Young people in Longford learn about life in Antarctica and climate change as part of Science Week

Science Week in the midlands started a little early on November 8 and has provided 9 days of amazing science activities every day and night across the region since then. It concluded on Saturday, November 16 with an event exploring ADHD in women and girls and another event with cold water swimming Guinness World Record holder Nuala Moore.

 

Over the course of the week, people of all ages attended events across the four midlands counties of Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath. Those attending got up close and personal with snakes, learnt how to explore the night’s sky, met a Guinness World Record Holder and bestselling authors and a number of TV presenters including Simon Watt of Channel 4. All events were free of charge as part of the Midlands Science Festival, supported by Research Ireland as part of national Science Week.

 

Highlights included two music concerts exploring the science of music with  Bohemian Strings. Packed crowds in Westmeath and Laois learnt about everything from the physics to the psychology of music while singing up for science and hearing tunes such as Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” played like you’ve never heard it before. Young people in Longford learnt about life in Antarctica and climate change with Dr Niamh Shaw and took part in Turing Tumble workshops with Midlands Science. Offaly hosted a number of events including a night with leading SETI [Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence] researcher Prof John Eliot and a night exploring the science of cats, big and small with Gerry Creighton of Dublin Zoo and Dr Clare Meade of the Cat Hospital.

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Jackie Gorman, CEO of Midlands Science commented ; “it was very encouraging to see such great interest in a wide range of topics and science in the past week. We always enjoy seeing people of all ages coming along to our events, with family and friends. Science is important for work and education but it’s also important for life and being able to understand the world around us, so we encourage everyone to continue to be curious. Whether it’s being able to understand your tabby cat a little better or understand how gardening choices can help biodiversity or how to read the night’s sky through astronomy, science can help and bring a lot of joy to your life.”

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The work of the organisation also featured as Gaelige this year with Midlands Science Trustee Dr Aisling Twohill appearing on the popular podcast Gael Gals and Raidió na Gaeltachta and CEO Jackie Gorman featured on TG4 Nuacht Cúla4 with students from Scoil na gCeithre Máistrí. Dúirt Jackie Gorman “Bhí go leor gníomhaíochtaí éagsúla ag an Midlands Science Festival. Bhí gníomhaíochtaí spraíúla ann do theaghlaigh agus imeachtaí suimiúla do dhaoine fásta. Áiríodh leis seo eolaíocht na snámha agus gailf! Tá gach imeacht agus gníomhaíocht saor in aisce.”

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The work of Midlands Science goes on all year round with a free outreach programme to primary and secondary schools and other groups and number of special projects and the organisation reaches over 16,000 directly each year. Its work is supported by a range of corporate, philanthropic and public sources and all activities are provided free of charge. Its dedicated team of staff, specialist contractors and volunteers are all passionate about the difference that science can be make to society and more information can be found on www.midlandsscience.ie