Vampires
In Interview With A Vampire Tom Cruise and his co-star Brad Pitt proved that the myth of the garlic-phobic creatures with the little pointy teeth is very much here to stay. Now, the Science Festival IS getting its teeth sunk into the vampire legend with a talk titled Vampirism — The Medical Aspects.
Led by The Linnean Society Of London’s Davrd Taylor-Pescod, the talk will reveal how certain rare medical afflictions and the decomposition of bodies have led to widespread belief in the living dead in many cultures. The lecture carries an 18 Certificate and a warning that some slides may be of a disturbing nature. Talk about blood lust. Vampirism — The Medical Aspects, Royal Museum Of Scotland, Sun 23 Mar, 7.30—8.30pm. £3 (£7.50).
/ Sex
This fetching little rubber ensemble With matching whip may not be everyone's cup of tea. But for some people, the sound of lashes lashing and the feel of 100 per cent plastic next to the skin is a way of life. Delwng into the SUbJGCi of sexual fetish, for research purposes only you understand, is Edinburgh’s Dr Lyndsay Myskow, whose lecture Mad, Bad Or Sad? takes a light- hearted but informative look at why some people choose transvestism, sado—masochism or shoe-fetishism and others stick to the missionary position.
Sex IS a dominant theme at this year's Festival, With Mad, Bad Or Sad? forming part of an umbrella series of lectures called Why Have Sex? Topics under discussion range from the sticky issue of sperm and the ones that get away to why Salt ’n’ Pepa were right when they said Let's Talk About Sex.
Mad, Bad Or Sad?, Royal Museum Of Scotland, Mon 37 Mar, 7.30—8.30pm, [3 (£7.50). For other lectures on the Why Have Sex? theme see Science Festival programme.
CHRIS BLOTT
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL
BOOKING INFORMATION Box office: 0131 220 6220
Advance ticket sales and general information about the Edinburgh International Science Festival is already available by phone, or in person from the box office at Royal Museum Of Scotland, Chambers Street,
Mon-Sat 10am-5pm (Tue until 8pm) and Suns noon-5pm.
Alternatively, you can book tickets by post at 149 Rose Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4L5 using the form provided in the official Science Festival programme.
Tickets for lectures will be on sale at each venue 30 minutes prior to an event starting, providing it has not sold out. Concessions are available for pensioners, unemployed, disabled persons and students unless otherwise stated.
MAIN VENUES
Assembly Rooms 50 George Street. 22 Mar—6 Apr. Mon—Sat 10am-5pm; Suns noon—5pm. Loads of hands-on actiVities under one roof as the ever-popular Science Works for families and children moves to the Assembly Rooms. Also located here is the SCience Playcentre for children aged 3-6 and various hi- tech actiVities prevrously found in the Science Dome, West Princes Street.
Edinburgh Zoo Murrayfreld. This year the SCience Festival visits the zoo to meet over 1,000 furry, feathery and scaly creatures -- and you can come too. Learn how to make a monkey puzzle or find out about the sexual antics of chimpanzees For information about events call the Edinburgh Zoo marketing department on 0131 334 7730.
Royal Botanic Garden lnverleith Row Edinburgh’s beautiful Botanic Garden opens its gates to the Scrence Festival to host a Wide range of nature-orientated exhibitions and workshops and gurded walks for children and adults alike.
Royal Museum Of Scotland Chambers Street. 23 Mar—6 Apr. The Festival's Education Centre is the focus for various half and full-day workshops for children over the age of seven. See Kids, page 78 for more information on Science Festival events for children
Science Book Festival
competition
The Science Book Festival is a new element of the main Festival which aims to give audiences the chance to meet and hear some of the biggest names in popular science writing today. Among the bright sparks appearing are John Carey, editor of the Faber Book Of Science, and Robin Dunbar, author of Grooming, Gossip And The Evolution Of Language.
Carey’s Faber Book Of Science is an entertaining, accessible anthology of modern science which has sold 25,000 c0pies in hardback and has been shortlisted for the prestigious Rhone Poulenc Science Prize.
Dunbar’s Grooming, Gossip And The Evolution Of Language is a fascinating book which delves deep into the social phenomenon of gossip, and establishes lots of reasons as to why the ancient art of chinwagging is no bad thing.
Publishers Faber And Faber are offering a hardback copy of the Faber Book Of Science to the first ten readers to turn up at the Technical Desk of James Thin, 53—59 South Bridge, Edinburgh with this issue of The List. Also on offer is £2 off the paperback Faber Book Of Science (£9.99)
and £1 off the paperback Grooming, Gossip And The Evolution Of Language (£7.99) to any reader who shows l up at James Thin with this issue of The List.
faber andfaber
2i Mar - mpi l997 THELIST 19