Welcome to Day Five of our first virtual Midlothian Science Festival. Each day we’ll release a new page of links to content about the science on your doorstep, and further afield. Every day there’ll be things to read, videos to watch and of course experiments for you to do at home!
Today we have three special live events at 10am, 2pm and 5pm (book your free place using the links below) as well as a selection of activities to do at any time.
As ever, the Midlothian Science Festival is all about sharing science with people in Midlothian, and we need your help! Spread the news, follow the Festival on Twitter and Facebook, share our posts and most importantly. tag us on social media and add your pictures to let us know what you’re enjoying about Midlothian Science Festival 2020.
Find us on Twitter @MidlothSciFest and on Facebook @MidlothianScienceFestival and tag us using #MSFonline
 
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Research Around the World LIVE: Join scientists from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology at the University of Edinburgh, and the Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology in Nepal for a live, interactive event about science on two continents. Watch an interactive presentation featuring scientists from Edinburgh and Nepal, ask questions during the Q&A session and join in at home with fun water-based experiments. You will learn about what it’s really like to be a scientist working in biology, how diverse science and scientists are and a little bit about the amazing country of Nepal! |
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Each year the Fun Scientists support our festival with their fun family science shows. This year we’re delighted to announce that they’re taking their shows online, with two new shows each day until Saturday!
Today’s 2pm show is all about the science of rockets. Follow the link to book your free place, and if you want to take part at home, check out the short equipment list (all household items). |
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The Fun Scientists second show is today at 5pm and is all about the science of lava lamps and marble prints.
Follow the link to book your free place, and check out the equipment list (all household items) if you want to take part at home. |
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Image (c) Wellcome Centre for Parasitology, Glasgow |
Scientists at the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology at the University of Glasgow study all kinds of parasites. We’ve been featuring their series of comics that tell the stories behind their science, and today’s your chance to read the latest instalment “Helminths”. | 
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Today’s stargazing video from the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh is all about the Pleiades.
This is the fourth in a series of videos about the constellations in our night sky – look out for a new video each day. |
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Meet Professor Cary Cooper, psychologist and world-leading expert on wellbeing at the University of Manchester. Find out about his life and career in science, and hear his advice on how to look after your wellbeing in the Covid-19 pandemic. |
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Our seas, and the animals and birds that depend on them, need our help due to problems such as climate change and pollution. Find out about things you can do to help in “Take Action for our Sea” from the Scottish Seabird Centre.
And if the forecast is for windy weather (and it often is in October!) why not make and fly your own bird kite? |
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Everyone loves dinosaurs, but have you ever thought about making your own dinosaur picture story? Or inventing your own dinosaur name?
Check out this download from Manchester Museum for guides to these activities and more. Don’t forget to share your creations with us on social media #MSFonline |
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Our friends at STEAM Experiments have put together lots of experiments that you can try at home. They have also provided links to the science behind the experiments, to make the activities suitable for all ages.
Today’s experiment “Sculpting with milk” explores the science behind curdled milk. |
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We have partnered with our friends at the Silesian Science Festival in Poland to bring the first ever international content to our festival.
Today’s video: CO SZTUKA MA |
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Get hands-on with science at home, with the Big Balloon Blow Up, part of the Science@Home series from the Easter Bush Science Centre and the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh.
Use simple household items to learn about what microorganisms need to grow, and carry out your own science investigation. |
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Today’s activities from Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh’s Science Centre are about the water all around us, and the sounds of nature.
Sea is the Sky explores the water cycle, and includes a science experiment for you to do at home, and Listen to Nature encourages you to get outdoors and record and sketch the sounds you can hear all around you. Don’t forget to share your creations with us using #MSFonline |
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Don’t forget you can see and book all of our free online live shows for the week here
Missed a day? No problem! See all of our festival content so far here
