Cambridge Science Festival starts with a bang!

Cambridge Science Festival kicked off today with an explosive show by Dr Peter Wothers and a visit from Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts.

The Minister visited the University of Cambridge’s Department of Chemistry to see a demonstration of ‘Free range chemistry’ for year six children from St. Matthew’s Primary school, given by Dr Peter Wothers – one of the Science Festival’s most popular acts. 

Mr Willetts then attended a maths workshop with a group of year eight pupils from Parkside School, run by the Millennium Maths Project’s Charlie Gilderdale.

The Minister also gave a keynote speech to Cambridge science academics, in which he applauded the Festival’s impact on public interest and engagement with science, saying: “The Cambridge Science Festival is at the forefront of engaging the wider community with science.”

The speech, entitled ‘Apples, tomatoes and our scientific future’ discussed the importance of creating a framework in which the public can understand and comment on science. 

A Q&A session gave those present the opportunity to question the Minister on how the government would fulfil its commitment to continuing the UK’s position at the forefront of scientific developments.

Tickets for the ever-popular Festival, which runs from March 12-25, are quickly booking up for many events.

With the theme of ‘breaking boundaries’, the Festival will focus on the unceasing progress of science, technology, engineering and mathematics with a programme of events to suit children and adults of all tastes and ages.

There will be a variety of events scheduled that combine science with history, art, geography, economics, medicine, philosophy, religion, maths, literature, music and astronomy. 

Some of the main events of the 2012 Cambridge Science Festival, such as Gastronaut Live, The hitchhikers’ guide to the last 3.5 billion years, In conversation with Alan Moore and Crisp packet fireworks with the Naked Scientists are already fully booked.

However, many other popular events still have tickets available and new events have been added to the programme.

On March 17, Kiss FM DJ and space plasma physicist Martin Archer will spin his latest tracks and explain the science behind the cueing, beat matching, blending and EQing that are essential to his mixes in clubs.  He will also make a speaker out of a Styrofoam bowl and turn sound into fire.

One of the top talks will be given by Katherine Orr and Dr Simon Stott, authors of the best-selling series Litmus – nominated for the Observer’s Best Book of 2011.  At the launch of their new collection of short stories, BioPunk – that translate current scientific research into fictional visions of the future – they will explore the human issues surrounding bio-med research.

At Religion versus science, comedian and Guest Director Robin Ince will be questioning a panel of the religious and non-religious, including Dr Mohammed Ansar and Reverend Richard Coles – a regular guest on Have I Got News For You - about whether religion and science can coexist in harmony.

On March 18, Ince will delve into the world of Schrodinger cats, multiverses and evolutionary conundrums at Happiness through science, asking whether you can be happy and rational at the same time. 

Ince has added another event to the programme: Robin Ince’s show and tell, where he will introduce a selection of scientists and comedians from across the UK to talk about their moon rocks, tarantulas and ammonites!

Due to its overwhelming popularity, more tickets have been added to the Olympics themed Reaching for Gold walking tour of Cambridge.