SCIENCE FESTIVAL
A com SWEAT in THE ouse
The Greenhouse Effect isn't new. It's almost as old as the Earth. Scientific awareness is slightly newer, but as early as 1972 the possibility of global warming had been recognised. Only recently have the general public become familiarwith the words Greenhouse Effect, let alone whatthe consequences might be.
Every breath you take, every move you make affects something somewhere. It used to be an unwritten assumption, however, that the world was big enough to take whatever we threw at it. The rapid growth of the world’s population this century coupled with development and industrialisation have meant that more and more people are throwing more and more at the environment. There has been a subsequent increase in the gases that cause the greenhouse effect, which includes carbon dioxide.
Predictions suggest that within 40 years we will probably be proucing 1.5 times more carbon dioxide than at present. What the effects will be, nobody can say for certain; the way the seas, land and air interact is too complicated to be fully understood. The common consensus is that the weather will become warmer and the seas will rise as the ice caps start to melt. With increasing numbers of people in competition for a decreasing number of resources, the problem will concern all nations.
Two speakers who will tackle some of the issues in detail will be Dr Eileen Buttle who will talk about ‘The Global Environment- Our Future World' on 9 April, and Dr Eric Voice whose talk is entitled ‘The Greenhouse Effect: Nature in Clover, Humans in Soup’ on 11 April (see listings for details). (Nick Woodward)
7pm. Business computers were unheard of in the 1940s when Lyons bakery invented the LEO computer. Peter Bird tellsthe story ofhow this sparked of the production of 150 more in the 50s and 60s.
I Oilseed Rape: Are we sure it's OK? Royal ()verseas League. llX) Princes Street.
1 1.30am. Dr David Parrat and Mr Lac Cameron ask if there is any evidence to suggest that the growing ofoilseed rape causes more problems to allergy or asthma sufferers than any other crop.
I The Greenhouse Effect: Nature in Clover, Humans in the Soup Royal Museum of Scotland. Chambers Street. 2.30pm. What are the results of the Greenhouse Effect? Why was it so large in the past. and why nature would be pleased it it were large again? Dr Eric Voice explains.
I Computers in Education: An Emergent Technology Mountbatten Building. Grassmarket. 6pm. Dick Fletcher and John Barker review the impendingimpact
of computer technology on education.
I Edinburgh's Great Exibition of 1886 Royal Museum of Scotland. Chambers Street. 10.30am. Local historian Graeme Cruikshank‘s illustrated lecture shows that the Science Festival was not quite the first of its kind.
I What Does a Snowflake Look Like? Optical and electron microscopy enable us to see beautiful. bizarre and sometimes very funny images. Dr Helen Laird explains how optical and electron microscopy is becoming essential in almost every walk oflife.
I Pictures in the Brain Royal Museum of Scotland. Chambers Street. 5 .30pm. Prof Blakemore looks at how the human brain contains ‘representations' or ‘maps‘ ofthe outside world. How were these ’maps‘ discovered: how are they formed: and what do they mean?
I The Child Certainly Wasn’t an Idiot: Konrad Lorentz Royal ()verseas League. llll) Princes Street. 7pm. Playing with newly hatched ducklings. the five-year-old zoologist. medical doctor. ethnologist. philosopher and conservationist in the making. Konrad Lorenz discovered imprinting. Bettina Kloetzl traces the Austrian genius' life and career.
I Royal Tartans and the Design of New Tartans Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre. Royal Mile. 7.30pm. Harry Lindley takes a look at the ‘top‘ tartans and the work involved in designing a new one.
THURSDAY 12
I Romancing The Keyboard Scandic Crown Hotel. 80 High Street. 7.30pm. San Fransisco pianist. singer and comedienne Leslie Harlib shows what role food and drink has played in popular song.
I Whisky and Women Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre. Royal Mile. 4pm. £1 (Slip). Whisky and its appeal to women is discussed by clinical psychologist Una Holden-Cosgrove.
I Scotch Whisky- Spirit of the Ages Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre. Royal Mile. 7.30pm. £3 (£2). A brief introduction to the history of Scotch whisky from ancient times to the present day. followed by a tasting is given by Mark Lawson ofChivas Brothers.
I Food Allergy- The Facts and the Fallacies Queen Margaret College. 36 Clerwood Terrace. 5. 15pm. Food allergy is a fashionable complaint but there is now too much emphasis on this rare condition. Dr Richard Cottrell outlines the facts.
I Homelessness, Health and Diet-The Scottish Experience Royal ()verseas League. 100 Princes Street. (ipm. Martyn Evans discusses the relationship between homelessness and poor health with particular reference to mothers who are homeless with young children and very young homeless adults.
I Sewage Sludge: Problems and Solutions Mountbatten Building. Grassmarket. 12.30pm. Grafzu Muenster explains how human waste can be dried to produce fuel. processed for use as an agricultural and garden fertiliser. and used for landfill.
I Fruit. Vegetables and Pesticides Queen Margaret College. 36 (‘Ierwood Terrace. 2pm. Can we do without pesticides in fruit and vegetable production? Are pesticide residues harmful? Dr James Gilmour addresses these issues.
I Biotuels Mountbatten Building. Grassmarket. 2.30pm. The production and use of biofuels from organic materials is one of the most promising waysof exploiting renewable energy resources in the UK. Dr Keith Richards explains.
