Wednesday 19 October 2011

SCIENCE SATURDAY STARTS THIS WEEKEND

We're delighted to be hosting a number of Oxford University Press authors for Manchester Science Festival.

The events take place over the next two Saturdays and they are free: no booking is required. Just turn up. We did this last year and it turned out to be interesting, beguiling and thoroughly relaxing. We'll have sofas for the early birds. Oh and free wine and nibbles.

Here's what's happing on the first Saturday...

Science Saturday 1: October 22nd. 11am – noon
The Private Life Of Atoms
Peter Atkins, author of Reactions, explains the processes involved in chemical reactions by introducing a 'tool kit' of basic reactions, such as precipitation, corrosion, and catalysis, and shows how these building blocks are brought together in more complex processes such as photosynthesis.

Science Saturday 1: October 22nd. 2pm – 3pm
A History In 40 Moments
Utterly beautiful. Profoundly disconcerting. Quantum theory is quite simply the most successful account of the physical universe ever devised. The pursuit of its implications has been the driving motivation of physicists for 100 years. Jim Baggott traces the story, the personalities and the rivalries, through 40 turning-point moments.

Science Saturday 1: October 22nd. 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Quantum Field Theory And The Hunt For An Ordinary Universe
Forty or so years ago, three physicists - Peter Higgs, Gerard 't Hooft, and James Bjorken - made the spectacular breakthroughs that led to the world's largest experiment, the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Played out against a backdrop of high politics, low behaviour, and billion dollar budgets, Frank Close tells the story of their work and its implications!

Here's what's happing on the second Saturday...

Science Saturday 2: October 29th. 11am – noon
Essays From The Cutting Edge
From 19 talented young scientists comes an exciting volume of essays about the future of science, including cutting edge research across a wide range of fields. William McEwan will report on his contribution, DNA synthesis and the creation of molecular tools.

Science Saturday 2: October 29th. 2pm – 3pm
Relativity For All
Andrew Steane will give a lively and visual introduction to Einstein's theory of relativity. He brings to life the excitement of this fascinating subject for a general audience.



Science Saturday 2: October 29th. 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Mathematics, Magic And Playing The Guitar
Pure mathematical gold! David Acheson, author of 1089 And All That, makes mathematics accessible to everyone. This entertaining journey through the subject includes some fascinating puzzles and is accompanied by numerous illustrations and sketches by world famous cartoonists.