With the British Science Festival just a month away, we can’t wait for you to join us!  

This year, the Festival takes place 11-15 September 2024, and will be hosted by the University of East London. We’ll be all across East London, starting with the University's Docklands campus on Thursday and Friday, then Westfield Stratford and finally in Stratford for the weekend. 

Our line-up of talks, workshops and drop-in events cover a wide range of subjects ensuring that there is something for everyone. And with over 100 free events, it can be hard to know which to choose from.

To help, we’ve picked five must-see events on some really interesting topics including the wonderful experience of smelling and tasting colour, the world of origami robotics and fascinating tales of marine life. Don’t miss out!

The many colours of your mind

How our brain makes sense of the world around us is not short of fascinating. Some people experience ‘synaesthesia,’ where they sense things in different ways – they ‘smell’ colour and even ‘taste’ music.

To understand how this happens, join cognitive psychologist, Mary Spiller and her team at the University of East London to explore how the brain processes our senses.

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Dignity in menstruation

Menstruation is a natural part of being a woman, yet it is surrounded by shame and stigma. The lack of awareness and understanding creates barriers that we all need to address.   

Meera Tiwari and her team at the University of East London have developed a new learning method across communities in India, Nepal and the UK to improve how menstrual health is discussed, ensuring it’s done with dignity.

Join their workshop to learn how you can combat the societal stigma surrounding menstruation and help to support dignity in menstruation.

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Ocean travellers

Ever wondered about how animals in the ocean live? Why not explore the wonders of marine life, from biofilms to whales, with Nick Aldred and his team from the University of Essex?

You’ll dive into how challenges like pollution, climate change and habitat destruction affect ocean dwellers and the innovative solutions being developed to protect our oceans. Join the team to deepen your understanding of the marine world and the crucial steps needed to ensure its preservation.

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Origami robotics

Did you know that origami-inspired designs are shaping the future of robotics? Chenying Liu from the University of Oxford will show us how.

As a British Science Festival 2024 Award Lecturer and the Josh Award winner (for early-career science communicators), Liu will demonstrate how thick-panel origami combined with 3D printing can create versatile, dexterous robots that use up less technology than traditional ones.   

Don’t miss this exciting glimpse into the future of robotics!

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Black in science

Only around 1% of all professors in the UK are Black, and a lack of representation and visibility could certainly be part of the problem.

Celebrate the remarkable contributions of Black scientists in this interactive augmented reality installation by Naida Redgrave from the University of East London. 

The exhibition highlights their groundbreaking researching and brings their impactful work to the forefront. 

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