Festival launch: Science takes centre stage this week as the British Association's annual Festival of Science gets under way today in Dublin for the first time since 1957.
Based at Trinity College Dublin, the week-long festival offers hundreds of talks, presentations and events aimed at helping the general public understand the latest findings in research.
Trinity staged an elaborate welcome reception last night with a special concert by choral group Anuna. Held in the College Chapel and sponsored by the Higher Education Authority, the 300 invited guests including the deputy Lord Mayor Cllr Bronwen Maher were greeted by Trinity Provost Dr John Hegarty and president of the BA, Prof Robert Winston.
"I am delighted that TCD and Dublin are hosting the 2005 BA Festival of Science," said Dr John Hegarty. "Trinity has a long history with the BA, dating back to 1835 when the BA held its fifth meeting in Dublin under the presidency of Rev Provost Lloyd of Trinity," Dr Hegarty said.
He referred to new scientific data presented at that meeting by Ireland's greatest scientist mathematician, William Rowan Hamilton, who is being celebrated across Ireland this year.
It was most appropriate "that the festival is returning here this year - the Hamilton Year of Irish Science and the bicentenary of Hamilton's birth in September 1805", Dr Hegarty said.
Festival activities get into full swing this morning, with separate programmes for primary pupils, secondary school students and adults.
The adult programme typically involves sessions at which a group of leading scientists will explain the latest research findings in a particular area.
For example, this morning there are sessions on climate change and the need for sustainable development; how a parasitic worm might provide a radical new treatment for asthma and how the human senses interact to create our experience of the environment.
The festival provides a rare opportunity for the public to hear some of the world's top scientists explaining work done in their specific fields. People are also encouraged to ask questions and get involved directly with the speakers to deepen the value of the sessions.
These sessions continue all week, with many being repeated so that as many as possible can hear the speakers. There is also an extensive programme off campus. Today there is an all-day hands-on exhibition at the St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre which shows what genes do and how they are built, with an opportunity for visitors to build there own gene models on a computer.
This morning will see the launch of Ireland's first institute dedicated to mathematics, the Hamilton Mathematics Institute. "William Rowan Hamilton is one of the giants of science," Dr Hegarty said.
"His widely acknowledged, original and profound contribution to mathematics and science is a source of pride for both Trinity and Ireland."
There are many free events and also paid events, but most require advanced booking. This can be done on the BA web site, www.the-ba.net or by calling to the campus booking office in the Arts Block foyer or at the Temple Bar information centre at 12 East Essex Street.