PROGRAMME

All weekday events in the Public Programme will be held in the Lecture Theatre at Inverness College, Longman Road, Inverness, starting at 7pm. Talks will normally last up to 45 minutes, with half an hour or so for Q&A after that.

Weekday events are all free of charge, but we would ask you to help us by booking your places, please. Thank you!

Saturday 2 June
Eden Court, Inverness

Come to Eden Court on Saturday the 2nd of June to discover key 21st century skills. Join a host of global and Highland organisations to discover how everyday, innovative technologies are relevant to your career and the future of Highland industry.

This event, which forms part of this year's Monsterfest, has been organised by Fujitsu. Follow all the news and updates about it by clicking here.

Monday 18 June, 7pm
Herbs for Health?

From earliest recorded history humans have been turning to herbs in their battle against disease, and even today some people prefer them to orthodox scientific medicine.  This talk will explore the medicinal properties of herbs - both real and imagined. Which herbal remedies are effective, and which are not? Why are some herbal remedies more effective than others? How safe are they? How has their efficacy been tested? And what role should herbs play in modern medical healthcare?

Our speaker is Dr James McLay, senior lecturer in medicine and therapeutics at the University of Aberdeen, whose many publications include a report on "Homoeopathic and herbal prescribing in General Practice in Scotland".

There is no charge for attending, but please book your place(s) by clicking here.

Tuesday 19 June, 7pm
Securing the food supply: challenges past, present and future

At a time of rising world population, changing climate and over-exploitation of our natural resources, ensuring a consistent food supply has become a pressing concern. Professor Geoff Squire of the James Hutton Institute will explain the issues and give an overview of how they have been tackled in various places and at various times, including in the Highlands, past and present. What needs to be done in order to ensure food security over the coming 50 years? And how can we reconcile the need to produce large quantities of food with the need to protect the environment on which it all depends?

If you are interested in this topic, you may like to take a look at the website of "Living Field", the James Hutton Institute's outreach project on biology and environmental science.

There is no charge for attending, but please book your place(s) by clicking here.

Wednesday 20 June, 7pm
Scientific Approaches to Weight Loss

Dr Alex Johnstone of the Rowett Institute is a leading researcher into weight loss and has run over 40 human nutrition studies. Most recently she has been exploring the mechanisms of high-protein diets for appetite control and has recently worked with Marks and Spencer to develop a food range based on this approach. She is a well known speaker and writer on the subject of diet and health.

In this talk, she will discuss some of the myths of dieting and weight loss. If you want to know what science can tell us about the best, healthiest, safest ways to lose weight, you won't want to miss this talk.

There is no charge for attending, but please book your place(s) by clicking here.
 

Thursday 21 June, 7pm
The Chemistry of Cooking

Have you ever wondered what actually happens between putting your sloppy cake mixture in the oven and taking out a beautiful, set, light and fluffy cake an hour later? Or what the baking powder in your recipe actually does, and how? Or why roast meat smells irresistible, when raw meat smells revolting? Or why some dishes need to be cooked at high temperatures, and others at low ones? The answers to these questions, and many others, lie in chemistry. In this introduction to the chemistry of cooking, Dr Liz Barron-Majerik, Curriculum Manager for Science and Sport at Inverness College (and the inventor of Monsterfest!), will explain the many ways you are doing chemistry every time you cook! You do not need any prior understanding of chemistry in order to enjoy this session.

There is no charge for attending, but please book your place(s) by clicking here.

Friday 22 June, 7pm
The Dark Secrets of Chocolate

Dr Luisa Ostertag of the Rowett Institute has been researching the links between chocolate, platelets and cardiovascular health. Her research has aroused national interest, and no wonder - after all, who can resist a scientist who tells us that chocolate could be good for us! In this talk Luisa will explain her research and the ways in which chocolate, in moderation, might prove to be just what the doctor ordered! An event for chocoholics and health fans alike.

There is no charge for attending, but please book your place(s) by clicking here.

Saturday 23 June, 10 a.m. to 3 pm
Monster Science Family Day
Inverness College, Midmills campus
NB. NOT Longman Road, as wrongly printed in ICA magazine!!!!!

Continuing this year's food theme, our ever-popular family open day returns with a new and updated range of fun activities for all the family.

Nick Martin of Creatures Great and Small is back with his wonderful menagerie, talking about what eats what and introducing you to some of his exotic friends!


 

We'll be getting the microscopes out and exploring food as you've never seen it before! What really happens when food turns bad … and why might that be a good thing? Come and find out!

From Caveman to Cupboard - how does our evolutionary past impact on how we live today?

Find out what food has to do with physics - come and join in our hands-on activities (though please try to resist eating the marshmallows!)

And take an amazing journey through your digestive and circulatory systems, with a special 45-minute show by the Glasgow Science Centre (shows start at 11.am, 12.30pm and 2pm)
 

No need to book. Admission £1 per person, payable at the door.

STAR EVENT!
Sunday 24 June, 2.30 pm, Ironworks, Inverness
THE HORRIBLE SCIENCE SHOW
with bestselling children's author
NICK ARNOLD
NB. Please note venue: NOT Longman Rd, as wrongly printed in ICA magazine!

Who knew Sunday afternoons could be so much fun? This funny, fast and furious show celebrates the very best bits of the multi-award winning Horrible Science series of children's books. With never a dull moment, this show will keep your children entertained, excited and enthralled. You knew science could be interesting … but did you ever know it could be HORRIBLY FUNNY?

The show is designed to appeal to family audiences consisting of children aged 6-14 and their parents. Younger children are welcome too, provided they are properly supervised by their parents. Expect surprises! Expect laughter! Expect gory bits!

The show will run for an hour, and afterwards you'll be able to buy some of Nick's books and get him to sign them for you. Our thanks to Waterstone's Inverness for making this possible.

Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to inspire a lifelong love of science in your child. Mums and dads will have a great time too!

Can't wait until the event? Nor can we! Click here to visit Nick's website and start enjoying his Horrible Science right now! With its Fun Zone and its Fabulous Freebies, as well as Horrible Science experiments you can try at home or at school, it's a great way to get yourself into the Horrible Science mood! 

There is a charge of £3 per person (adult or child) for this event. It is no longer possible to pre-book, but don't worry: we'll also be taking payments at the door, so you can still come along anyway!