemens Curiosity Zone £12 * Need to catch the office biscuit thief? Join the team from MadLab to wire up your own light-activated burglar alarm. With specially designed circuits and a soldering iron, the team guide you through the process. No experience of electronics or soldering required, completed burglar alarm is yours to take away.
S043
Young Minds Under Pressure The Crucible £8 * The lives of teens and young adults are increasingly complex, with social media, peer pressure and body image anxieties all contributing towards a rise in mental illness. Join journalist and mental health campaigner Bryony Gordon, mental health expert Ann John and emotional disorders specialist Martina Di Simplicio as they consider how we can transform the way we understand, treat and prevent mental illness in young people.
Music And Sound
The hammered tones of the piano, the sweet voice of the violin, the deep and comforting bass of the cello. How do each of these individually exquisite instruments make the beautiful and heartwarming sounds that they do? Exploring their different vibrations, structures and resonances, acoustics expert Mark Lewney reveals all alongside live music from a piano trio.
8.30–9.30pm
Mental Health Mates Meet-Up (Free)
8.30–9.30pm
S042
Join Bryony Gordon in Conversation Corner at 6.30pm for a relaxed and friendly gathering. Chat about your experiences of mental illness without fear of judgement. For more information please visit mentalhealthmates.co.uk/meet-ups
Doug Allan: Adventures Of A Wildlife Cameraman EDF Energy Arena £9 * Across his extraordinary career, celebrated cameraman Doug Allan has been up close and personal with some of nature’s most magnificent creatures, capturing stunning footage for award-winning shows including Planet Earth, alongside David Attenborough. With spectacular clips, Doug shares the incredible behind-the-scenes stories of bringing the world’s wildlife into our living rooms with journalist Julia Wheeler.
9.45–11.00pm
S045
Stargazing In The Gardens Meet at the Holst Statue Free no ticket required Join members of the Cotswold Astronomical Society for a supervised evening of stargazing using members’ telescopes. Observe the night sky for yourself, with the chance to see Saturn and Jupiter. Full Moon is 9th June. This event is dependent on clear skies.
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
21
THURSDAY 8 JUNE
Box Office 01242 850270
10am 11am
11am
12noon
12noon
S046
Big Data And Mental Health
From mood tracking apps and websites, to survey data and digital libraries of patient information, our individual behaviours are being collated and mapped, revealing startling new insights into mental illness. Psychiatrist and app developer John Geddes, psychiatric geneticist Gerome Breen and data expert Sally McManus discuss how big data is helping to unravel the complexity of our mental wellbeing.
3pm
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £7 *
2pm 4pm
S049 THE SPIDER APPRECIATION SOCIETY
S050 LANGUAGE UNLOCKED
4pm
S048 WHAT THE HEART KNOWS
3pm
S047 KEEPING BRITAIN’S SCIENCE ON TOP
2pm
1pm
S046 BIG DATA AND MENTAL HEALTH
1pm
THURSDAY 8 JUNE PLANNER
EDF Energy Arena
The Crucible
CLC, Parabola Arts Centre
The Helix
Town Hall, Pillar Room
The Cube
ExperiTent
Other Venues 10am
5pm
S051 THE ALGORITHM KNOWS BEST
S053 WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE GLOBE
5pm
S052 QUICK CHATS: OUR FUTURE WORLD
6pm 7pm 8pm
S062 REDEFINING HUMANKIND
S063 CHAMPAGNE AND MUSIC
S061 ENGINEERING OUR FUTURE CLIMATE
8pm
S058 WORKSHOP: MASTERING MEMORY
S059 MATHEMATICAL LIFE HACKS
7pm
S055 FACT, FICTION & RISE OF FAKE NEWS
S054 WHY IS LIFE THE WAY IT IS?
S056 FOOD: A GUILT-FREE FUTURE?
S057 WORKSHOP: MASTERING MEMORY
6pm
9pm
S065 PROXIMA B: THE EARTH NEXT DOOR?
S067 FAMELAB INTERNATIONAL FINAL
S066 IS YOUR TECH LISTENING TO YOU?
S064 CHAMPAGNE AND MUSIC
9pm
S060 MATHEMATICAL LIFE HACKS
10pm
S068 STARGAZING IN THE GARDENS
10pm
11pm
11pm
22
1–2pm
2.15–3.15pm
S047
Brexit: Keeping Britain’s Science On Top The Crucible £7 * Theresa May wrote in July 2016 that she wants “a positive outcome for science as we exit the EU”. How can we build co-operation and retain Britain’s leading position in the world of science and innovation as Brexit looms? Join us to discuss the future with Wellcome Trust’s Ed Whiting, British Council’s Claire McNulty, top scientist Ottoline Leyser and an industry representative.
THURSDAY 8 JUNE
cheltenhamfestivals.com 3.15–4.15pm
S048
Mysteries Of The Mind
What The Heart Knows Cheltenham Ladies’ College Parabola Arts Centre £7 *
You may believe your thoughts and feelings originate solely in your brain, but what about heartache or gut instinct? Neuroscientist Sarah Garfinkel and philosopher Barry Smith cast light on the role our bodies play in the mind. They reveal how signals from the heart to the brain can shape the way we think and feel, what we remember and how we recognise others’ emotions.
3.30–4.30pm
S050
Language Unlocked
S053
Why Did The Chicken Cross The Globe?
Helix Theatre £7 * Imagine being able to go anywhere in the world without needing to worry about people understanding what you’re trying to say. Offering two-way translation in realtime, new technology is helping to remove barriers to conversation by converting speech into familiar language, with the potential to transform everything from socialising to medical scenarios. Raytheon’s Chief Scientist JF Mergen puts this cuttingedge tech to the test with BBC Technology Correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones.
4.45–5.45pm
4.45–5.45pm
The Cube £7 * We Brits eat more than two million chickens a day, but until recently we knew practically nothing about this humble bird. How was it domesticated, and why? Archaeologists Naomi Sykes and Greger Larson discuss fascinating new research from The Chicken Project, revealing that the story of chickens is the story of us, charting the rise and fall of empires, cultures and ideologies and the impact of humans across the globe.
S051
Does The Algorithm Know Best? The Crucible £7 *
3.30–4.30pm
S049
The Spider Appreciation Society EDF Energy Arena £7 * Join arachnophiles Vivienne Parry, Adam Hart, Michelle Reeve and Sara Goodacre as they delve into the world of eight-legged creepy crawlies. Discover the sheer diversity of spiders, how our knowledge of their locomotion could lead to better robotics, how they travel incredible distances, the amazing properties of spider silk and so much more.
How fair is it that a computer algorithm can determine the news you read, the search results you get, whether you are hired for a job, and even if you are likely to commit a crime? Can computers potentially make better decisions than humans? Hetan Shah joins Jeni Tennison, Luciano Floridi and Sue Daley to debate how algorithms dominate our society and whether companies and the government need to do more to explain how they work.
4.45–5.45pm
6–7pm
S054
Royal Society Michael Faraday Lecture
Why Is Life The Way It Is? Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £9 *
S052
Quick Chats: Our Future World Siemens Curiosity Zone Free no ticket required Pop in for an informal discussion with Guest Director Dallas Campbell, speakers from the day’s events and other audience members. What questions have been raised by our festival theme, and what is your vision of Our Future World?
We know surprisingly little about how complex life began. How are we here at all and why has life evolved the way it has? Evolutionary biochemist Nick Lane reveals fascinating new ideas about the singular event that sparked complex life into existence, and asks whether evolution would follow a similar path on other planets.
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
23
THURSDAY 8 JUNE
Box Office 01242 850270
6–7pm 7.30–8.30pm
S057 S058
Workshop
Mastering Memory
S055
Fact, Fiction And The Rise Of Fake News
S061
Our Future World
Engineering Our Future Climate The Cube £8 *
ExperiTent £8 *
6–7.15pm
7.15–8.15pm
Forgotten what you went upstairs for – again? Mislaid your keys and can’t put a name to a face? Join Ginny Smith for a host of quizzes and games to explore your memory. With tricks and top-tips on how to improve it, find out what happens in the brain when you learn and store memories, and discover why we shouldn’t always believe everything we remember.
With global temperatures set to keep rising, what are our options? Will reducing our carbon emissions ever be enough, or are more radical solutions, such as capturing carbon or blocking sunlight, required? Engineer Hugh Hunt joins climate scientists Tamsin Edwards, Naomi Vaughan and Mike Hulme, as they discuss and debate the ethics, feasibility and political ramifications of different climate engineering options.
