Astronomy, archaeology and arctic for 2013 Science Festival

July 25, 2013 at 1:23 pm

Film-maker Alan Ereira working with the Kogi people of Colombia, who want to open a dialogue with western scientists about the state of the planet. — Film-maker Alan Ereira working with the Kogi people of Colombia, who wants to open a dialogue with western scientists about the state of the planet.

The programme for this year’s Orkney International Science Festival has been announced.

Over 50 events cover everything from astronomy, archaeology and the Arctic to the science of a lost city and the search for a lost undersea world.

Among this year’s speakers are astronomer Prof. Bill Napier of Buckingham University, who will look at ancient catastrophes on Earth, showing how causes can be on a cosmic scale, involving impacts, giant comets and supernovae.

Prof. Bonnie Steves of Glasgow Caledonian University will describe the supermassive black holes at the heart of almost every galaxy, including our own.

Archaeology talks include new insights on the Viking Age with Dr Cathy Batt from Bradford University and speakers from Orkney College UHI.

This year’s festival opener, documentary film-maker Alan Ereira, brings two films made with the Kogi people of Colombia. They live high in the Sierra Nevada, in what has been for long a lost city, and they now want to open a dialogue with western scientists about the state of the planet.

The full programme is on the Science Festival website, www.oisf.org, with more information at www.frontiersmagazine.org.