Science well and truly came ‘home’ with a bang this weekend as the Homecoming Scotland Family Fun Day kicked off this year’s Dundee Science Festival.
Robots and explosions, food and drink and facts and fiction were the order of the day on Saturday as visitors were able to experiment with gases, helping scientists make oxygen and carbon dioxide and exploring how dangerous dust can be.
Enthralled visitors were also able to set some money on fire and play with hydrogen.
The free event also provided the chance to meet experts from the food and drink industry and take part in experiments which show the science behind many different areas of our life, including sugar skull making and an insight into a real Chinese tea ceremony.
Balloon kebabs, elephant toothpaste, home-made fire extinguishers and dry ice also featured in the exciting launch day, which saw hundreds of visitors through the doors of the Science Centre.
Meanwhile yesterday, a free family fun day was also held at the Science Centre, with exciting shows, hands-on workshops and interactive exhibits.
Visitors learned what it would be like to have super powers, learning how to defeat the ‘bad guys’ in the real world of science, while testing their memory with alzheimer’s disease experts and even learning the science and techniques of historical swordplay.
Dundee Science Festival, which runs until Sunday November 16, is a two-week, city-wide celebration of science, providing fun, entertainment, inspiration and curiosity for all ages across more than 20 different venues.
With a new ‘personality’, the festival will host 112 events this year, twice as many as last year. Audiences will have the chance to explore everything from the world of forensic science and dementia to the role of optimism in sporting success and the wonders of the night sky.
Throughout the fortnight, families can try their hand at making bat boxes in Dundee’s Baxter Park, building brush robots in the Wellgate Shopping Centre and getting fully immersed in science fun at free family days at the Science Centre.
For more information and to book events, visit www.dundeesciencefestival.org or call 228800.