Talk Science @ Irvine Bay

An exciting education programme includes talks, lectures, exhibitions and workshops.

The Talk Science series of events, delivered by the Royal Society of Edinburgh and supported by Irvine Bay, is focused for pupils from primary and secondary schools, colleges and the wider public. The first series ran in 2014/15 and the second series now underway.

The programme includes talks, lectures and workshops for pupils and students across Irvine Bay. These activities, involving some of the most eminent names in their various fields, are free to schools and available during the school year.

Events will focus on the ongoing regeneration of the Irvine Bay area and include topics such as:

  • Science (particularly life sciences)
  • Engineering
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Manufacturing
  • Entrepreneurship

Local primary and secondary schools are invited to participate in events tailored for different age groups. The programme of school events for 2014/15 included over 100 events, with talks and workshops delivered by RSE Fellows and other experts.

All school activities have strong links to the Curriculum for Excellence. Other events will take place at venues across the Irvine Bay area.

Public talks 2015/6

The first event in this season's programme was a conversation between Ian Rankin, crime writer and Prof Sue Black.

Iain Stewart, earth scientist and broadcaster is delivering a talk, Scotland Rocks - a tartan tour of planet earth, on 26 February 2016.

Find out more about the Talk Science programme on the Royal Society of Edinburgh website.

Primary schools

RSE Fellows and other experts are visiting primary schools to introduce inventions, discoveries and the scientists that have a strong connection with Irvine Bay.

Secondary schools

The RSE's highly distinguished Fellows and other experts are delivering talks for secondary schools with particular reference to science, life sciences, IT, engineering and manufacturing.

2014/15 programme

A series of public talks took place during 2014/15. The first event in the Public Programme was an interview with Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, president of the RSE, which was broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland in 2015.

Other events have included:

Does what we eat matter?  Prof Maggie Gill

The rise and rise of video games, Chris van der Kuyl

The making, keeping and losing of memory, Professor Richard Morris

The cultures of the apes, Prof Andrew Whiten

The Large Hadron Collider, Prof Peter Clarke