Over 100,000 people attended events across the country during Science Week Ireland 2008. Science Week, which is now in its twelfth year, was the biggest and best yet with over 500 events taking place across the country. Science Week Ireland is organised by Discover Science & Engineering, the Government’s integrated awareness programme for science awareness and promotion.
Some of the main highlights included the annual Science & Technology Fair at the Institute of Technology, Sligo which kicked off Science Week on Sunday 9th November with approximately 3,000 in attendance.
During Science Week Ireland 2008, a number of free lectures open to the public took place in the Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin. Speakers included:
- Stephen Attenborough from Virgin Galactic, the world’s first space tourism agency
- Patrick Collison, one of the Limerick teenagers who built ‘Auctomatic’, an Internet company which was subsequently sold for millions of dollars
- Gerry Johnston, Irish special effects guru who worked on films such as Saving Private Ryan and Braveheart
- Professor Aubrey Manning, a prominent zoologist
- Dr Cynthia Breazeal, a robotics expert from MIT.
The lecture series can be viewed online on www.scienceweek.ie
Discovery 2008, Cork’s Interactive Science Exhibition, took place in City Hall on 16th to 20th November. Some of the main event highlights included the unveiling of Cork’s own portable planetarium, recently acquired by Blackrock Castle Observatory. In addition there was a live video link to the Antarctic on Sunday 16th November to students participating on Pat Falvey’s Beyond Endurance challenge.
The Galway Science & Technology Festival took place from 10th – 23rd November. Among the main highlights were the First Lego National Championships on Saturday 22nd November and the festival exhibition on Sunday 23rd November in the Galway Bay Hotel and Leisureland.
Commenting on the success of Science Week Ireland 2008, Peter Brabazon, Programme Director of Discover Science & Engineering, said, “Science Week is a fantastic way to introduce young people to the wonders of science but also to demonstrate its relevance to people of all ages. It is brilliant to see the year-on-year rise in the popularity of Science Week, with a record number of events and participants this year. We can only hope that we continue to go from strength to strength. Of course none of this would be possible if it wasn’t for the enthusiasm and support Science Week receives from the organisers and volunteers across the county.”
Science Week Ireland’s corporate partners include Abbott, Camara, CPL, the Department of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Intel, MacLachlann and Donaldson, Merck, Microsoft, Sustainable Energy Ireland, Teagasc and Wyeth.
To celebrate the International Year of Planet Earth, the science week guide was not printed this year, thus reducing Science Week Ireland’s carbon footprint.
The aim of Science Week Ireland is to promote the relevance of science, engineering and technology in our everyday lives and to demonstrate the importance of these disciplines to the future development of Irish society and economy. For more information please visit www.scienceweek.ie
