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Highlights from the Edinburgh International Science Festival.

Stuff about aliens

The eXIsteme or otherWIse of extra- terrestrial life is a big theme at this year’s S(|(‘H((‘ Festival. You (an go looking for little green men at number of events in(luding ’Is Anybody Out lhere?', 'Our Universe And Others', ’Sear( h For ET' and more. lhe truth is out there.

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Why Is Sex Fun?

You might think that elephants look weird when they’re shagging, but it's a( tually us humans who are oddballs in the sa(k. Dr Jared Diamond, author of Why Is Sex Fun? lhe Evolution Of Human Sexuality explains why blokes love a bit on the side, suggests male breast-feeding might he a good Idea and reveals the penis has quadrupled in we over the last nine million years. Royal Museum Of SUN/(1nd, Sat 4 Apr, 7 8pm, [3 ((7.50).

Happy Birthday Dolly

Dolly, the world-famous (loned sheep, was born at Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute in July 1996 and has since appeared on front pages arms the planet. lhe plaud—lookmg ewe has be<ome the f0( us of the fier< e ethi(al, politi(a| and moral debate raging around geneti( engineering. This forum Wlll be an opportunity for the Issues to get an airing and for experts to state their (ase. Dolly is (urrently pregnant and Wlll not be appearing.

Old College 'l'heatre, Sun 5 Apr, 7 9pm, [5 ([750).

The Brainwashing Saga Aliens. Murder. Sui(ide. While headlines are made by extreme (ults like Heaven’s Gate who were obsessed with lhe X-l-‘i/es and eventually killed themselves in the belief that they would be reborn as extra-terrestrials other new religious groups are painted in a bad light by the media. Dr Mi<hael North<ott of Edinburgh University seeks to redress the ba|an(e in this session.

Old College lheatre, Wed 8 Apr, 7 8pm, [3 ([750).

Solar Flares And Comets Friends Or Foes?

They look ni<e but they (ould kill us all! When NASA st'ientists re(ently predi(ted that an asteioid (olliding With Earth could end the world in 30 years, it put the issue of solar flares and (omets on the international agenda. This event asks what the (ham es are of

getting hit by spa<e r0(ks and whether i

we ran do anything to prevent it. Assembly Rooms, Fri 77 Apr, 7 8pm, [3 ((7.50).

SCIENCE FESTIVAL

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