Cats, Teddy Bears and Antarctica: Science Week in the Midlands
Science Week takes place from November 8 to 15; it is a national celebration of science and a chance for people of all ages to engage with science in everyday life. A range of activities are taking place across the midlands this year with Midlands Science, supported by Research Ireland.
Activities include workshops and activities for young children and families, the return of the popular Teddy Bear's Hospital with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Paediatrics Society and amazing space science shows with BAFTA-award-winning Simon Watt. Professor Sean Kennelly will be exploring the science behind dementia, and this event is presented in association with the University of the Third Age, an international movement dedicated to life-long learning for people in their retirement years.
Dermatologist Dr Olwyn Conlon be talking about all things science and skincare and you may learn you don’t need as many skin products as you think. The popular Bohemian Strings return for a series of concerts with Dr Claire O’Connell, through a range of popular tunes, they will explore the science of music. Dr Clare Meade who is known from her work on the RTE Show The Cat Hospital will talking about cats and science, helping us all to understand the little lions in our living room a bit more. Dr Niamh Shaw will be sharing stories from her travels in Antartica and if you fancy some pop-up science, you’ll find Dr Dan Nikstrom undertaking all sorts of science experiments in a shopping centre near you. There has been a welcome increase in discussion about the menopause in recent years and Midlands Science is delighted to have leading menopause expert Dr Deirdre Forde separated the facts from the fiction during Science Week.
In a first for the festival this year, an event for adults in Irish will be presented in Athlone with popular broadcaster Eanna Ní Lamhna. Tá Éanna Ní Lamhna ar dhuine de na daoine poiblí is mó cáil in Éirinn, go háirithe mar bhitheolaí, mar chomhairleoir comhshaoil agus fiadhúlra, mar láithreoir raidió agus teilifíse, mar údar agus mar oideachasóir. Is údar í Éanna ar roinnt leabhar móréileamh faoin bhfiadhúlra, atá dírithe ar léitheoirí óga agus ar dhaoine fásta araon. Cuirtear an ócáid speisialta seo do Sheachtain na hEolaíochta i láthair i gcomhar le Gaeltacht Átha Luain, le tacaíocht ó Thaighde Éireann. Déanfar iniúchadh ar an mbithéagsúlacht in Éirinn ag an imeacht, agus béim ar leith á cur ar réigiún lár na tíre. Beidh an ócáid seo ar siúl trí mheán na Gaeilge.
Science Week has water as a theme this year, exploring water at every scale as an essential building block of life on earth and a powerful force that shapes our planet. Midlands Science will premiere online during Science Week a short documentary exploring water in the midlands. This documentary was developed by young participants in My Life Online, a training programme supported by the Rethink Ireland TikTok Digital Future Fund.
Jackie Gorman, CEO of Midlands Science commented: “Science Week is an amazing opportunity to engage with science and appreciate the seminal role it plays in all of our lives and indeed in our culture. We are living through a time where so much disinformation is circulating on issues from the environment to health online, so we consider it really important we can provide opportunities for people to engage with scientists directly and in person. Whether you are interested in polar exploration, skin care, biodiversity or music, we have an event for you. I would encourage everyone to engage with Science Week this year and bring your curiosity, you won’t be disappointed!”