Meet palaeontologists from the University of Leicester and beyond to get hands on with genuine specimens that tell the stories of flying reptiles, how they moved on land and the ancient diets that sustained them.

Immerse yourself in the weird and wonderful world of illusions. Melting hands, extra digits and seeing and feeling the impossible are all yours to discover.  

Prepare to get messy, grab a brush (or a fork?) and join Indrani Lahiri from De Montfort University to explore how different forms of putting paint to canvas might be one way of switching off and better managing mental health.  

Join engineers from De Montfort University who’ll show you how to turn your ideas into reality. Using simple technology such as a computer and a 3D scanner they can take your drawings and turn them into a printed design.

The impact of microplastic waste on our environment is relatively unknown. Researchers at the University of Birmingham are beginning to understand more about how microplastics harm ecosystems, using a host of techniques from nanomaterials to genetics research. Stop by and try your some of these techniques yourself.

Join researchers from the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) space mission for a series of hands-on activities which delve into the science, future discoveries, and technology of the SMILE mission. 

See through the eyes of the James Webb Space Telescope with this immersive, drop-in activity. Look deep into space clouds where stars and planets are forming, and uncover how weather, chemistry, and climate shape the atmospheres of giant planets. 

Time: 20:00-20:30  (booking not required) 

Join Jon Chase, scientist and science rapper, as he weaves scientific theories, rhymes and beats before your eyes. From precipitation to the periodic table, it’s the best science lesson that you never had at school! 

In this installation artificial intelligence (AI) is used to create a tango, danced between two places – the Leicester Museum and Art Gallery and Highcross Shopping Centre. Your movements trigger what is seen by the other venue, having a direct response and enabling the work to evolve over time.

19:00-20:00

Location: Council Room

Does listening to your favourite song, or eating your favourite food put you in a good mood? Join psychologists Annemieke van den Tol from University of Lincoln and Helen Coulthard from De Montfort University for a sensory feast, exploring the interaction of food and music and their psychological effects.  

19:30-20:30

Location: Lord Mayor Suite

Kate Lister from Leeds Trinity University shares her experiences of being a sex historian, the stigma that comes with it and how we can work towards a more sex positive future.  

20:30-21:30

Location: Council Room

Hear from Kelley Wilder from De Montfort University as she explores the complex relationship between imagery and discovery.  

21:00-22:00

Location: Lord Mayor Suite

Sadiah Qureshi is a historian of science, race and empire. In her History of Science Section Presidential Address, she will take us on a whistle-stop tour of the history of ideas behind extinction.