Pint of Science: Bringing scientific research down the local

“This year's festival will feature some fantastically creative events cooked up by our endlessly ambitious volunteers, showcasing some of the nation's most brilliant researchers in their local pubs and cafes”

​Scientists from the James Hutton Institute will shortly take part in the world’s largest festival of public science talks, a Pint of Science. The three-day festival begins on 20 May and aims to encourage everyone to head down to a pub to hear talks on everything from debunking myths in nutrition, genetics, exotic animal and ancient Scottish volcanoes.

The festival will see thousands of scientists, in 300 cities across 24 countries, bringing their research out of the lab to share with the public. This will be Aberdeen and Dundee’s first year taking part in the festival with more than 40 speakers appearing in the cities’ local watering holes.

Pint of Science held a launch event at a Dundee craft brewery in early April with James Hutton Institute barley geneticist Dr Bill Thomas telling the audience about ‘Barley – the time travellers cereal’. As part of the main festival Dr Orla Shortall will give a talk that explores whether year-round housing of cows is cruel or a legitimate practice for the dairy industry. That session ‘Cows eat grass, don’t they?’ will take place on 22 May.

Attendees in Aberdeen will enjoy a variety of exciting talks including one session on 21 May, from Environmental Economist Dr Michaela Roberts She will pose the question ‘What has Duthie Park ever done for us?’ looking at how green spaces can improve lives and taking audience members on a virtual tour of the park. The talk will look at some of the valuable data citizen scientists contribute to understanding spaces.

Founded seven years ago by two UK researchers, the festival brings a unique line up of talks, demonstrations and live experiments to the nation’s pubs. give the public the chance to meet the people behind the incredible research taking place across the globe.

“This year's festival will feature some fantastically creative events cooked up by our endlessly ambitious volunteers, showcasing some of the nation's most brilliant researchers in their local pubs and cafes”, says new festival Director Dr Callam Davidson.

Tickets are available from the Pint of Science website, with each evening costing just £4.