EDF Energy Arena £12 * Last year saw a vote for Brexit, the election of Trump as US President and an unprecedented rise of fake news. Mulling over actual vs alternative facts, comedian Dara Ó Briain, experimental psychologist Stephan Lewandowsky, NASA’s former Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan, BuzzFeed’s James Ball and writer and producer Eliane Glaser attempt to make sense of the dawn of a post-truth age. Is this real life, or just fantasy?
6–7pm
24
Our Future World
7–8pm 8.30–9.30pm
Food: A Guilt-Free Future?
Mathematical Life Hacks
Helix Theatre £8 *
Siemens Curiosity Zone £8 *
The enormous variety of food available to us can leave us overwhelmed and anxious about the effects on the environment. How can we look after our own health and the health of our planet? Registered public health nutritionist Alan Dangour helps untangle the web of choices, drawing on research into healthy eating and the impact of food production on carbon emissions, water consumption and land use, suggesting simple ways we can make a difference.
We like to think maths, science and tech skills make us excellent problem-solvers. But just how useful are those skills in the real world? Mathematician Katie Steckles guides you through some mathematical, logical and geometrical tricks to solve some of everyday life’s minor challenges. You’ll never fold a t-shirt or tie your shoes in the same way again!
S056
S059 S060
7.15–8.15pm
S062
Redefining Humankind The Crucible £9 * Anthropologist Louis Leakey declared in 1963 “We must redefine ‘tool’, redefine ‘man’, or accept chimpanzees as humans”. Since then, our closest relations have been observed making weapons and engaging in both play and warfare. Evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod takes a lighthearted look at whether we need to redefine what it means to be Homo sapiens and questions whether or not humans are unique.
THURSDAY 8 JUNE
cheltenhamfestivals.com
7.30–8.15pm 8.45–9.30pm
S063 S064
Music And Sound
Champagne And Music Town Hall, Pillar Room £10 * Over 18s only Ticket includes champagne tasting You’ve heard of pairing wine with food, but have you considered matching it to music? We know music can reduce us to tears and powerfully evoke memories but can it also affect our taste? Prepare for a multisensory experience with philosopher and sensory expert Barry Smith as he guides you through this champagne pairing with a difference. If you don’t like the wine, you may need to change the music.
8.30–9.30pm
S065
Proxima b: The Earth Next Door?
8.30–9.30pm
S066
8.30–10pm
S067
Is Your Tech Listening To You? Helix Theatre £8 * Whether it’s Alexa, Siri or Cortana, intelligent virtual assistants are designed to make our lives easier. But do devices scanning our every word leave us vulnerable to over-sharing private information? Machine learning and signal processing expert Mark Plumbley and cybersecurity specialist Jason R C Nurse explore how the technology works and consider the implications for our privacy and security with BBC Technology Correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones.
FameLab International Final Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £10 * Watch as the world’s best and brightest take centre stage for the FameLab International Final. As the competition celebrates its tenth international year, our finalists will need to concentrate all of their charm and charisma into three minutes to be crowned the 2017 Champion! Hosted by Quentin Cooper with an interval act from comedian Lieven Scheire.
with Dara Ó Briain EDF Energy Arena £10 * Just over four light-years away, recently identified exoplanet Proxima-b orbits one of three stars in Alpha Centauri, our nearest star-system. But what do we know about our intriguing new neighbour? Does it hold ingredients that make it suitable for life, and could we one day take a trip there? Proxima-b discoverer and astronomer Guillem Anglada-Escudé, astrobiologist Louisa Preston and planetary scientist Andrew Coates discuss this game-changing find with Dara Ó Briain.
9.45–11pm
S068
Stargazing In The Gardens Meet at the Holst Statue Free no ticket required Join members of the Cotswold Astronomical Society for a supervised evening of stargazing using members’ telescopes. Observe the night sky for yourself, with the chance to see Saturn and Jupiter. Full Moon is 9th June. This event is dependent on clear skies.
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
25
FRIDAY 9 JUNE
Box Office 01242 850270
10am 11am
11am
S069
Cheltenham Ladies’ College Parabola Arts Centre £7 *
3pm
S075 ELLEN STOFAN: A LIFE SCIENTIFIC
4pm
S078 A GUIDE TO FORENSICS
S074 IS PAIN ALL IN THE BRAIN?
S072 THE SINGING NEANDERTHALS
4pm
S073 THE REAL URBAN JUNGLE S076 INCREDIBLE EDIBLE INSECTS
3pm
S071 THE HEALTHCARE REVOLUTION
2pm
Food Allergies And Intolerances: Fact vs Fiction
2pm
S070 OUR CHANGING CLIMATE
1pm
1pm
12noon
S069 FOOD ALLERGIES AND INTOLERANCES
12noon
FRIDAY 9 JUNE PLANNER
EDF Energy Arena
The Crucible
CLC, Parabola Arts Centre
The Helix
Town Hall, Pillar Room
The Cube
ExperiTent
Bacon Theatre 10am
5pm
S077 THE DRAKE EQUATION: ARE WE ALONE?
5pm
For diagnosed sufferers, food allergies and intolerances can make life miserable. But there is a growing trend for people voluntarily cutting ingredients like wheat and dairy from their diet. Broadcaster Michael Mosley is joined by dietician Isabel Skypala and allergist Adam Fox, as they dispel the myths, discuss how allergies and intolerances are detected and treated, and ask whether gluten really is friend or foe.
1–2pm 6pm
S081 DO WE EXIST IN A MULTIVERSE?
S083 AUGMENTED REALITY
S082 POPULATIONS AND PEOPLE
S079 WORKSHOP: FABRIC DYEING
6pm
7pm 8pm
S087 HOW TO TRAIN FOR A TRIATHLON
S086 CAN YOU RETRAIN YOUR BRAIN?
S085 BORN TO SUM
S080 WORKSHOP: FABRIC DYEING
8pm
9pm
S090 HISTORY OF EVERYONE WHO EVER LIVED
S091 JURY LIVE
9pm
10pm
10pm
S089 DR JIGGS BOWSON’S CHARMING SCIENCE CABARET
S084 SOUNDS OF SCIENCE
7pm
11pm
11pm
26
11.45am–12.45pm
S070
Our Future World
Our Changing Climate The Crucible £7 * What have you always wanted to know about the climate, but were afraid to ask? Guest Director Dallas Campbell leads a lively discussion between climate scientists Tamsin Edwards and Richard Seager as they explore why climate change is happening, the evidence behind global warming, and the link between climate change and weather phenomena such as floods and droughts.
FRIDAY 9 JUNE
cheltenhamfestivals.com 2.15–3.15pm
S071
2.15–3.15pm
S072
Music And Sound
Helix Theatre £7 *
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £8 *
The Healthcare Revolution
The Singing Neanderthals
From wearable sensors to Smartphone plug-ins, new technology is empowering patients to take control of their own wellbeing before setting foot inside the doctor’s surgery. Innovate UK’s Ian Campbell is joined by self-proclaimed Disruptor-in-Chief, NHS Clinical Lead for Innovation Tony Young and GP and former chair of the Royal College of GPs Clare Gerada for an exclusive insight into the trailblazing tech at the forefront of the healthcare revolution.
3.30–4.30pm
Renowned linguist Steven Pinker has dismissed music as being a useless byproduct of evolution, but surely there is more to this universal and much-enjoyed part of the human experience? Cognitive archaeologist Steven Mithen joins Alice Roberts to examine the origins of music and language, drawing from a diverse range of expertise and sources to explain how music is a vital part of human evolution.
S073
S076
Helix Theatre £9 * Embark on an extraordinary journey into insect-eating with the BBC’s Gastronaut Stefan Gates, as he reveals his Scary Food Box, explains why you should eat bugs and reveals why you’re already an entomophagist without realising it. Expect live crickets, cool video footage, purple bug blood food, a few explosions, spectacular demonstrations and tasters of some delicious pests. Don’t worry, we won’t be eating live bugs, nobody really does.
4.45–5.45pm
S077
The Cube £7 *
The Real Urban Jungle Town Hall, Pillar Room £7 * Nature is under attack. The rainforests are shrinking, the ice caps melting, the seas poisoned. But there is one habitat that is expanding and thriving: the urban jungle. Countless species are adapting to living in towns and, in some cases, entirely new species are emerging. Join biologist Simon Watt as he introduces us to our new neighbours.
The Drake Equation: Are We Alone?
