Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to chair panel of female Scottish scientists to open science festival

The event, which will feature Astronomer Royal for Scotland, professor Catherine Heymans, will appear on the festival’s programme alongside already-announced talks by astronaut Helen Sharman and TV wildlife photographer Hamza Yassin, who are both due to speak at the Usher Hall.

Workshop events for children, usually a programme highlight of the festival, will this year take place at the National Museum of Scotland due to a problem with the lift at its usual City Arts Centre home.

Meanwhile, commissioned by the Festival, Dr Gayle Chong Kwan delves deep into museum archives to interrogate the history of the scientific canon with the results presented as large-scale, fantastical sculptures taking over the Grand Gallery at the National Museum of Scotland.

Accompanying the sculptures in the Grand Gallery is Science Under the Lens, a hands-on free exhibition for families delving deeper into the lesser-known scientific history of Scotland.

Edinburgh Science’s director and chief executive, Hassun El-Zafar said: “Every year, Edinburgh Science Festival showcases what is possible when science, creativity and international collaboration come together. With this year’s theme of Going Global, our programme highlights the extraordinary work being done across borders to address our shared challenges, challenges that sit at the heart of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“From internationally renowned voices such as Britain’s first astronaut Helen Sharman and wildlife storyteller Hamza Yassin to artist Dr Gayle Chong Kwan’s powerful exploration of scientific heritage at the National Museum of Scotland, the Festival celebrates how discovery flourishes when ideas move freely around the world.”

Tickets are on sale here now.