R2-D2 Leads the way as science festival fizzes (Barbara Hodgson, The Journal)
Mar 9 2009 by Barbara Hodgson, The Journal
STAR War fans may have their own opinions but for me R2-D2 was the real star of George Lucas’ movie franchise.
The little white droid was a universal favourite long before that young pretender WALL-E won an Oscar last month.
And, more than 30 years – and many lightyears – on, he’s set to be star of the show once more at the finale of this year’s ScienceFest.
The science festival – now well under way, with crazy inventions, family events and such scientific musings as can plants dance – will see R2-D2 displaying his mettle alongside an array of lesser-known androids in the Robots Featherweight UK Championships at Centre for Life in Newcastle, as part of the weekend’s Maker Faire finale.
And if his star status inspires any young would-be filmmakers then they can enter a special competition, officially launched today as part of the festival.
Children aged between 12 and 14 are being invited to make a two-and-a-half movie on anything to do with science, with the winning film going on to have a VIP red-carpet cinema screening.
And their teachers can learn to help out by attending a film-making workshop at Centre for Life on Wednesday. At this hands-on workshop, physicist and children’s TV producer Jonathan Sanderson will guide teachers through making a short film.
Other festival highlights include another robot, 8ft Titan, making an appearance at Discovery Museum; the IgNobel awards ceremony at Life tonight, honouring scientific achievements that make you laugh and think; and talks at Newcastle University such as Chemical Chaos! on Friday, when John Kilcoyne – sparring partner on Brainiac – brings audiences his bangs, fizzes, flashes and general mayhem.
And there’ll be the launch of a special brew to celebrate the 200 year anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. You can be amongst the first to taste it at a Natural Selection Beer – Talk and Taste event at Life on Wednesday.
The UK’s first ever Maker Faire rounds off the festival on Saturday and Sunday, with R2-D2 and the robots amongst the attractions in Times Square.
The Faire, drawing DIY and technology enthusiasts from across the UK, Europe and the US, will showcase a range of offbeat inventions, in areas ranging from arts and crafts, through engineering, to music.
Check out and www.NewcastleScienceFest for programme details.
Barbara Hodgson
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