CELEBRATING OXFORDSHIRE SCIENCE

3 March 2008

Holograms, prosthetic limbs, honey bees and onion DNA have one thing in common – they're all part of Oxfordshire Science Week 2008, which runs from 7 – 16 March. This celebration of local talent brings together scientists and science fans from the University of Oxford , museums and science centres across Oxfordshire for ten days of events at eleven different venues.

This year, for the first time, Oxfordshire Science Week is a real collaboration of county-wide science expertise; notably the University of Oxford (including the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics and the University Museums ), Science Oxford, the Medical Research Council and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory at Harwell, and museums in Wantage, Henley and Banbury.

Oxfordshire Science Week will be launched on Friday 7 th March with a debate entitled “How would you spend £2 billion to transform British science?” Science broadcaster Sue Nelson will join top-level scientists from the UK Atomic Energy Authority, the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and the University of Oxford , to discuss what they would fund to transform science in Britain and to justify their choices.

Photocall: Media are invited to attend the launch of Science Week. There will be a photocall at 6:30 pm with speakers and members of the Oxford Science Week team.
To confirm attendance, or for more information, contact: Sarah Richardson at Science Oxford by 12 pm Wednesday 5 March.
P: 01865 728953 E: Sarah.Richardson@oxtrust.org.uk

Saturday 8 th March sees one of the week's largest events, “Wow! How?” Held at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum , this family science fair attracts thousands of visitors each year, to stalls run by volunteers showing off their favourite experiments, including how to make slime or what happens to a marshmallow in a vacuum.

Science Week concludes with a two-day event at Science Oxford on Friday 14 th and Saturday 15 th March. “Science in the Kitchen” explores scientific phenomenon using household materials and equipment. Find out how to investigate ink using jelly and batteries, make paint from eggs, or explore the chemistry of polymers using custard powder. Lending their endorsement to the event on Friday 14 th March will be Judith Hann, a presenter of Tomorrow's World for 20 years, and John Exelby, co-founder of the BBC World Service TV News. In 2007, Science in the Kitchen attracted several hundred visitors and was listed by The Times as their number one activity for families nationwide that weekend.

Photocall: Media are invited to attend Science in the Kitchen. There will be a photocall on Friday 14 th March at 10:30am , with Judith Hann and John Exelby.

For more information contact: Annabel Cook – see end for details.

This is just a small selection of the events taking place during the week. A full brochure is available at venues across the County or can be downloaded from http://www.oxtrust.org.uk/festival/
For more information contact: Annabel Cook
Science Engagement and Communications Officer
The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics
T: 01865 287649
M: 07825 855694
E: annabel.cook@well.ox.ac.uk

Notes for Editors:

Oxfordshire Science Week Partners
The University of Oxford, The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Banbury Museum, Science Oxford, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Medical Research Council, Science and Technology Facilities Council, River and Rowing Museum, Oxford University Museums and Collections, Vale and Downland Museum.

The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics was established to undertake research into the genetic basis of common diseases. The scientific objective of the Centre is to explore all aspects of the genetic susceptibility of disease. The Centre houses multi-disciplinary research teams in human genetics, functional genomics, bioinformatics, statistical genetics and structural biology. www.well.ox.ac.uk

Science Oxford is a cultural centre for science in Oxfordshire, operated by The Oxford Trust. Science Oxford houses an exhibition area, an information centre, our What's On series of public events and our HandsOn Science Gallery for Children. What's On offers a range of exhibitions, performances, shows, lectures and discussions for the general public. Play a game which encourages debate about the use of vaccines, find out if we can travel through time, discover the future of the mind or enter the festive season with our Christmas Show! The Oxford Trust is a charitable organisation promoting the study, application and communication of science, technology and engineering.

Oxford University Museums and Collections house the University's scientific, art, anthropology and musical collections for scholars and the public to use and enjoy. They include the Ashmolean Museum , The Bate Collection of Musical Instruments, The University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum, the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford University Museum of Natural History and Pitt Rivers Museum .

The River & Rowing Museum attracts over 90,000 visitors a year and celebrates three themes: • The past, present and future of the River Thames; • The historic riverside community of Henley on Thames ; • The international sport of rowing. These themes are explored through a wide variety of exhibitions and events across four galleries and special exhibitions. One of the Museum's major successes has been The Wind in the Willows exhibition which recreates the timeless E H Shepard illustrations from Kenneth Grahame's famous novel. Since opening in August 1998 the Museum has received numerous awards for its design and architecture, including the National Heritage/NPI Museum of the Year award. The River & Rowing Museum is part of the Thames Valley Museums Group (TVMG) Family Friendly initiative - a scheme which brings together 29 museums across Berkshire , Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, to promote their popular appeal to the whole family.

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