The Cheltenham Festival of Science runs from June 9-13 and features dozens of fascinating speakers, events and topics. This year's theme is perception in all its forms - from animal conciousness to the secrets of body language. Perception On the opening night, esteemed psychologist Tom Trosicianko will discuss ideas and theories of how humans perceive the world. Other speakers on Tuesday June 9 will include Colin Pillinger, creator of the ill-fated Beagle 2 space probe. Questions In his talk Mutants? Armand Leroi will examine a range of genetically-unique peoples, from a village of long-lived Croatian dwarves to the ostrich-footed people of the Zambezi. Armand will look at the true nature of difference, a reveal that we are all, in fact, mutants.  | | Meet the stars of Robot Wars |
Environment Topics being debated in the festival's Science Cafe will include whether Gloucestershire can save the world. After the first Earth Summit, local councils signed up to a scheme called Think Global, Act Local - but what do terms like "sustainable development" really mean? Representatives from Gloucestershire University, Forum for the Future and Severn Wye Energy Agency will talk about what "going green" means for the area and for the planet. UFOs Is there anyone who isn't fascinated by UFOs? From ET to Roswell, little green men (well, actually grey seems to be the fashionable alien skin colour these days) are never far from the media spotlight. At the talk UFO - Fact Or Fiction? BBC News Online Science Editor David Whitehouse and Nick Pope, who ran the MOD's UFO project, will debate the existence of aliens. Animals A panel of experts assembled by New Scientist will be discussing the latest research into animal minds, and their similarities and differences to our own. Robert Winston, presenter of BBC science programmes including "The Human Body" will be tackling one of the biggest questions of all- the future of the human race. Will advances in technology change the nature of humanity? Will computers enrich our lives or are we heading for the evolutionary scrap head? Robert is joined by author and journalist Brian Appleyard to discuss the shape of things to come.  | | Aliens: Science fact or science fiction? |
Students Students and the plain inquistive will enjoy Discover Zone at Cheltenham Town Hall, where visitors can abseil the wall of terror, join a musical megalab or dig for a dinosaur. You will also be able to meet the steel-plated stars of cult TV show Robot Wars, some of the UK's most cutting-edge robots. Check out the festival site for further details. | Cheltenham Festival of Science | | Venue | Various venues, Cheltenham | | Date | Friday 9 - Tuesday June 13 | | Time | Various times | | Ticket info | Free - £9 |
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Ask some of the big questions in Cheltenham this June: do animals have a mind of their own? Can science make our dreams come true? Do UFOs exist? And can we save the world?