Our Future World
3.30–4.30pm
4.45–5.45pm
Incredible Edible Insects
Our Future World
S074
Mysteries Of The Mind
Is Pain All In The Brain? EDF Energy Arena £8 *
Pain exists to protect us from harm, but our individual experiences can depend on mood, attitude and even cultural upbringing. And when pain becomes chronic, as it does for about 20% of adults, it causes serious suffering. Here to discuss the mysteries of pain and how brain imaging is helping us understand it is neuroscientist Irene Tracey.
3.30–4.30pm
S075
Ellen Stofan: A Life Scientific The Crucible £8 * Planetary geologist and former Chief Scientist for NASA Ellen Stofan has been at the forefront of some exciting discoveries, helping to inform our understanding of Mars, Venus, Saturn’s moon Titan and our own planet Earth. In an open and honest interview, she talks to Jim Al-Khalili about her remarkable career. She considers what’s next for space exploration and reveals her thoughts about the political situation unfolding in America. Please note that this event will be recorded for Radio 4’s The Life Scientific. Latecomers may not be admitted.
In 1961 astronomer Frank Drake wanted to calculate the probability of other technologically advanced civilisations existing in our galaxy. Ignoring UFObelievers and Roswell theories, Drake proposed an equation to do just that. Drawing on astronomy, biology, space travel, philosophy and some pretty hard maths, physicist and comedian Lieven Scheire takes you on a humorous and lively tour of “The Drake Equation” and what it predicts.
4.45–5.45pm
S078
A Guide To Forensics Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £8 * CSI, Silent Witness, Midsomer Murders – there is no doubt that crime scene investigation has captured the modern imagination. But how does science really help to solve murder and other crimes? From DNA fingerprinting to post mortems, forensic scientist Angela Gallop, forensic pathologist Stuart Hamilton and historian of science and medicine Ian Burney explore the history and development of forensics and its role in catching suspects.
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
27
FRIDAY 9 JUNE 5–7pm
Box Office 01242 850270 The extraordinary story of science & engineering told simply through sound and music
6–7pm
S082
Our Future World
Engineering Digital Futures
Populations And People
GE Pavilion Free no ticket required
Town Hall, Pillar Room £8 *
For all ages Join GE’s engineers to invent your very own solution to a global issue. Get hands on with a range of tech as you design, build, code and test your new creation.
The world is changing dramatically. How do variations in health, wealth, environment, politics and stability affect populations, both locally and globally? Guest Director Dallas Campbell joins forced migration expert Alex Betts, gerontologist Sarah Harper and geographer Ben Rogaly to discuss refugees and baby boomers, and compare today’s situation with historical fluctuations.
www.sounds-of-science.com
7–9pm
S084
Music And Sound 5.45–6.45pm 7–8pm
S079 S080
Workshop
6–7pm
S083
Let’s Get Colourful: Augmented Reality Fabric Dyeing Workshop The Crucible Our Future World
£8 *
ExperiTent £8 * Get colourful and try your hand at fabric dyeing with the Society of Dyers and Colourists. Art and science collide while you explore the history of the colour of cloth, discover what ‘a load of twaddle’ really means, and find out even more ideas to try at home.
6–7pm
S081
Do We Exist In A Multiverse? EDF Energy Arena £10 * Quantum mechanics may imply that our vast universe is just one of an infinite number. Physicist Jim Al-Khalili disagrees, pointing to far more downto-Earth interpretations of quantum phenomena, but cosmologist Andrew Pontzen argues an incomprehensibly vast multiverse could be the least weird explanation. Marieke Navin referees a lively debate and audience vote. Whose account of reality will be more convincing?
28
Augmented Reality smash-hit Pokémon Go saw millions of gamers hunting a virtual cast of creatures in the real world. But from healthcare to heritage, the digital environments made possible by AR are being used in diverse and exciting new ways. Digital Jam’s Tanya Laird, Virtual and Augmented Reality veteran Bob Stone and Amplified Robot’s Steve Dann join Rory Cellan-Jones to showcase this technology and explore how AR is shaping the future of work and play.
7.15–8.15pm
S085
Music And Sound
Sounds Of Science
Dean Close, The Bacon Theatre £8 * Suitable for families and adults Blending musical performance, science and history, celebrated percussionist Evelyn Glennie, historian and writer Christopher Lloyd and composer Jill Jarman reveal the awe-inspiring story of how humans have changed the world over the last 10,000 years. A unique collaboration unlike anything seen at the festival before.
7.15–8.15pm
S086
Mysteries Of The Mind
Can You Retrain Your Brain?
Born To Sum
Helix Theatre £8 *
The Cube £8 *
Neuroplasticity suggests our brains have the ability to adapt and change, but is it possible to improve the way they work? By-passing a billion-dollar brain training industry which doesn’t seem to work, science journalist Caroline Williams joins neuroscientists Heidi Johansen-Berg, Martijn van den Heuvel and Ben Martynoga to explore the possibility of changing our brains for the better, with tips and tricks to try for yourself.
Did you know that musicians from Dylan to Drake dropped maths references into their lyrics? Or that Joy Division’s Ian Curtis and French mathematician Evariste Galois had loads in common? Join mathematician, singer and 2016 FameLab UK winner Kyle Evans and his trusty guitar as he takes you on a comedic musical tour, showcasing the unexpected parallels between maths and pop.
FRIDAY 9 JUNE
cheltenhamfestivals.com
8.30–9.30pm
S090
The Incredibly Unlikely History Of Everyone Who Ever Lived EDF Energy Arena £10 * Our newfound ability to extract genomes from the long dead has forced us to radically rethink the whole of human history. We’ve discovered new human species in Africa and Siberia, and even phantom species that we only know about because their genes lurk in our own DNA. Anatomist Alice Roberts and geneticist Adam Rutherford go back to the drawing board of our evolutionary past.
7.15–8.15pm
S087
How To Train For A Triathlon Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £9 * Combining running, cycling and swimming, triathlon training is claimed to be the ultimate body workout. Broadcaster Michael Mosley gets the inside track from Olympic trainer and sports performance scientist Steve Ingham and sports psychologist Jennifer Cumming. Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or just starting out, they offer inspiring advice on how to get triathlon ready and train for success.
8.30–10.30pm
S089
Dr Jiggs Bowson’s Charming Science Cabaret Town Hall, Pillar Room £15 * (Only suitable for 18+) Dr Jiggs Bowson is the most glamorous scientist in Britain [citation needed], residing somewhere between the worlds of scientific research, vintage glamour and end-of-the-pier naughtiness, a.k.a. Brighton. Join her for an extravagant evening of science talent, bringing together a unique cabaret of comedy, drag, rap and rudeness. Expect giggles, flirting, facts and amazing hair. The bar will be open during this event
8pm–10pm
Late Night In The Discover Zone & The MakerShack
8.30–9.45pm
Discover Zone & Maker Shack Free no ticket required
The Crucible £10 *
Don’t miss our special late openings for adults. Drop in to avoid the crowds, enjoy a drink and try all the activities for yourself – without kids and with the bar open.
A defendant stands accused in the courtroom. Are they guilty or not guilty? Presented with the evidence and the law, you, the Festival jury, decide their fate. To guide you through the forensic reports, expert witness statements and the law are courtroom and forensic scientist Angela Gallop, jury expert Cheryl Thomas and forensic pathologist Stuart Hamilton.
S091
Jury LIVE
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
29
10am
11am
12noon
1pm
S092 EVELYN GLENNIE: FEELING SOUND
SF09 UTTERLY REVOLTING SCIENCE SHOW
SATURDAY 10 JUNE PLANNER EDF Energy Arena
S095 THE FUTURE OF WORK S093 THE UNIVERSE: WHAT DO WE KNOW?
1pm
SF10 HOW TO BE AN AWFULLY GOOD SCIENTIST
S099 THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BRIBERY S100 GEEK CHIC’S WEIRD SCIENCE
SF11 WORKSHOP: MEMORY GAMES
SF05 WORKSHOP: MECHANICAL COLOUR WHEELS
3pm
EDF Energy Arena £9 * SF13 ONCE UPON A LAB
4pm
5pm
S109 CHOCOLATOLOGY
S108 DRUGS AND THE BRAIN
S103 LIVING IN A MACHINE WORLD S107 MORBID ANATOMY
5pm
S104 WORKSHOP: DECODING DNA SF12 WORKSHOP: MEMORY GAMES
4pm
S098 WORKSHOP: A PUZZLING TEA PARTY
3pm
6pm
7pm
S113 ELLEN STOFAN: LIFE BEYOND EARTH
S115 HOW TO SURVIVE THE WORKPLACE
7pm
S105 WORKSHOP: DECODING DNA
6pm
S119 REWRITING ECONOMICS
S117 SURVIVAL OF THE SMARTEST
S118 CHEESE
9pm
S106 WORKSHOP: DECODING DNA
8pm
10pm
10pm
11pm
11pm
Our Universe is at the very least 100 billion light years across – and that’s just the ‘observable’ bit. But how do we know, and will we ever truly grasp the magnitude of the cosmos? Cosmologist Andrew Pontzen takes us on a voyage into the farthest reaches of space and time to explore what we’ve been able to measure so far.
