30 October 2012
Literary Dundee @ Dundee Science Festival
Dundee Literary Festival has officially drawn to a close for another year, but an extension to the programme means several events relating to science books will take place over the next few weeks.
Comedian, actor, director, and former PhD Physics student Ben Miller will return to his first love and share his infectious enthusiasm for science, while Dr David Darling will look at the risk that asteroids, comets, exploding stars, giant solar flares and alien invasions pose to our planet in the future.
Dr Aarathi Prasad will share the inconceivable ideas that appear in her book about conception, 'Like A Virgin', and wildlife and documentary cameraman Doug Allen will be discussing his adventures filming for series such as Planet Earth and Frozen Planet.
'Literary Dundee @ Dundee Science Festival' is a special series of talks by authors whose books look at a variety of topics relating to science.
"We're delighted to be working with Dundee Science Festival to host these events," said Literary Dundee Director Anna Day. "A whole host of really excellent writers have made science more accessible to a lay audience in recent years, and we're really looking forward to welcoming four of them to Dundee.
"As Ben Miller himself said, there is another, perhaps less familiar side to science: her beauty, her seductiveness and her passion."
The Literary Dundee @ Dundee Science Festival programme is:
- Dr David Darling 'It Came From Outta' Space' - 6pm on Saturday, 3rd November at Dalhousie Building.
- Ben Miller 'It's Not Rocket Science!' - 6.30pm on Wednesday, 7th November at Dalhousie Building.
- Dr Aarathi Prassad 'Like a Virgin' - 6pm on Saturday, 10th November at Dalhousie Building.
- Doug Allen 'The Adventure of Science' - 6pm on Saturday, 17th November at Dalhousie Building.
Please note that Ben Miller's appearance has been moved back 30 minutes from the original time due to his filming commitments in London. Tickets for that event, and the one featuring Doug Allen, cost £5 and £3 (concessions). The Dr Darling and Dr Prassad events are free, but ticketed.
Contact Literary Dundee on telephone 01382 384413 or visit www.literarydundee.co.uk/events to buy tickets.
Notes to editors
About Dundee Science Festival:
Now in its third year, Dundee Science Festival will run from Saturday, 3rd November until Sunday, 18th November 2012.
With a growing and evolving programme, organisers are also introducing new venues and partners and offering an exciting programme of events for adults. Building on the success of last year's festival, which attracted over 10,000 visitors, this year's Dundee Science Festival offers an impressive 60 events in over 20 venues across the city, including hands-on family workshops, science shows, lectures, debates, exhibitions and events which fuse science with comedy, art and history.
Dundee Science Festival, coordinated by Dundee Science Centre, is supported by the Scottish Government, Dundee City Council and Gannochy Trust. Other supporting partners include the Medical Research Council, University of Dundee, Edina Trust and Skills Development Scotland.
Dr David Darling is a local science writer and astronomer. He is the author of 'Megacatastrophes! Nine Strange Ways the World Could End', which looks at the hazards of living in a violent universe and of some of the ways we might try to protect ourselves.
Ben Miller was working on his Physics PhD at Cambridge when he 'accidentally became a comedian'. His new book, 'It's Not Rocket Science', reveals 'the stuff that you really need to know, not only because it matters, but because it will quite simply amaze and delight you'.
Dr Aarathi Prassad is a scientist, writer and broadcaster who has developed science documentaries for television and advised Parliament on scientific issues.
She is a science advisor to the British Council, and her first book - 'Like A Virgin: How Science is redesigning the Rules of Sex' was published in August 2012.
Doug Allan graduated as a marine biologist but has filmed scientists in action for the past 25 years. His new book 'Freeze Frame' celebrates his 35 years working in the polar regions and showcases his most exciting adventures in wildlife film-making.
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277 |
