Whizz, Bang, Roar - come and design a dinosaur!

The University of Birmingham is counting down the days to the launch of the biggest celebration of science in the UK.

From real life robots to tiny atoms, the British Science Festival has it all. The week-long event will celebrate all things scientific and offers a one-off opportunity for people to experience the cutting edge of technology and scientific research. Events will range from creative activities for children, including the chance to design your own dinosaur, to debates about who owns our DNA.

Visitors can find out how water fleas could save the world or how one day people might be looked after by robot carers. Academics will explain how history influenced Darwin’s ideas on natural selection, how scientists can regrow human tissue and how we are attempting to unravel the mysteries of the Universe.

The festival has a young people’s programme aimed at those aged between 14 and 19. ‘Where Can Science Take Me?’ (PDF - 364Mb) will encourage young people to take up STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects in higher education.

On Saturday 6 September in Birmingham city centre there will be hundreds of interactive family events designed to get young children excited about science. On Sunday 7 September, the University of Birmingham’s annual Community Day returns with a special science theme to showcase the University’s research on campus.

Evening activities for adults cater for all ages, with events designed specifically for die-hard science fans and also for people with a general interest. From lectures, debates and plays to comedy the festival aims to highlight scientific research from all over the world and demonstrate its importance to our everyday lives in fun and entertaining ways.

Professor Malcolm Press, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Transfer) at the University of Birmingham, commented: “We are delighted to be hosting the most prestigious science event in the country, particularly in the year we have been named Times/Sunday Times University of the Year.

‘The British Science Festival is a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages to see at close range some of the exciting work that makes the University a world-leader in scientific research and development.’

• The British Science Festival takes place from Saturday 6 September until Thursday 11 September. For further information or to book tickets please visit the British Science Festival website.
• For the University of Birmingham highlights or for information on Community Day please visit the University of Birmingham website. All Community Day events are free of charge; however those hosted by the British Science Festival must be booked in advance. For further information please email the Community Day team.
• For further information please contact Faye Jackson in the University of Birmingham Press Office on +44 (0)121 414 6029. For out of hours enquiries please contact the duty press officer on +44 (0)7789 921 165.