S120 SCIENCE FESTIVAL VARIETY NIGHT
9pm
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £7 *
S116 WHAT DO BABIES THINK?
8pm
The Universe: What Do We Know?
S114 ETHICS COMMITTEE LIVE
S112 VAMPIRES
S111 SURVIVING SOCIAL MEDIA
S110 THE MACHINE MIND
Percussionist Evelyn Glennie lost almost all her hearing by the age of 12. This has given her a unique connection to her music and the desire to teach the world how to really listen. Evelyn joins neuroscientist Colin Blakemore to discuss how hearing involves much more than just sound waves hitting your eardrums.
S102 BRAINWASH LIVE
S101 UNIVERSE: WHAT DON’T WE KNOW?
Evelyn Glennie: Feeling Sound
2pm
Music And Sound 2pm
S093
11.15am–12.15pm
S092 10–11am S097 WORKSHOP: A PUZZLING TEA PARTY
S096 WHAT IS CONSCIOUSNESS FOR?
SF01 LET’S FIND OUT WITH MADDIE
SF02 HISTORIC HEROES SF08 ROCKETEERS
The Crucible CLC, Parabola Arts Centre The Helix Town Hall, Pillar Room
12noon
SF07 JOYS OF TOYS
SF04 WORKSHOP: MECHANICAL COLOUR WHEELS
S094 THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL SF03 WORKSHOP: MECHANICAL COLOUR WHEELS
The Cube ExperiTent
SF06 JOYS OF TOYS
Clarence Social 11am
CLC, Parabola Dance Studio
10am
30
Box Office 01242 850270
SATURDAY 10 JUNE
SATURDAY 10 JUNE
cheltenhamfestivals.com 11.15am–12.15pm
S094
Our Future World
The Future Of Travel
A Puzzling Tea Party
Imagine a pod flying you seamlessly from airborne plane to train, watching a film whilst your car steers itself, or holidaying on your favourite cruise – in the sky. Are radical visions like these just flights of fancy, or could they soon be a reality? Airbus engineer Andy Reynolds, engineer and rail expert Hugh Hunt and automotive expert Natasha Merat predict the future of travel with Guest Director Dallas Campbell.
S095
Our Future World
The Clarence Social £25 * Includes afternoon tea from The Clarence Social Forget the Mad Hatter – this is a tea party of a more puzzling kind. Enjoy a splendid afternoon tea and give your brain a workout with marvellous mathematician Katie Steckles. With all new puzzles for 2017, Katie’s selection of tea party themed puzzles will put your mind to the test, from how to cut a cake to the best coffee pouring techniques.
The Future Of Work
1.45–2.45pm
The Crucible £8 * From impending robot takeovers and technological revolutions to increasing populations and universal income systems, the changing nature of work is rarely out of the news. Join economist and co-author of The Future of the Professions, Daniel Susskind as he explores the history of work and investigates what the future will bring for society, companies, governments and us as individuals.
12.30–1.30pm
S097 S098
Workshop
The Cube £8 *
12.30–1.30pm
1–2.30pm 3–4.30pm
S096
Mysteries Of The Mind
S099
2.30–3.30pm
S101
The Psychology Of Bribery
The Universe: What Don’t We Know?
Town Hall, Pillar Room £8 *
EDF Energy Arena £9 *
Cash for kids to learn their times tables or bribing footballers to miss in a penalty shoot-out ought to be effective, but why do financial incentives so often backfire? Radio 4’s All in the Mind presenter Claudia Hammond explores the psychology behind what works when trying to get someone to do what we want.
95% of our universe is invisible to us. We assume the rest must be dark matter and dark energy, but despite the incredible progress of recent years, this massive mystery of the universe continues to defeat us. Cosmologists Andrew Pontzen, Erminia Calabrese and Sarah Bridle discuss the latest research, and ponder how a much-needed breakthrough might unfold.
What Is Consciousness For?
1.45–2.45pm
Helix Theatre £8 *
The Cube £8 *
The role of the subconscious has been gaining attention, with recent research suggesting you make better decisions when you don’t think about them. But the conscious mind must play some part. Nick Shea and Ophelia Deroy ask what consciousness is doing for us and reveal results from data they collected at last year’s Festival that help us to answer this question.
Mysteries Of The Mind
S100
Geek Chic’s Weird Science
Do you get a kick out of the zanier elements of science? Join Radio X DJ Lliana Bird and neuroscientist Jack Lewis for a live recording of Geek Chic’s Weird Science (iTunes Best New Podcast 2014) as they rummage through the most bizarre and wacky science with some special guests from the Festival. This event is being recorded for the podcast. Latecomers may not be admitted.
3–4.15pm
S102
Mysteries Of The Mind
Brainwash LIVE The Crucible £8 *
Ever needed to clear your mind? Researchers have recently discovered a hidden brain pathway, which detoxifies the brain while we sleep. Using powerful MRI scanners and live experiments, Mark Lythgoe, Ian Harrison, Oz Ismail, Jack Wells, Isabel Christie and the CABI team on live-link will see if a brainwash can open up our minds and give them a new sparkle.
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
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SATURDAY 10 JUNE 4–5pm
S103
Our Future World
4.15–5.15pm
Box Office 01242 850270
S108
Mysteries Of The Mind
Drugs And The Brain
Living In A Machine World
S110
Mysteries Of The Mind
The Machine Mind
Town Hall, Pillar Room £8 *
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £8 *
If you believe the headlines, it seems machines are destined to do everything that a human can. But what are robots really capable of and what will always be beyond their abilities? Robotics expert Sabine Hauert, and creator of artistic AI The Painting Fool, Simon Colton, join political economist Daniel Susskind to examine the true limits of modern machines, and ponder the role of robots in our current and future society.
Whether it’s impacting visual perception or altering states of consciousness, drug use can drastically affect brain states and behaviour. Psychologist and Say Why to Drugs podcaster Suzi Gage is joined by psychedelics researcher Robin CarhartHarris, health psychologist Sally Adams and journalist and novelist Lionel Shriver to discuss how different drugs affect the brain and to explore the positive and negative impacts of both legal and illegal substances.
4–5.30pm 6–7.30pm 8–9.30pm
5.30–6.30pm
The Crucible £8 * Do androids dream of electric sheep? From incognito twitter-bots to grandmaster-beating machines, artificial intelligence capable of highly sophisticated interactions is no longer restricted to science fiction. Adam Rutherford joins robotics and artificial intelligence expert Murray Shanahan and digital anthropologist Beth Singler to investigate the machine mind – exploring how we engineer intelligence, what we know about robot thought processes, and how similar they might be to our own.
S104 S105 S106
Workshop
Decoding DNA ExperiTent £12 * Ticket includes a cocktail, Over 18s only Sip on a strawberry DNA daiquiri and take the Lego™ inheritance challenge in this ingeniously genetically-themed workshop. Join researchers to explore what DNA looks like, how the human body contains several billion miles of the stuff, and whether we can blame our parents for who we are.
4–5pm
S107
Morbid Anatomy: Life And Death Inside The Mortuary The Cube £8 * Join Curator of the world-famous Barts Pathology Museum and queen of the specimen jar Carla Valentine, as she talks all things autopsy and anatomy. Drawing upon her experience as a mortician, Carla sheds light on what the living can learn from investigations into death, considers how our cultural attitudes to mortality have changed throughout history, and provides a fascinating insight into what happens when the mortuary doors swing shut.
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4.30–5.30pm
S109
Chocolatology EDF Energy Arena £10 * With crazy concoctions, sights and smells to delight your senses, and a bit of chemistry thrown in, the BBC’s resident gastronaut Stefan Gates and chemist Andrea Sella present the most meltingly edible science show on Earth. Find out what makes chocolate SO delicious. Did we mention the mouthwatering chocolate tasters?
5.30–6.30pm
S111
Surviving Social Media Helix Theatre £8 * Guilty of over-sharing on Twitter? Judging your life experiences against others on Facebook? Must... check… phone... now! Social media has had some bad press, so how can we work it to our advantage? Consumer behaviour specialist Ben Marder, online behaviour expert Adam Joinson and media psychologist Ellen Helsper discuss the pitfalls and the positives and consider how not to let social media rule your life.
