CityLife

Exploration galore

Fire Tornado

DO you know what a Fire Tornado is? Us neither. But you can find out at Manchester Science Festival (October 25 to November 2) - where you can also explore the science of colour, climate change, sport, aliens, communication and much more.

Led by Manchester's Museum Of Science And Industry (MOSI), the festival will explore science from a spectrum of different perspectives - from topical issues, to just-for-fun ideas. 

CityLife has picked out a few of the events we think you should look out for...

October 25 to November 2
MOSI Science Busking
Daily, interactive science experiments throughout the festival, including "the secret sounds of the oven shelf" (yes, really) and what happens when you put Mentos in a bottle of cola.
MOSI, 10am-12pm

October 25
BA Award Lectures: Evolutionary Colour - Understanding Nature's Use Of Light
What is the science involved in fish scales and peacock feathers? This lecture will examine naturally evolved nano-structures and optic functionality, among a range of other implications. And we thought they just looked pretty.
Manchester Museum, 2pm-3pm
Free. Booking / more details: 0161 275 2648

October 26
BA Award Lecture: Climate Change - What Space Can Teach Us About Planet Earth
Viewing our planet from space has taught scientists a lot about how it is changing. Here, they share their findings and interpretations.
Manchester Museum, 2pm-3pm
Free. Booking / more details: 0161 275 2648

October 27 to October 31
Bend It Like Sparky
Learn about the science behind bending a free kick - and even get trained in how to do it yourself.
MOSI, 11:30am-3pm
Free. Booking unecessary

October 27
Leukaemia: 60 Years Of Progress
Manchester researchers have played a pivotal role in improving the treatment of leukaemia - and the city is at the forefront of the study of cancer. Learn more at this lecture, which is part of the Our Kid project (funded by Central Mancehster and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust).
The Nowgen Centre, 12:15pm-1:30pm
Free. Booking / more details: 0161 276 5956 or bookings@nowgen.org.uk

October 27
Trevor Baylis: Why Invent?
In these times of people being unceremoniously booted out of a so-called Den by so-called Dragons, for not thoroughly researching inventions they hope to make millions from, it's quite handy to know the best way to tackle the process. Trevor Baylis, inventor of the clockwork radio, explains how to overcome the obstacles and take a product successfully to market.
MOSI, 2pm
Free. Book at the information desk, on the day

October 27
Didsbury Sci Bar: Alien Hunting
The title of this event is actually a more formal way of saying "join Professor Ian Morrison from Jodrell Bank Observatory for a beer and a chat about aliens" - which sounds great to us.
The Pitcher And Piano (Didsbury), 6:30pm to 8pm
Free. Booking unnecessary

October 28 and 29
Not So Fantastic Plastic: Design And Decorate Your Own Fabric Bag
Learn about the negative aspects of excessive plastic use; and design an environmentally-friendly bag of your own.
MOSI, 10am-3pm
Free. Booking unnecessary

October 28
The Story Of Transatlantic Communications
Amazingly, the first attempt to lay a telegraph cable across the Atlantic was 150 years ago, in 1858. Find out about this and the many developments since in a one-day seminar.
MOSI, 10:30am-4pm
Free. Booking / more details: alocker@theiet.org or www.iet.org

October 29
Dinosaur Detectives
Here's your chance to meet scientists working on the latest dinosaur research.
Manchester Museum, 1pm-4pm
Free. Booking unnecessary

October 29
The Joule-Bronte-Chopin Effect: A Study In Connections
Based on the concept of the Joule-Kelvin effect - dependent on direct interaction between particles - the Joule-Bronte-Chopin effect is described as "a social phenomenon in which the particles are people and the interaction is mediated via third parties. Nineteenth-century Manchester saw the necessary conditions for such an effect: a critical mass large enough to sustain a distribution of gifted individuals, but not so large as to preclude mutual familiarity". The talk looks at what brought two Bronte sisters and Frederic Chopin to the city in the 1840s; and the connections between them. Speaker: Dr Grenville Jones, University Of Salford.
The Portico Library And Gallery, 6:30pm
Free. Booking / more details: 07919 035 793 or louise.butcher@iop.org

October 30
Chemistry With Cabbage
It may not sound terribly appetising, but as the topic is home experiments, surely no one can fail to be at least a little bit curious? Learn how to do chemistry with household chemicals.
MOSI, 1pm-3pm
Free. Book on the day at the information desk. More details: www.chemistrywithcabbage.co.uk


The afore-mentioned fire tornado was lit to mark the launch of the Manchester Science Festival programme on October 2 - and will appear again at MOSI at various points throughout the festival.

The effect is created when a rotating cylinder causes air molecules to spin, colliding with hot air rising from a flame. This creates a vortex and the flame whirls, producing a tornado effect.

For more festival information, visit the link on the right.


VENUES

MOSI - Liverpool Road, Castlefield, M3 4FP. 0161 832 2244. www.mosi.org.uk
The Manchester Museum - Oxford Road, M13 9PL. 0161 275 2634. www.manchester.ac.uk/museum
The Nowgen Centre - 29 Grafton Street, M13 9WU. 0161 276 5956. www.nowgen.org.uk
Pitcher and Piano - School Lane, Didsbury, M20 6SA. 0161 448 9326. www.pitcherandpiano.com
The Portico - 57 Mosley Street, M2 3HY. 0161 236 6785. www.theportico.org.uk