
Einstein's Garden, Green Man Festival
Adam Walton previews science and innovation in Einstein's Garden at the Green Man festival. Set in the fields of the Glan Usk estate in the Brecon Beacons National Park, with thousands of visitors keen to experience music and the arts, culture and science.
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Meet the Alchemists....
Einstein's Garden is marking its tenth anniversary this year. It was the brainchild of the Festival's Managing Director Fiona Stewart who introduced it in 2008 to create a place where science is playful, fun and surprising. She explains how she was inspired by the ancient image of the Green Man - a magical, mythical representation of nature - and by the idea of alchemy. Alchemists sought ways they could develop, create and change natural materials and Einstein's Garden is a showcase for modern-day alchemists.
We hear from Jessamyn Fairfield. Her day job is research into materials at the nano scale - the very, VERY small - but at Green Man she'll be putting on her other hat as musician and stand-up comedian. Stuart Nolan, creative technologist and magician-in-residence at Pervasive Media Studio in Bristol reveals how he's going to turn the Green Man Festival-goers into mind-readers. And materials scientist Anna Ploszajski tells Adam about the extraordinary world of smart materials - from self-healing buildings to wearable technologies.
Finally this week, Adam meets soil biologist David Jones from the Natural History Museum. His subject is 'Dirty Little Engineers'. They're the creatures beneath our feet - including earthworms, ants and termites - who play a vital role in conditioning, fertilising and generally keeping soil healthy.
Broadcasts
- Tue 14 Aug 201818:30BBC Radio Wales
- Sun 19 Aug 201806:30BBC Radio Wales