SATURDAY 10 JUNE
cheltenhamfestivals.com
6.45–7.45pm
S115
How To Survive The Workplace Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £9 * From troublesome colleagues to incompetent bosses, it can be devilishly difficult to navigate the world of work to your advantage. Offering up his best strategies for survival, psychologist and management expert Adrian Furnham tackles team work, personality, leadership and everything in between with Radio 4’s All in the Mind presenter Claudia Hammond.
6.45–7.45pm
S113
Ellen Stofan: Life Beyond Earth EDF Energy Arena £8 *
6–7pm
S112
With growing excitement around habitable distant planets, could extraterrestrial life be closer than you think? Beneath their icy surfaces, the moons of our solar system’s giant planets hide oceans with the potential for life. With incredible images of Saturn’s Enceladus and Titan, and Jupiter’s Europa, planetary geologist and former NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan considers the key conditions for life and where we should prioritise our search in the coming decades.
Vampires
8–9pm
Town Hall, Pillar Room £9 *
What Do Babies Think?
120 years since vampires were immortalised in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, we explore the gruesome real-life medical reports and suspected sightings of the undead that are thought to have inspired the author’s work. Join broadcaster Lliana Bird as she steps into the night with professor of English Literature Nick Groom, cultural medical historian Catherine Oakley and Barts Pathology Museum Curator Carla Valentine for what is sure to be a bloodcurdlingly brilliant event. The bar will be open during this event.
S116
Mysteries Of The Mind 6.45–7.45pm
S114
Ethics Committee LIVE The Cube £8 * The 100,000 Genomes Project is now in full swing, sequencing around 70,000 patients’ DNA codes. As genomics picks up speed, it raises a whole new set of ethical questions for Radio 4’s Inside the Ethics Committee regulars Deborah Bowman, Anneke Lucassen and Bobbie Farsides to consider. Join them and chair Vivienne Parry to decide what you’d do as a typically complex and tricky case is discussed.
The Crucible £9 * How do babies begin to understand the world and their place in it? From birth, we start to develop a sense of self as we play, learn new skills and begin to interact with others. Developmental psychologists and professional baby watchers Caspar Addyman and Nathalia Gjersoe delve into the minds of babies and young children and explore how this can help us better understand our adult psychology.
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
33
SATURDAY 10 JUNE 8–9pm
Box Office 01242 850270
S117
Survival Of The Smartest Helix Theatre £9 * Humans are weaker than many other animals and have no natural weapons, yet we became the world’s apex predator. Fundamental to our success is our intelligence – not only individually, but more importantly, collectively. Mark Maslin brings together the latest insights from hominin fossils and evidence of the changing landscape of the East African Rift Valley, and shows how astronomy, geology, climate and gossip caused evolution to favour our very large ultrasocial brains.
8.15–9.30pm
10–11am
S118
Cheese
The Crucible £6 * Ideal for ages 4+
Town Hall, Pillar Room £15 * Event includes tasters and a
In her own brand new show, children’s presenter Maddie Moate brings you on an adventure to answer your most asked questions! Using her marvellous machines and an awesome box of props, she takes you on a journey through different lands to discover more about the world around us. In a celebration of curiosity, wonder and imagination she invites you to come along and join the fun!
glass of wine. Over 18s only Ever wondered what makes some cheese so smelly, others mouldy, or why it comes in so many different textures and flavours? Whether you’re a fan of the strong stuff or prefer things a little more mellow, join Neal’s Yard Dairy’s Bronwen Percival and chemist Andrea Sella to taste the answers for yourself, as they dig into what makes cheese so downright delicious with presenter Quentin Cooper in this sure to be Brie-lliant event. With thanks to Neal’s Yard Dairy
8.30–9.30pm
S119
Our Future World
Rewriting Economics
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £9 * Economic theory is centuries out of date and that’s a disaster for tackling the 21st century challenges of climate change, poverty, and extreme inequality. Renegade economist Kate Raworth flips our antique thinking on its head as she strives for new models that are fit for a prosperous and sustainable future world.
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SF01
Let’s Find Out With Maddie
8.45–10.30pm
S120
Science Festival Variety Night EDF Energy Arena £15 * Over 18s only Funny, entertaining and enlightening – climb aboard our Science Variety Night for late-night laughs, songs and silliness, with some fascinating facts thrown in for good measure. TV science guy and YouTuber Greg Foot and marvellous mathematician Katie Steckles are your hosts for the evening. Expect the unexpected with engineer and Bake Off finalist Andrew Smyth, comedian Gemma Arrowsmith, materials engineer Mark Miodownik and geek songstress Helen Arney. More guests to be announced.
10–11am
SF02
Historic Heroes Helix Theatre £6 * Ideal for ages 10+ It takes someone brave and clever to realise everybody else is wrong and to challenge how the world is seen. Returning for the 10th year with their infamous live experiments, our 2007 FameLabbers uncover the turning-points in scientific history and the heroes who inspired them. From Galileo, who proved heavy objects do not fall faster than lighter ones, to biologists who showed electricity makes the body work. Could the next scientific breakthrough come from you?
SATURDAY 10 JUNE
cheltenhamfestivals.com
10.30–11.30am 12–1pm 1.30–2.30pm
SF03 SF04 SF05
Mechanical Colour Wheels
10.30–11.15am 12–12.45pm
SF06 SF07
Joys Of Toys Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre (Dance Studio) £6 * per baby (suitable for babies ages
ExperiTent £8 * Ideal for ages 5+
6 months to 2 years, and their parents)
Combine art and science as you delve into the worlds of colour, illusion, animation and mechanical movement with Stephen Guy from Fire the Inventor. Create your own spinning machine, and see what surprising things can happen to colours, patterns and drawings as they whizz into motion at the turn of a handle.
Psychologists Caspar Addyman and Nathalia Gjersoe reveal the science inside the toy box in this interactive play session with your baby. Let your little one enjoy the colours, textures, sounds and movements and discover how toys are helping their little brain develop.
12.30–1.30pm
SF09
Rocketeers
The Utterly Revolting Science Show
Town Hall, Pillar Room £6 * Ideal for ages 5+
EDF Energy Arena £6 * Ideal for ages 7+
Journey into space with Simon Watt as he explores the science of space exploration through exciting experiments and demonstrations. Learn how to recreate your own rocket launch at home, discover what you can see if you’d only look up, and find out which planet would float in a swimming pool.
Embark on a hilarious, high tech and utterly disgusting journey through the body with festival favourites Stefan Gates and Andrea Sella. Expect robots, remote-controlled humans, mindblowing video footage of our guts, digestive chemistry and a very noisy fart machine. You’ll never look at your own body in the same way again!
11.15am–12.15pm
SF08
1.45–2.45pm
SF10
How To Be An Awfully Good Scientist Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £6 * Ideal for ages 7+ Being a scientist really isn’t just about wearing a white coat and messing around with test tubes. Join TV presenter Steve Mould to find out how you can think like a scientist, walk like a scientist and even prank your friends and family like a scientist. Filled with exciting demonstrations and mind bending illusions which will leave you distrustful of your senses and seeing the world in a different light.
2–3pm 3.30–4.30pm
SF11 SF12
Workshop
Memory Games Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre (Dance Studio) £8 * Ideal for ages 10+ Uncover the mysteries of your memory with Ginny Smith, as she guides you through a range of quizzes and games to explore your memory and ways to improve it. Discover what happens in the brain when we learn and remember things, and find out whether you can really trust what you remember.
