EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL
Edinburgh International
Science Festival
Forget boffins and eggheads. This year’s Science Festival is all sex, gossips and UfOs. Oh, and there's
kids' stuff too. Words: Ellie Carr
‘ I .. Gossrp , '._ Mrs Merton has made a career out of doing it live on telly. And whether we like to ,~ .‘ admit it or not, the rest of us aren’t immune to indulging in a spot of tongue-wagging. -='~ ' " Well, whenever we can really.
Scientists aren’t immune to the powers of gossip either, and in his latest book Grooming, Gossip And The Evolution Of Language, Professor Robin Dunbar attempts to
22 MARCH - 6 APRIL
t; I; ‘3 .' "1;; get to the bottom of this bottomless subject. Is there such a thing as idle gossip, asks ‘ ,3 ,I z? ‘ 'r ., Dunbar, and if so, why do we spend up to two thirds of our time doing it? 3,} at ,1... ~- ProfeSSOr Dunbar will be discussing the main themes of his book as part of the Science
T e Files
l‘.l-.. (1e: mo St uilv \’.’(_)..‘l(l be proud. This year the SCIence Festival is om. ‘.'Tt>lt-* discovering The Truth Behind The X-l—‘i/es in a series of events relating to all things paranormal.
0w- Sac." event The Y-l'iles lecture, where Steuart Campbell.
ill-t) ‘f'.t‘SI'(itiI().' and sceptical atithOi of The UFO Mystery Solved,
(int-"s up n. 2 case files to the public in an attempt to explain the t.r\.<:;-.:)'(ii'ie(i and give an antidote to The X—Files,
Hit‘ ‘r-li/t-és, Old College, in 4 Apr, 7—8pm, [3 (£7.50). Steuart (’ampbe/l will be signing copies of his book after the lecture. For other events in The Truth Behind The X-Files series see the Science festival programme or call the box office.
18 THE LIST 2‘: Kliir si'xpi 130/
Book Festival — a new strand to the main Festival which celebrates the latest wave of more pOpulist science writing. After the lecture there will be a signing, when you can engage in some idle gossip with the author.
Grooming, Gossip And The Evolution Of Language, The Fruitmarket Gallery, Sat 29 Mar, 7—8pm, £3 (E 7.50). See competition next page.
Art
Art and science are age-old mates — think back to scientist-cum-artist hero, Leonardo da Vinci. But this is the first year that the Science Festival has really embraced the artworld. The Frurtmarket is hosting a series of lectures entitled Art And Science and at Demarco's a group of artists — including Rose Frain, George Wyllie and Renny Nisbet — explore the territory where art meets science in Equation. Pictured here is a still from a series of ’monster images’ being shown by German artist Gerhard Lang. Collectively called What The Farmer Does Not Know He Will Not Eat these striking portraits are made by superimposing images of animals with the human face, a play on indentikit techniques Lang explored while working in a German police station. (Susanna Beaumont)
Equation, Demarco European Art Foundation, 3 York Lane, Sat 22 Mar—Sun 6 Apr. See Art preview. The Art And Science Symposium, Demarco European Art Foundation, 3 York Lane, Sat 5/Sun 6 Apr, 9.30am—5.30pm. See Art section for other art and science lectures.