Richard Dawkins returns to Inverness Monster Science Festival

Renowned author and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins will be giving a fundraising talk in Inverness on 11 May in support of this year’s Inverness Monster Science Festival.

The former Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University said, ‘An understanding of science enriches our lives in so many ways that I wholeheartedly support any initiative which aims to bring science to a wider audience.’

He will be developing this theme further in his talk, entitled ‘The Science of Beauty and the Beauty of Science’, in which he will outline evolutionary explanations for humans’ strong sense of beauty, whether in terms of physical characteristics, landscapes, art or music, and will also explain why he sees science itself as arguably the pinnacle of human aesthetic achievement and experience.

This fundraising event will be taking place a month before the launch of the main festival, which is being run by Inverness College UHI with support from STEM North and The Scottish Government.

Other well known speakers at this year’s festival will include Aubrey Manning, best known for his BBC TV series Earth Story and Talking Landscapes, who will be considering what our growing understanding of animals tells us about ourselves; and Richard Wiseman, author and Professor for the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, who has been described as the UK’s most quoted psychologist, and who will be talking about ‘The Luck Factor’.

The programme is still being finalised but will also cover topics as varied as stem cell research, statistics in everyday life, and science that can be done at home, as well as asking whether the oil is really going to run out.  Events will range from formal lectures to hands-on family fun activities.

Paula Kirby, who is organising the public events on behalf of Inverness College UHI, said, ‘The aim of the festival is to dispel some of the myths about science and show its potential as an area for study, or for a future career, or for medical advances, or simply for a greater understanding and appreciation of the wonders of the world around us.’

The Richard Dawkins event will take place on Wednesday 11 May, and the festival itself will run from 11 to 19 June.  All details are on the festival website at www.monsterfest.co.uk