3–4pm
SF13
Once Upon A Lab: The Scientist’s Storybook Helix Theatre £6 * Ideal for ages 7+ In a lab far, far away, materials scientist Suze Kundu and engineer Jamie Gallagher have been wondering whether science can help them explain some of their favourite stories. Bringing their experiments and best theories with them, they ask whether princes can climb princesses’ hair, beanstalks can reach the clouds, rats can be charmed by pipers.. and much much more. * Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
35
Magical Elements The Crucible £7 *
EDF Energy Arena S121 MAGICAL ELEMENTS
SF18 A VOYAGE THROUGH OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
SF15 WORKSHOP: BUSY BEES WITH MADDIE MOATE
SF14 SWAT! A FLY’S GUIDE TO STAYING ALIVE
The Crucible CLC, Parabola Arts Centre The Helix Town Hall, Pillar Room The Cube
ExperiTent
11am
12noon
S124 IN CONVERSATION WITH RICHARD DAWKINS SF19 WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN
1pm
1pm
2pm
SF21 DEEP OCEAN LAB
3pm
3pm
4pm
S132 HOW TO BUILD A STAR
4pm
S129 WORKSHOP: BUILD YOUR OWN QUANTUM COMPUTER
S131 CRAZY COSMIC QUESTIONS
SF22 MATHEMATICAL MAGIC OF PAPER
S128 OVER-AMBITIOUS DEMO CHALLENGE 2017 S126 WILL GREGORY: WRITING EMOTION INTO MUSIC
S127 THE STORY OF MATHS
2pm
S125 GENETIC SUPERHEROES SF17 WORKSHOP: BUSY BEES WITH MADDIE MOATE
SF20 HUNTING THE HIGGS
S123 COFFEE: JUST BREW IT
12noon
SF16 WORKSHOP: BUSY BEES WITH MADDIE MOATE
S122 LESSONS FROM TARDIGRADES
11am
5pm
5pm
7pm
S139 THE SOUND OF SYMMETRY
8pm
9pm
9pm
S143 WHY DO WE LAUGH?
8pm
10pm
10pm
11pm
11pm
From the top of the icy Himalayas to the bottom of boiling hot springs, the humble, bizarre, microscopic tardigrade is nothing short of a superhero. Neuroscientist Matthew Young takes you on a whistle-stop tour of (almost) invincibility. Find out how these tiny Earth-bound creatures can survive extreme conditions that would easily prove lethal to humans and how they are helping us develop new ways to survive the perils of space travel and beyond.
S142 UNIVERSILLY CHALLENGED PUB QUIZ
S141 SCIENCE: BIG BANG FOR YOUR BUCK?
7pm
S138 A TOUR OF THE PERIODIC TABLE
6pm
The Cube £8 *
S140 GEMMA ARROWSMITH: EARTHLING
S137 INTROVERT, EXTROVERT OR JUST YOU?
6pm
How To Be Invincible: Lessons From Tardigrades S130 WORKSHOP: BUILD YOUR OWN QUANTUM COMPUTER
S134 DID VICTORIANS RUIN THE WORLD?
S135 MUSIC ON THE BRAIN
S136 ROGER PENROSE/MARCUS DU SAUTOY
S133 JURASSIC BRITAIN
S122 11.15am–12.15pm
S121 10–11am
SUNDAY 11 JUNE PLANNER
10am
Today’s advanced technology is often indistinguishable from magic. It relies on a special set of elements, each with astonishing properties. In a magic show like no other, materials engineer Mark Miodownik demonstrates the amazing and sometimes bizarre properties of the ingredients that make the miraculous happen inside our 21st century tech. Looking to the future, what can we do to ensure these rare, magical elements do not run out? 10am
36
Box Office 01242 850270
SUNDAY 11 JUNE
SUNDAY 11 JUNE
cheltenhamfestivals.com 11.45am–12.45pm
2–3pm
S123
S127
The Story Of Maths
Coffee: Just Brew It
Town Hall, Pillar Room £8 *
Town Hall, Pillar Room £10 *
The roots of mathematics can be traced back to the early Islamic world, with thinkers from across the region working on the earliest forms of algebra and equations. Mona Siddiqui is joined by mathematician Marcus du Sautoy, historian Amira Bennison and electronics professor Mohamed El-Gomati to discuss the role of the Islamic Golden Age in shaping maths as we know it today, and to explore its enduring legacy in both eastern and western civilization.
Uncover the alchemy behind the perfect brew, as we dive into the art and science of coffee. Ashley Kent joins awardwinning coffee taster Anna Nordström, Löfbergs UK’s Alex Morris and coffee roaster Phil Parr as they turn up the heat and discuss beans, brewing, coffee farming and the daily grind. Expect to learn a latte. With tasters thanks to Lofbergs UK
1.45–2.45pm
S125
Genetic Superheroes The Cube £8 * Everyone loves a superhero – righting wrongs and saving planets. But recent research has revealed that a handful of reallife genetic superheroes are dwelling among us, whose DNA provides them with resilience against serious illnesses. In fact, we may all be genetic superheroes in our own way. Join science writer and broadcaster Kat Arney to explore how scientists are working to unveil the identities of these everyday heroes and heroines, in the hope that they will help us to understand and fight disease.
2–3pm 11.45am–12.45pm
S124
In Conversation With Richard Dawkins
S126
Music And Sound
Will Gregory: Writing Emotion Into Music
EDF Energy Arena £10 *
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts’ Centre £9 *
Richard Dawkins casts his eye back over a phenomenal career and muses upon some of his published and previously unpublished letters, lectures and essays. Ranging from Darwinian evolution to the search for alien life, the renowned scientist and passionate rationalist is joined by Guest Director Dallas Campbell to celebrate the wonder of scientific discovery with characteristic wit and clarity.
TV and film composers like Goldfrapp’s Will Gregory use the psychology of music to manipulate emotions and tug at the heart-strings. So how does music evoke such powerful reactions and in what sense can it be said to behave like a language? With clips and live music, Will is joined by psychologist Catherine Loveday to uncover music’s extraordinary power to play with our emotions and to explore how this can be used to great effect on screen.
2.15–3.30pm
S128
Over-Ambitious Demo Challenge 2017 The Crucible £8 * Steve Mould and Andrea Sella host our infamous annual contest to find the most spectacular, impressive and show-stopping science demos. Defending champions Suze Kundu and Brian Mackenwells, are joined by new contenders Ashley Kent and Karl Byrne as the challenge takes on a whole new level of competitiveness. Expect madness, mayhem and magic.
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
37
SUNDAY 11 JUNE
3.30–5pm 5.30–7pm
S129 S130
Workshop
Build Your Own Quantum Computer
Box Office 01242 850270
3.45–4.45pm
S132
How To Build A Star EDF Energy Arena £9 *
ExperiTent £12 * Delve into the incredible world of quantum computers and even build one for yourself with the Qubit Ninja Team. Untangle mysterious quantum phenomena such as qubits, superposition and entanglement, then try it all out for yourself on their specially designed quantum circuitry.
There are over 100 billion stars in our galaxy alone. Each one starts its life in a dense cloud of gas and dust, but what really happens when a star is born? And why do they form when and where they do? Impressionist and astronomy enthusiast Jon Culshaw and astrophysicists Chris Lintott and Lucie Green take you on a journey of stellar proportions as they explore how stars and galaxies are born.
5–6pm
S134
Engineering The Past: Did Victorians Ruin The World? Town Hall, Pillar Room £8 * Flushing toilets and combustion engines are some of the most celebrated legacies of the Victorian age. But what would life be like now if their big thinkers had considered the environmental, economic and social impact of their innovations and done things differently? Combining sharp wits, true facts and tiny top hats, comedian Helen Arney, writer and broadcaster Kat Arney and engineers Hugh Hunt and Sarah Bell ask: did the Victorians ruin the world? The bar will be open during this event.
3.45–4.45pm
S131
Crazy Cosmic Questions The Cube £8 * What happens if you jump into a black hole? How big are the biggest objects in the universe? And, if the universe is expanding, why can you never find a parking space? Astrophysicist Alfredo Carpineti provides surprising answers to your curious cosmic conundrums. There may be no such thing as a stupid question, but luckily there are plenty of weird ones!
38
5–6pm 5–6pm
S133
Jurassic Britain The Crucible £7 * With Jurassic World 2 currently being filmed in the UK, palaeontologist and fossil detective Dean Lomax takes us back to the amazing British finds that sparked the original dinomania in the 1800s. From the Isle of Skye to the Isle of Wight, he reveals British dinosaur and ichthyosaur discoveries, including recent identification of new species and some incredibly rare finds.
S135
Music And Sound
Music On The Brain Helix Theatre £8 *
Why is it so easy to recall lyrics and melodies, even when we don’t want to? Why does music have such power over our emotions, compelling us to dance, moving us to tears, lulling us to sleep and luring us into love? Join neuroscientist and musician Catherine Loveday as she uncovers what happens in the brain as we listen to, create and perform music.
SUNDAY 11 JUNE
cheltenhamfestivals.com 6.15–7.15pm
S138
A Tour Of The Periodic Table The Cube £8 *
5–6pm
S136
Roger Penrose And Marcus du Sautoy
7–8pm
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £9 * What can fashion, faith, or fantasy possibly have to do with the scientific quest to understand the universe? One of the world’s leading theoretical physicists, Roger Penrose, and one of Britain’s foremost mathematicians, Marcus du Sautoy, explore the limits of human knowledge and discuss whether some of today’s researchers are being led astray.
