Day out for budding scientists – New Scientist Live 2024: The world’s greatest festival of ideas and discoveries

The world’s greatest festival of ideas and discoveries is returning to London! New Scientist Live will take place on Saturday 12th October to Sunday 13th October at ExCeL London, showcasing the best in science, technology, and the world around us.

Schools Day is also taking place on Monday 14th October so schoolchildren from all over the UK can attend with their classmates and teachers.

The gigantic show floor has something for everyone: showcasing the latest research and technology, interactive activities for the whole family. Visitors will be able to ‘get their science on’ by meeting with the scientists, academics and up-and-coming researchers who are shaping the world around us including installations from Kings College London’s ‘hospital of the future’ where visitors can create 3D printed implants, enter a virtual reality heart, scrub in for futuristic surgeries and play a needle-tracking game to learn how surgeons navigate the inside of the human body to perform procedures like biopsies.

The Royal Air Force will inspire visitors to take to the skies with an in-seat Red Arrow Hawk cockpit experience as well taking a turn at the Alan Turing inspired ‘Turing Tumble’, an activity that enables visitors to explore how computers work. And don’t miss the opportunity to explore the Future of Food and Agriculture with Farmers Weekly and find out how the avalanche of new technology and science developments are transforming the way we grow crops and raise livestock.

Accessible to all – the main stages will be streamed live so science fans across the globe can tune in – New Scientist Live is aimed at anyone who is curious about our brains, our bodies, our planet, and our universe. Whether they are science enthusiasts, students, families looking to introduce their children to the world of STEM or simply a curious individual eager to learn, there is something for everyone.

Speakers and topics include:

• Geneticist, Adam Rutherford – Where are you really from?
• Professor of Practice in Forensic Science, University of Dundee, Anne Coxon – A life of crime
• Biological anthropologist, author and broadcaster, Alice Roberts – Crypt: Life, death, disease in the middle ages and beyond
• Professor of Theoretical Physics, Oxford University, Joseph Conlon – The cosmos in verse
• Wildlife Conservationist & Presenter, CBeebies, Chantelle Lindsay – A talk on the wild side
• Astrophysicist and Professor of Physics, Princeton University, Jo Dunkley – Signals from the beginning of the universe
• Theoretical physicist, Imperial College London, Claudia de Rham – The secrets of gravity
• Science & food TV presenter/author, Stefan Gates – Ruder science
• Associate Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Kevin Mitchell – Free agents – the evolution of free will
• Professor of Zoology, University of Oxford, Tim Coulson – The universal history of us: A 13.8 billion-year tale from the big bang to you

Exhibitors will be showcasing exciting new technology & innovations including:

• Middlesex University will be giving visitors the opportunity to test out the latest 3D roller-coaster ride! From sedate rides for a calm experience to the ‘scream buster’ option for those looking for thrills, there’s something for everyone – including a brand new accessible ride experience for wheelchair users.
• Target Malaria will bring visitors face-to-face with live mosquitos and enable them to play a new microinjection game and experience what it is like being a scientist working to help end malaria.
• Incredible Oceans will enable visitors to journey into the heart of our blue planet and get up close and personal with the giants of the ocean. Interact with fascinating items including an orca skull, shark jaws and dolphin leg bones in a truly immersive experience.
• Loughborough University will blow your mind with some incredible illusions and make you question the reality of your own body. Grow an extra finger, feel your hands melt, or even feel them disappear! Using just a few household items, learn how to amaze your family and friends with incredible tricks.

“Our incredible festival celebrates the true wonders of science, encouraging the exploration of cutting-edge ideas that have the potential to change our world,” said Adrian Newton New Scientist Live’s commercial & events director. “Our fantastic speaker line up includes Chantelle Lindsay, Adam Rutherford, Claudia de Rham and more, covering exciting topics from genetic genealogy and the secrets of gravity to civil engineering and better brain health.”

Tickets for New Scientist Live 2024 are on sale here. Early booking is recommended to secure a place and start from £22.

About New Scientist:
New Scientist is a weekly science and technology publication. The website, app and print editions cover international news from a scientific standpoint, and ask the big-picture questions about life, the universe and what it means to be human. New Scientist Live, is an annual hybrid event organised by New Scientist, offering thought-provoking talks and interactive experiences brought to visitors by people shaping the world of science and technology.