Edinburgh International Science Festival programme unveiled

At a launch today, this year's programme for the Edinburgh International Science Festival (5-20 April) was unveiled, revealing a diverse platform of events, readings, workshops and hands-on sessions looking at the science behind food, design, art, and literature. Amanda Tyndall, Deputy Director, commented: "This year’s Science Festival will see hundreds of the best and brightest minds in science and technology gather in Edinburgh to debate and celebrate some of the biggest and sometimes controversial ideas in science. For two weeks the city is the perfect melting pot for discussion as we explore the ideas that place science smack-bang at the centre of all of our lives."

Science and technology are the driving forces for change in the modern world. Everything we do connects back to science and technology in some way, and this year's festival hopes to explore and examine those connections in detail. A who's who of scientists and broadcasters will be in attendance, including Peter Higgs, Richard Wiseman, Jim Al Khalili (BBC’s Light and Dark) Robin Ince (BBC Radio 4’s Infinite Monkey Cage), Hermione Cockburn (BBC’s Coast), Simon Watt (Channel 4’s Nature's Giants) and Helen Arney (Festival of the Spoken Nerd). There's also a focus on politics, with an event titled Scotland Decides looking at the scientific questions raised by the independence debate.

Another big theme of this year's festival is the relationship between science and food, examined in a strand called GastroFest, featuring events with top Edinburgh chef Neil Forbes and the BBC's Mark Greenaway, events promoters Jelly & Gin, a science-inspired farmers' market and beer experiments with Summerhall microwbrewers Barney's Beer.

A returning strand from last year's festival is the Mini-Maker Faire, which celebrates DIY culture and the art of making. Making It presents a showcase of emerging technologies and and innovative designs at the National Museum of Scotland, with a series of workshops at Summerhall exploring the wider themes. In Print The Museum, festival attendees can see how a 3D printer works, replicating objects from the museum's collection, while in Face Off: Man Versus Machine, artist Dominic Wilcox pits his making skills against the latest 3D printing technology.

In the Lates strand, music, literature, fashion and art are used to explore the pioneering spirit of scientific discovery, with events featuring CuteCircuit, the fashion designers behind Katy Perry's outlandish frocks, and a series of exhibitions and installations at Summerhall curated by Paul Robertson, in Science at the HEART. Scottish crime writing is dissected in the Forensics and Fiction event, while a whole range of author appearances, workshops and even a science-based haiku competition are also planned. 

There's also a huge range of family and kids' activities, featuring the likes of Mr. Boom, Simon Pampena and others, as well as Energise! which allows children to explore a giant-sized model of the human digestive system. Other highlights include photographic exhibitions, the Lunchtime Science lecture series, and the awarding of the Edinburgh Medal to Professor Mary Abukutsa-Onyango. Visit the Science Festival website for a full schedule of this year's events, and to book tickets.