SCIENTISTS from across the UK will be in Edinburgh next month offering people of all ages the chance to get closer to the environmental science that shapes their lives.
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) event – UnEarthed – will see more than 100 scientists descend on the capital’s Dynamic Earth to share their research, from fossils to dinosaurs, killer shrimp and sea puffins, to more serious business such as cleaning our air, keeping the power on, defending our homes from natural disasters and understanding how climate change impacts coasts, land and animals.
“UnEarthed is about the science that shapes the lives of people living in Scotland and beyond, in ways you may already know – like air pollution and flooding – and in ways you may be yet to discover,” said event director Julia Maddock.
“Come and find out how metals and minerals make your smartphone work, how what you put in your shopping trolley could help protect an orang-utan in the tropics, and what could happen as sea levels rise as the world gets warmer.
“This is a chance for children, families and adults to get hands on with environmental science and ask big questions of the scientists working on the biggest question of all: how can we understand our changing planet?”
Dynamic Earth’s scientific director, Hermione Cockburn, added: “We’re incredibly excited to welcome NERC to Dynamic Earth for this fantastic event.
“This is a great opportunity for youngsters to meet the scientists behind the research and pick their brains on anything Earth-related. At Dynamic Earth we aim to inspire young people with science and this event is set to do just that!
“This kind of event is always very popular, so we would encourage visitors to head down early to avoid disappointment.”
More than 1000 pupils from 20 schools are already booked to attend the free exhibition, which is open from November 17-19.
Scottish scientists, along with colleagues from Northern Ireland, Wales and England, will showcase their research in more than 30 interactive exhibits.
These range from from predicting the weather with the help of the University of Edinburgh’s supercomputer technology to protecting our forests with the Royal Botanical Gardens, Edinburgh.
The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the British Geological Survey – Scottish bases of the NERC’s centres – will be giving people the chance to gape at the creatures found in Scotland’s lochs or build their own wind turbine.
Scientific equipment will also be on show, including a four-tonne drill used at the bottom of the ocean, and geological research vessel, the White Ribbon, used to map the seabed and understand our coasts.
Brand new science from UnEarthed’s flagship citizen science project, Operation Weather Rescue, will be on show thanks to thousands taking part in digitising Victorian weather records made by intrepid volunteers on the side of Ben Nevis more than a century ago.
Launched in September, thousands have already taken part to help meet our goal of digitising two million bits of data by UnEarthed.
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