The organisers of the Festival of Tomorrow have received so many requests for the talks and shows to be made available on-demand for those who missed out, that they will be releasing some of the highlights online over the coming weeks and months. Thousands of attendees enjoyed a glimpse of the future last weekend at the virtual Festival of Tomorrow, Swindon’s annual showcase of the latest in UK research and innovation.
The first show to be released on-demand is an in-depth look at how UK research is leading the fight against the coronavirus, with a panel of leading experts, chaired by BBC radio’s award-winning science presenter, Roland Pease. Visitors were intrigued to watch the BBC’s Marty Jopson, remotely operating a Zeiss electron microscope to give a live close up look at a real SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus.
Visitors were also delighted by a surprise last-minute addition to the programme; a rare, informal live Q&A session with Sue Horne, Head of Space Exploration for the UK Space Agency. Swindonians got the chance to ask a wide range of questions about last week’s NASA Perseverance Mars rover landing, and the vital role of UK science in the mission. The event will be ‘premiered’ on YouTube on Friday 25th February.
During the online festival, families were entertained by live shows from the BBC One Show’s resident science guy, Marty Jopson and science communicator Ian B, Dunne; a virtual planetarium show; the opportunity to take part in a real Citizen Science climate observation project; as well as live experiments, demonstrations, and activities to try at home from over 50 exhibitors including Intel, the Institute of Physics and numerous universities and institutes.
Other highlights included the European Space Agency and a panel of leading researchers sharing how satellites help tackle climate change; a science rap show and talks from experts on subjects as wide-ranging as the big bang, solar observation, the science behind healthier white bread, and the psychological impacts of isolation. Swindonians particularly enjoyed the rare chance for a sneak peek behind the scenes at the Science Museum Group’s National Collection Centre project at Wroughton.
Festival Director, Rod Hebden said ‘We’ve been absolutely overwhelmed by the positive response from visitors to this year’s festival. Although everyone missed the excitement of a physical event, we had lots of people of all ages telling us how much they appreciated being able to chat directly to world-leading researchers and experts on the online platform.’ Rod explained ‘Being online enabled us to bring together an amazing range of inspiring speakers and panellists that simply wouldn’t normally have been possible.’
The Festival of Tomorrow is a collaboration between New Elements and STEAM – Museum of the Great Western Railway and is supported by Swindon-based UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)- the public body responsible for overseeing all publicly funded research.
“Our vision is of a society in which research and innovation are created, used, challenged, valued and shared by all’ said Alexis Mannion, Head of Public Engagement for UKRI ‘And we believe that involving the public in research improves its quality and makes it much more relevant to society. We’re delighted that so many visitors to the Festival of Tomorrow had the chance to explore how we’re tackling global challenges and building the world of tomorrow through research and innovation.’
To find out more or watch online, visit www.scienceswindon.com/festival-on-demand
