Enjoy fun family shows and thought-provoking panel events with Norwich Science Festival At Home

Get ready for fantastic free science events from our Norwich Science Festival team, including new shows The Science of Sweets and Your Inner Chimp! Saturday sees the start of Norwich Science Festival At Home – a mini online programme of events from 24–28 October, brought to you by The Forum, with partners UEA and Norwich Research Park.

There are now 24 free online events and activities to choose from, with new family shows including a spectacular Wonka-esque show from BBC Gastronaut Stefan Gates on The Science of Sweets (pictured). Prof Ben Garrod and Dr Jess French ask what it really means to be human in new event Your Inner Chimp, as they explore the anatomy of a chimpanzee. Plus, there are daily family friendly Lunchtime Labs and shows on space and the solar system, DNA and marine animals.

On Sunday afternoon, join UEA evolutionary biologist Prof Ben Garrod and vet Dr Jess French for a scientific animal dissection that will reveal the inner workings of one of nature's most impressive predators.

Prof Ben Garrod said: “Predators are iconic, formidable and at times, a little scary. But from a biologist’s point of view, they are phenomenal. Having honed their anatomical and behavioural adaptations over hundreds of millions of years have made them the ultimate killing machines.”

The animal died from natural causes and has been donated for the purpose of scientific education. Ben continues: “We’ve been given this unique opportunity to investigate what makes one of nature’s most impressive predators so special, and I’m looking forward to working with vet Dr Jess French and the team from UEA to help the public get to know one of nature’s most amazing hunters from the inside out.”

Events for adults include the Big Science Quiz from Prof Ben Garrod, Lizzie Daly, Mark Thompson and Dr Suze Kundu, featuring special guest questions from previous Festival headliners including Alice Roberts, Marty Jopson and astronaut Helen Sharman; the Psychology of Serial Killers, and Norwich Research Park panel events exploring the climate crisis, the relationship between art and science, and the vital work happening at Norwich Research Park around the COVID-19 pandemic.

Norwich Science Festival events are brought to you by The Forum, along with partners and organisations across Norwich, and are made possible through donations, funding, sponsorship, and income generated through The Forum’s city-centre car park.

See norwichsciencefestival.co.uk for all Norwich Science Festival At Home events.