I Getting Rid of "All Mountbatten Building. Grassmarket. 7.30pm. Dr David Steele will be talking about how scientists at Dounreay are developing a process to destroy a wide variety of organic waste materials without releasing toxic fumes into the environment.
I Marconi and his Wireless Royal Museum of Scotland. Chambers Street. [2.30pm. Ralph Barrett takes a look at the life and
THE SOUND OF THUNDER
‘Sometimes we have three-year-old kids walk in, take one look at the Tyrannysaurus Rex and burst into tears. We have to take them upstairs and show them cartoons instead,’ admits lan O’Rearden of the City Arts Centre. Therein lies one of the hazards of staging the current ’Dinosaurs Alive’ exhibition which takes a step towards the impossible by attempting to bring dinosaurs to life. Why anybody would want to attempt such a dangerous undertaking, ldon‘t know, butjudging from the fact that the Tyrannosaurus is only a half size model, I’m rather glad they didn’t actually succeed in ressurection. The models in the
exhibition are actually computer controlled animated dinosaurs, which succeed admirably in generating a very convincing atmosphere in which to view these monsters from prehistory, although parts of the exhibition are probably a little too frightning for the very young.
The open season on prehistoric reptiles continues up at the Royal Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street, where the prime target at the moment is as Dr Rolfe, the head of the geology department puts it, ‘the grandaddy of all the dinosaurs‘, which contrary to my expectations turned out to be ‘Lizzie’, who is a little over six inches long. This fossil, discovered in Lothian is, at 380 million years old, the oldest known reptile on the planet. Unfortunately Stuttgart Museum is hankering after Lizzie, and ifthe Royal Museum can’t get £180,000 together by this summer, then her 380 million-year residency in Edinburgh might just be coming to a close, so be warned. Now might be youronly chance to see her before she flits. (Incidentally the party that gives the biggest donation to keep Lizzie on Scottish soil will have her officially named in the textbooks aner them; rumour has it that the most likely name at the moment is ‘Tesco Tescus'.)
The rest of the exibition atthe museum traces the attempts of artists over the years to reconstruct what dinosaurs looked like from the rather scanty evidence available and contains some stunning dinosaur pictures. (Maxton Walker)
work of Guglielmo Marconi. whose signalsacross the Atlantic in Will brought him world-wide acclaim.
I Shock Relief Royal ()verseas League. 1le Princes Street. 7.30pm. Paul Sherlock explains how ()xfam responds to emergencies with food. shelter. medicines. and water.
FRIDAY 13
I Kite Carnival French institute. 13 Randolph Crescent. Workshops: Illam. lptn. 3pm. free. A display of many different kinds of kites will be interspersed with kite making and repairing workshops.
I The World Of Deer Royal ()y erseas League. Hit) Princes Street. opm. 'l‘ony Milns comments on national beerstyles. brewing methods. and the variety of beers to be found all over the world. include a tasting to demonstrate Scotland‘s contribution to world beer styles.
I Weeds Are More Fun. Royal ()y erseas League. 1le Princes Street. lll.3llam. Roger Banks takes a look at the unconsidered gastronomic delights to be found in hedgerows. waste grounds and rubbish dumps.
I Edinburgh Food, Drink. and Manners (1400-1900) Royal ()verseas [.eague. illtl Princes Street. 7pm. .‘vlichael'l‘urnbull finds links between diet. trade and society in the capital ofScotland.
I Wealth of the Oceans Royal ()verseas League. llePrinces Street. 13.30pm. ('liff Funnel] describes efforts toencourage industry to develop the natural resources of the ocean.
I Catering For the Diversity of Garden Plants Royal ()verseas League. 1le Princes Street. 2.30pm. Prof Robertson discusses the reasons for the scarcity of many once common garden plants. and how a national organisation is providing a practical solution to the problem.
I Seal Disease: the Story To Date Royal ()verseas League. Hill Princes Street. 4pm. Dr ()sterhaus raises the issue of whether increased environmental pollution contributed to the severity ofthe HHS outbreak of a disease. similarto distemper which killed l7.l)llilsealsinthe North and Baltic seas. and traces the
ties clopment of a vaccine.
I David Hughes: Inventor olthe Microphone Royal Museum of Scotland. ( 'hambcrs Street. _‘.3llpm. Ralph Barrett on the man who my ented the microphone and the metal detector.
SATURDAY 14
I Why Dogs Don‘t Eat Chilli and Other Disgusting Ouestions 'l'he l-‘ilmhouse. Lothian Road. 3.30pm. £2. Many things are edible. many are not. and some are downright dangerous. Dr JeremyCherfas illumines dark cornersofdiet.
SUNDAY 15
I Rocket Display l iolyrood Park. lll.3()am- Spm. free. included in the display of kite flying yy Ill be a demonstration of model rocket flying.
I Edible Insects: Past and Present Royal Mtiseum of Scotland. Chambers Street. 4. 15pm. Insects are a major source of protein for many rural comm unitiesall over the world. Julieta Ramos [{lorduy explains why they might be one ofthe foods of the future.
I Order and Chaos Roy al Museum of Scotland. Chambers Street. 2.30pm. Prof R. B. (‘undall's discourse and the accompanying demonstrationson chaos show that prediction based on
corn entional wisdom is more difficult than expected.
MONDAY 16
I N.B. No one-day eventstoday.
74 The List 6— 1‘) April 1990