6.15–7.15pm
The periodic table has been an emblem of science for over 100 years. Behind this iconic classroom poster live tales of romance, murder, greed and wonder. Which element will make you reek of garlic? Why do we love gold? And what is the disgusting secret of antimony? Join chemical physicist and material scientist Jamie Gallagher on a guided tour around this elemental housing block.
S137
Mysteries Of The Mind
Introvert, Extrovert, Or Just You?
S139
7–8pm
Music And Sound
Gemma Arrowsmith: EARTHLING
Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre £8 *
The Crucible £9 *
The Sound Of Symmetry
From Bach’s Goldberg variations to Schoenberg’s 12 tone rows, composers have always exploited symmetry. Discover the importance of symmetry for both composers and creators of musical instruments with mathematician Marcus du Sautoy. Featuring a stunning demonstration of the symmetry of sound as Marcus recreates the visually captivating experiment Ernst Chladni famously toured around the 19th century courts of Europe.
S140
40 years ago, NASA’s twin Voyagers were launched into space carrying golden phonograph records with sounds and images from the people of Earth. This hilarious sketch show from comedian Gemma Arrowsmith (Tracey Ullman’s Show, Dave Gorman’s Modern Life is Goodish, Charlie Brooker’s How TV Ruined Your Life) imagines the lifeforms who find those records. As they mull over what humanity has to offer, will they decide to reply?
EDF Energy Arena £9 * What makes you, you? Is your personality fixed in stone, or can life experiences change your very nature? Pioneering psychologist Brian Little goes beyond traditional personality traits, exploring when and why we transcend these misleading categories. Find out more about how your personality shapes your life, what you can – and can’t – change about it, and how to thrive in the best way for you.
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
39
SUNDAY 11 JUNE 7–8pm
Box Office 01242 850270
S141
Science: Big Bang For Your Buck? Helix Theatre £8 *
10–11am
7.45–8.45pm
Imagine you’re a young fly, trying to survive in a world which wants to swat you, squash you, and sometimes even eat you. Author and cartoonist Mike Barfield takes you on a comedic and interactive adventure featuring flies, fly traps, maggots, and poo. You’ll leave buzzing for more!
S142
10–11am SF15 11.30am–12.30pm SF16 1–2pm SF17
Town Hall, Pillar Room £8 * Over 18s only
The bar will be open during this event and there is no need to bring a whole team.
Workshop
Busy Bees With Maddie Moate 8.15–9.15pm
S143
Mysteries Of The Mind
Why Do We Laugh? EDF Energy Arena £10 *
Why do we find jokes funnier when we like the person who’s telling them? And why are we 30 times more likely to laugh if we’re with someone else? Dead Ringers impressionist Jon Culshaw joins cognitive neuroscientist Sophie Scott for a side-splitting dash through the science of cracking up. They explore what makes us giggle and why laughter is such a crucial part of the human experience.
40
SF14
Helix Theatre £6 * Ideal for ages 4+
The UniverSilly Challenged Pub Quiz
Are you ready to get quizzical and a little pedantic? Join science troubadour Jonny Berliner and Ugly Animal wrangler Simon Watt for this madcap twist on the pub quiz where points mean the tapered end of objects, and prizes promise to enhance your nerd credentials. Be warned, each and every round will be a little bit weird.
SWAT! A Fly’s Guide To Staying Alive
Cancer kills a third of us, yet we spend under £3 per person per year looking for a cure. That’s six times less than we spend on toilet paper! Andrew Steele takes a comical – yet unnervingly accurate – look at how astonishingly underfunded science is compared to the scale of the problems it’s trying to solve. What could our future world look like if the finances were available to tackle the biggest challenges facing humanity?
ExperiTent £6 * Ideal for ages 4+ Have you ever wondered how bees make honey? If you buzz loudly enough, CBeebies presenter, Maddie Moate, might just let you in on one of bees’ best kept secrets. Find out more about foraging, honey production and just how important pollinators are. Try some honey tasters, play some silly games and be prepared for an epic waggle dance finale!
SUNDAY 11 JUNE
cheltenhamfestivals.com
12–1pm
SF19
What Could Have Been The Crucible £6 * Ideal for ages 7+ What if a pesky asteroid hadn’t wiped out the dinosaurs? 66 million years later, what would life look like today? Fossilhunter and zoologist Jules Howard uses Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection to see how blood-drinking tadpoles and tiger-like reptiles could have existed if Earth’s history had taken a very different path.
10–11am
SF18
A Voyage Through Our Solar System EDF Energy Arena £6 * Ideal for ages 8+ With incredible images from some of NASA’s great missions, Ellen Stofan takes us on an exciting tour of our beautiful solar system. From volcanoes on Venus to giant hurricanes on Jupiter, she reveals how the planets, comets and asteroids orbiting our Sun can each help us understand the past, present and future of Earth.
1.45–2.45pm 12.30–1.30pm
SF20
Hunting The Higgs Helix Theatre £6 * Ideal for ages 10+ The discovery of the Higgs Boson was one of the greatest and most exciting discoveries of science – could you have made it too? Join physicist Sam Gregson and science troubadour Jonny Berliner on the hunt for the Higgs in this highly interactive comedy show where you the public are in charge of the Large Hadron Collider. Use your smartphone or tablet to gain direct access to LHC data and solve problems and analyse data through interactive games.
SF21
Deep Ocean Lab EDF Energy Arena £6 * Ideal for ages 8+ What happens as you dive deeper into the dark ocean? Join YouTuber & Science Guy on Blue Peter Greg Foot as he relives his scientific adventure to the deep. With exciting experiments and stunning videos, Greg shows off the high-tech submersibles which took him 1000ft below the surface and uncovers the kit used to measure the health of the deep ocean, our planet’s beating heart.
3–4pm
SF22
Mathematical Magic Of Paper Helix Theatre £6 * Ideal for ages 10+ The humble sheet of paper has almost infinite mathematical potential. Join mathematician Katie Steckles as she demonstrates some of her favourite mathematical concepts and shares some fun puzzles using both real and imaginary pieces of paper. With plenty of opportunities to participate from your seat, Katie reveals the magical mathematical secrets hiding within household stationery.
* Plus transaction fee: charged per order, not per ticket. £2.50 for online and telephone sales, and £1.50 for in person bookings with credit/debit cards. No fee for cash bookings.
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FAMELAB
Who will win the science showdown? Find out at FameLab, the global science communication competition. Watch 31 national finalists from across the globe battle it out to become the FameLab International Champion 2017. Semi-Finals: page 18 International Final: page 25 Look out for previous FameLab contestants in: Can Science Explain Music? page 16 Born To Sum page 28 Historic Heroes page 34 Science: Big Bang For Your Buck? page 40 Do We Exist In A Multiverse? page 28 The Real Urban Jungle page 27
FOOD & DRINK Festival Café Breakfast served from 9am. Soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps & sharing platters served from noon till dusk.
Imperial Garden Bar Enjoy our alfresco platters, Longhorn meaty feasts and grab & go options served midday till 3pm. Pizzeria open every evening from 5.30pm till dusk.
Regency Café Perfect for brunch from 9am. Lunch served noon till 3pm. Evening platters served till 9pm. Vegetarian and gluten-free options available at all cafés.
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Science for Schools 2017 Four action-packed days of shows, workshops and interactive zones to inspire the scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians of the future.
FameLab Academy The outreach programme for Year 9 students which develops confidence, increases communication skills and encourages STEM enquiry.
LabLive The national tour which brings the best of Cheltenham Science Festival to teenagers across the UK.
