On Sunday October 27th the University will be hosting ‘Mind & Matter 2024’, a science festival engaging with local communities across Fife and the Greater Tayside area. The event will showcase the research of more than 60 academics at the University in exciting and family-friendly ways. It targets young people and their families, educators and carers, encouraging creativity, exploration and engagement with research and higher education across all disciplines: from STEM to the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
We have put together a programme full of hands-on activities, exhibits and shows, and there will be something for all ages: From an inflatable planetarium and simulations of the northern light sky to muddy mini-experiments, DNA origami and time-travelling pollen, from poetry and brain puzzles to watching clever dogs, counting dolphins and making your very own dragon.
We asked Dr Sandra Appleby-Arnold, Head of Engagement with Research about her ambitions for the day:
“We are very excited to make this event happen – not only because it will be a fun day for everyone involved, but its value in terms of engagement and impact occurs on a variety of levels: First and foremost, our young audiences can learn about academic research in a playful manner and outside teaching environments that, too often, come along with authoritative barriers. In particular for teenagers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as their parents, it can provide the much needed showcase that higher education is, actually, accessible to everyone. For our contributing academics, the event represents an opportunity to work with an audience that is very different to their usual peers. It allows them to step outside and see their own research from a very different perspective, which can even spark new ideas for future research projects. In particular for early-career researchers, engaging with public “lay” audiences in a relaxed, festival-style atmosphere is a fantastic opportunity to practice and refine their engagement skills as part of their professional journey. Similarly, it is a unique opportunity for our student volunteers to immerse themselves and learn about outreach, public engagement and science communication in practice, making them part of the wider community of researchers who are enthusiastic about engaging with non-academic audiences as part of our social, and societal responsibility”.
Click the panels below to explore the amazing activities:
