Dundee Science Festival exploded into life as a fortnight of fun in the city was unveiled.
Now in its third year, the festival was launched by local scientist David Wharton in a blaze of sparks that lit up the early evening sky at Dundee Science Centre.
Some 60 demonstrations will take place at 25 venues across the city from October 29 with the festival promising to entertain big and little kids alike.
Mr Wharton, a science teacher at Baldragon Academy, gave a brief glimpse of what people can expect when the fun begins next month.
Preparing to host his own show, It Is Rocket Science, on November 4, he believes the festival is an innovative way of engaging people with science and showing them how exciting it can be.
”Science is growing and a lot of people are missing out on it,” he said. ”I want to show people that everything is science.”
Led by Dundee Science Centre, over 30 partner organisations, including The Courier, have helped to make this year’s festival the biggest yet with the number of demonstrations taking place having doubled from 2010.
For the first time the event will reach beyond Dundee with shows also taking place in Arbroath and Tayport.
Professor Sir Philip Cohen, patron of the festival, has used the launch to emphasise the importance of science to the city and how initiatives such as this can be so important in shaping the lives of youngsters.
He said: ”Dundee Science Festival continues to go from strength to strength and promises to be bigger and better than ever this year. This is as it should be because the life sciences and biotechnology account for 17% of the local economy.”Find out more at www.dundeesciencefestival.org