To find out more visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/education With thanks to our Education Partners:
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PATRONS We would like to thank all our Patrons for their generous support, including those who have chosen to remain anonymous: Life Patrons Mark and Sue Blanchfield Peter and Anne Bond Dominic and Jannene Collier Michael and Felicia Crystal Colin and Suzanne Doak The Eaton Family Charles Fisher David and John Hall Margaret Headen Diane and Mark Hill Jeremy and Germaine Hitchins Family Jonathan and Cassinha Hitchins Family Stephen and Tania Hitchins Family Jeff and Keren Iliffe Elizabeth and Michael Jones and Family Rick and Lisa Jones Steven and Linda Jones Hugh and Sue Koch The Kwintner Family Robert and Moira Leechman Hazel and Jeremy Lewis Graham and Eileen Lockwood The McKelvie Family Fiona McLeod The McWilliam family in loving memory of Ruth McWilliam Keith Norton and Piers Norton Mark and Elizabeth Philip-Sørensen John and Susan Singer
Simon Skinner and Jean Gouldsmith Skinner Andrew Smith Phil and Jennifer Stapleton Liz and Neil Stewart Sharon Studer and Graham Beckett Chris and Bridgette Sunman Fiona and David Symondson Ludmila and Hodson Thornber The Walker Family Michael and Jacqueline Woof
Directors’ Circle Dr Lynda Albertyn and Pat Gallasch Mike and Kerry Alcock Heather Barrett Jack and Dora Black Andrew Chard Richard Claridge Michael and Angela Cronk Nigel and Sally Dimmer Paul and Caroline Feinson Jeremy and Alison Halliday Stephen Hodge Andrew and Caroline Hope Simon and Emma Keswick Andrew and Susanne Malim Sir Peter and Lady Marychurch Hayden and Tracy McKinnes Chris Morgan The Oldham Foundation Michele Rodriguez-Wise and Dustin Wise Dr Gill Samuels CBE Peter Stormonth Darling Charitable Trust
Gold Patrons David and Hayley Ashley Geraldine and Jim Beaty Christopher Bence Stephen and Victoria Bond Charlie Chan Colin and Michele Cole Stuart and Gillian Corbyn Wallace and Morag Dobbin Peter and Sue Elliott Maurice Gran and Carol James Lord and Lady Hoffmann Anthony Hoffman and Dr Christine Facer Hoffman Elizabeth Jacobs Jocelyn and Dave McNulty Sir Michael and Lady McWilliam Janet and Charles Middleton Paul and Kathy Mottershead Martin and Susan Pickard Shelley and Paul Roberts Sharon and Toby Roberts Khal and Zoe Rudin Brenda Salters and Harold Longmate Elizabeth Saunders Esther and Peter Smedvig Andy and Ali Stalsberg Giles and Michelle Thorley Ian and Liz Topping Michael and Rosie Warner Sarah and John Watkins Anne Wood CBE Stephen Wood William Wyman We would also like to thank all our Silver Patrons who are listed at cheltenhamfestivals.com/ patron-acknowledgements
Get closer to the Festivals with Patronage Join this exclusive group of supporters and make a real difference to our work as a charity. • Dedicated ticket line with advance booking • Access to hospitality areas at the Literature and Jazz Festivals • Invitations to special events and parties throughout the year From £75 per month, your Patronage covers all four Festivals. To find out more please contact Arlene McGlynn, Patrons Manager on 01242 537252, email arlene.mcglynn@cheltenhamfestivals.com or visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/patrons 44
Box Office 01242 850270 cheltenhamfestivals.com
Be first with Membership Be amongst the first to book, save on tickets and help support Cheltenham Festivals. Being a Member is one of the best ways to enjoy all that the Festivals have to offer.
Aged Aged 16–25? 16-25? Sign up for free
Sign today +up 20%for off free today science events
Our Three Levels of Membership: BRONZE £25 per year
Priority booking
Buy up to two full price tickets per event during priority booking.
£50 per year
Priority booking Discounted tickets Third party offers
Buy up to four tickets per event during priority booking (one discounted, three at full price).
£75 per year
Priority booking Discounted tickets Third party offers
Buy up to six tickets per event during priority booking (two discounted, four at full price).
SILVER
GOLD
Join online today at cheltenhamfestivals.com/membership Priority booking is for each Member and a guest. Discounts and offers are for the sole use of the Member, and do not apply to guests or Bronze Members. Ticket discounts are typically 10% off, but are not available on events that include food or drink in the ticket price. Terms and conditions apply - see cheltenhamfestivals.com 45
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Cheltenham Science Festival is presented by Cheltenham Festivals, a company limited by guarantee. Cheltenham Festivals Board of Trustees Dominic Collier (Chair) Diane Savory OBE (Vice Chair) Prof Mark Lythgoe (Chair of Cheltenham Science Festival) Susan Blanchfield Lewis Carnie Prof Averil Macdonald OBE Chief Executive Louise Emerson Company Secretary Theresa Grech Registered Office 28 Imperial Square, Cheltenham, GL50 1RH
Company No. 456573 Charity No. 251765 VAT Registration No. 100114013 Main Switchboard No. 01242 511211
Head of Programming Dr Gina Collins Programme Manager Hana Ayoob Programme Coordinator Emma Whittle Festival Coordinator Nikolaus Muldal FameLab Manager Helen Kirkman MakerShack Events Manager Olivia Clemence CF Productions and Box Office Andrew Bate, Samantha Bonnes, Cathie Harris-Hawkins, Elaine Holt, Silvia Loi, Jo Marsh Development Kathleen Barnhill, Susan Carslake, John Creedon, Sue Dudley, Malcolm Dunn, Arlene McGlynn, Jenna Marks, Martin Perks, Laura Popperwell, Helen Roe Marketing and Press Alex Booth, James Davis, Hanna Goldschmidt, Bairbre Lloyd, Pete Riley Education Philippa Claridge, Ali Mawle, Sharron Pearson, Rose Wood Administration, Executive and Finance Helena Bibby, Adrian Farnell, Angie Hawkins, Lucie Howkins, Aline Imray
Festival Advisory Group Prof Jim Al-Khalili OBE, Andrew Cohen, Quentin Cooper, Dr Hannah Devlin, Dr Kevin Fong, Prof Russell Foster CBE, Timandra Harkness, Dr Roger Highfield, Prof Mark Maslin, Prof Mark Miodownik, Vivienne Parry OBE, Dr Adam Rutherford, Dr Gill Samuels OBE, Prof Andrea Sella, Elaine Snell, Prof Kathy Sykes OBE Trajectory, Ideas and Ambassadors Board Marissa Chazan, Dr Helen Czerski, Dr Suzi Gage, Dr Marieke Navin, Dr Andrew Pontzen, Dr Sophie Robinson, Florence Schechter, Alom Shaha, Dr Andrew Steele, Simon Watt With many thanks to the staff and volunteers who provide invaluable support and help make the Festival a success. Contact If you have any specific comments about any aspect of the Festival, please email boxoffice@ cheltenhamfestivals.com Artwork Credits Main programme illustration Š 2017 Michelle Thompson Printed by Orchard Press Cheltenham Ltd. Photography Credits Visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/ photos for a full photo credit list.
Operations Adrian Hensley, Anna Jukes, Jessica Taylor, Megan Watt
If you require this brochure in large format please call 01242 850270. 46
THANK YOU to our Partners and Supporters Associate Partners
In-Kind Partner
Marketing Partner
Media Partners
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HOW TO BOOK Booking Dates Members’ Priority Booking: from 1pm, Wednesday 12 April 2017 Public Booking: from 1pm, Wednesday 19 April 2017
cheltenhamfestivals.com 12 April – 11 June 2017 Booking open 24/7 e-tickets can be printed or shown on a mobile device
+44 (0)1242 850270 12–21 April 2017 Tuesday–Friday 10am–5pm Before the Festival: CF Ticketing, 15 Suffolk Parade, Cheltenham, GL50 2AE 12–21 April 2017 Tuesday–Friday 10am–5pm During the Festival: Festival Site Box Office, Imperial Square, Cheltenham, GL50 1QA
Getting to Cheltenham Science Festival Most events take place in central Cheltenham, which is easily accessible from all over the UK, by road and rail. For more information on public transport and car parks go to cheltenhamfestivals.com/ your-visit
Venue Postcodes Imperial Square (including EDF Energy Arena, The Crucible, Helix Theatre, The Cube, ExperiTent and MakerShack) GL50 1QA Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Parabola Arts Centre GL50 3AA Cheltenham Town Hall (including the Discover Zone) GL50 1QA
For any queries please contact us at boxoffice@cheltenhamfestivals.com For full details about Box Office opening hours, in person and telephone ticket sales, booking fees, terms & conditions and Membership, visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/booking If you have any special access requirements, such as needing to book a wheelchair space, you can book using our online form which will be available from 12 April at cheltenhamfestivals.com/access-requirements
Quicker and Easier Booking with Wish Lists Book tickets with just a few clicks by creating a Wish List in advance. Start yours at cheltenhamfestivals.com/science
/cheltenhamfestivals @cheltfestivals @cheltscifest #cheltscifest @cheltfestivals
16-25? Get 20% off tickets* and 10% off food & drink† with our FREE 16-25 Membership. Visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/16-25 to find out how to join. *excludes events with food & drink, family events and workshops †10% off all food and hot drinks
Charity No. 251765
Illustration by Michelle Thompson