FRONTIERS

“We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.”

John F Kennedy, Rice University, September 12, 1962

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL 2019VISION

FRONTIERS

“We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because

that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.”

John F Kennedy, Rice University, September 12, 1962

In 2019, in honour of the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings, the Edinburgh International Science Festival will celebrate the frontiers of knowledge and the spirit of adventure and enquiry that drives science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

At the heart of all science lies an unquenchable curiosity; a deep urge to explore and explain the unknown and to push the frontiers of our knowledge about ourselves, the world around us and our place in the wider Universe. Early explorers were akin to the scientists of today, seeking knowledge of new people, places and things. While this continues to this day, with increasingly less of our surface geography left unexplored, today’s scientists, thinkers and inventors are the new explorers and cartographers of our time. They explore new ideas, map intellectual landscapes and solve problems and provide solutions to some of the most pressing issues that face us as individuals, societies and as Planet Earth.

Science is a global endeavour – working across borders, boundaries and disciplines and is rooted in international collaboration and connectivity. From the depths of the oceans to the furthest reaches of space and the intricate pathways of the human brain, cutting-edge science and technology are refining our sense of the ‘known’ and revealing ever more about the ‘unknown’.

In 2019, the Edinburgh International Science Festival will take some small steps into favoured familiar territories and some giant leaps in new and exciting directions. With new venues and partners and a programme packed full of events and ideas, it will explore the ‘cutting edge’ of science and celebrate the inspiring individuals dedicated to expanding the frontiers of our collective knowledge.

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FESTIVAL SERIES

Our 2019 special event series take a particular topic or format and explore some of the most fascinating themes and ideas in science. Focusing on everything from the workings of our brains, minds and consciousness; to the science of food and drink; to the horizons of engineering, IT and digital technology (often utilising interdisciplinary art forms such as film or theatre). They are a great way for audiences to explore related ideas or immerse themselves in a topic they find particularly fascinating or a format they love.

NEW FOR 2019!

FRONTIERS SERIESOur special 2019 Frontiers series explores the research horizons of a range of fascinating disciplines. They provide a platform for some of the brightest minds in science, technology and engineering to share big and exciting ideas from the cutting-edge of their research domains.

SCALE: all series contain approximately ten events for a mixture of family and adult audiences, comprising a mixture of talks, conversations and discussions, with one or more interactive events.

AUDIENCE: audience capacity for each series varies depending on the nature of individual events and venues but each aims to reach a minimum of 1000– 2000 during the Festival, with subsequent audiences reached through any touring (of the new commission etc).

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HEALTHCARE FRONTIERSInnovations in science and technology have transformed the ways in which we manage our personal health and wellbeing. Technological advances in the fields of computing, machine learning, nanotechnology, robotics and electronics all play a role as we enter an era of any-time, any-place, continuous and personalised care. From dealing with the big public health challenges to diagnosing and treating disease to changing the ways in which we interact with healthcare professionals, we explore the research and technology at the heart of modern medicine and healthcare.

#health #medicine #psychology #neuroscience #biology #biochemistry #microbiology #endocrinology #pharmacology #physiology #philosophy #publichealth #wellbeing #mindfulness #biotech #syntheticbiology #AI #robotics #regenerativemedicine #stem cells #livetransplants #ageing #epidemics #personalisedmedicine #brain #mind #consciousness

ENGINEERING FRONTIERSEngineering sits at the core of much of the technological development we take for granted in the modern world. Engineers invent new technologies, help make the ideas of others work and supply creative solutions to problems in all walks of life. We explore the new materials, inventions and approaches that are tackling social, economic and environmental problems to transform society and the environment.

#mecheng #electricalengineering #computerengineering #civilengineering #chemicalengineering #syntheticbiology #smartmaterials #environmentalengineering #aerospace #aeronautics #biodesign #livingcities #design #architecture #builtenvironment

DIGITAL FRONTIERSWe live in the Information Age: information is everywhere, technology is embedded in every aspect of our daily lives and the ways we live, work, learn and communicate with each other are increasingly data-driven and device-dependent. Our knowledge-based society is surrounded by a high-tech global economy based on the computerisation of information and the evolution of technology in daily life. Social organisation makes the modernisation of information and communication processes the driving force of social evolution. We examine the tools, techniques and technologies that make up this wired world.

#computing #IT #coding #technology #networks #software #data #bigdata #cybersecurity #dataprotection #privacy #AR/VR #datavisualisation #design #gaming #seriousgaming #digitaleducation #informatics #innovation #internetofthings #opensource #wearabletech #bitcoin #blockchain #deeplearning #e-democracy #socialmedia

FRONTIERS SERIES

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ENVIRONMENTAL FRONTIERSWe share our planet with more than nine billion people and the collective environmental challenges we face have never been greater or more complex. Increasing demands for food, water, energy and infrastructure are pushing nature to its limits, and that’s not to mention the impacts of climate change with which we are increasingly faced. Life on Earth is a wonderful yet fragile thing and we explore the role that science and technology have to play in helping to secure a more sustainable future.

#climate #population #water #food #energy #renewables #windpower #wavepower #lowcarbon #cleantech #greentech #globalhealth #pollution #diversity #extinction #naturalworld #naturalcapital #biodiversity #wildlife #naturalhistory #ecology #ecosystems #plastics #environmentalism

PLANETARY FRONTIERSEarth is our only home (for now) but the allure of off-planet exploration and the desire to better understand where we have come from and where we might be going holds as true now as it did for the first men on the Moon 50 years ago. We explore the latest in astronomy and cosmology, looking at what science has to say about the nature of the Universe and our place in it.

#space #cosmology #astronomy #astrophysics #astrobiology #terraforming #exoplanets #planetarymigration #SETI #spacetourism #darkmatter #blackholes #stringtheory #multiverse #spacerace #gravitationalwaves #spacetelescopes #darkmatter

PROPOSED MINI-SERIES

IDEAS ON THE EDGEWe explore the absolute cutting-edge of research in some of the most fascinating areas of science and healthcare.

THE EXPLORERS CLUBScientific explorers of land, sea, air, and space share their tales of adventure.

TABOOWhat science has to say about some touchy subjects; sex, death, religion, race, gender, consciousness and emotions etc.

INVISIBLE WORLDSThe power of scientific and medical imaging – from scanning electron microscopes to deep space telescopes – to reveal hidden worlds.

DISRUPTION!The role of mavericks and disruptive thinking in science.

OUR BLUE DOTDeep ocean exploration.

FRONTIERS IN FILMA series of special screenings and associated events.

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