Night at the University offers insight into research

Putting a chimpanzee on trial for murder, learning to hunt with sound like a Sperm Whale or enjoying scientific stand-up comedy are just some of the activities available at the University of St Andrews as part of an international festival of research.

ResearchLive! – an evening of discovery, debate and entertainment – will take place on Friday 25 September from 7pm at the University, which is joining more than 300 cities taking part in European Researchers’ Night 2015.

All events are free and will take place in the Medical School Building in the North Haugh. Researchers from anthropology to zoology will be hosting displays, shows, comedy, hands-on fun and performance art. Events and activities are open to families, with adult only events later in the evening.

Within the Medical School atrium there will be a festival of research with many drop-in activities. For example, take part in the Blubber Glove Experiment, play award-winning computer games, become a human quantum computer, make music with galaxies on a cosmic keyboard, create your own crafty critter to take home, or compete remotely with audiences in Manchester for the ‘Science on a Microchip’ crown.

Interactive shows will take place throughout the night, all free – but spaces are limited, so make sure to book so you don’t miss out!

• Bright Club (18+) is an adult stand-up comedy night unlike any other. Researchers – in fields from art to zoology – take to the stage to perform short stand-up comedy routines about their work. ResearchLIVE! will feature a hand-picked line-up from some of our most bring-the-house-down shows.

• Chimp on Trial (recommended age 14+) calls you to jury duty. Do chimpanzees have human rights? Can they do human wrongs? You, the jury, decide whether chimpanzee Jack is guilty or innocent of murder in this show complete with expert witnesses and bickering lawyers. Following highly acclaimed performances at the Edinburgh Fringe and Glasgow Science Festival ‘Chimp on Trial’ will take place at ResearchLIVE! in St Andrews where the show was conceived and developed.

• Partition: the Calcutta Question (recommended age 16+).Dr Anindya Raychaudhuri researches the 1947 India/Pakistan partition. He will examine the process by which the decision of the boundary commission was made: the arbitrary resolution of an impossible dilemma. We ask you: was it the right decision? Could any decision be the ‘right’ decision?

Professor Verity Brown, Vice-Principal (Enterprise and Engagement), said: “The University of St Andrews is a leading research-intensive university and the work of our researchers is recognised nationally and internationally.

‌“We want to share our research stories with our local community. European Researchers’ Night is a great chance to showcase the valuable work we do, from marine science to anthropology and history to astronomy. The evening will be an exciting opportunity for people of all ages and interests to engage in fun and thought-provoking interactions with our researchers and their work.”

For more information or to book a session, please visit Explorathon.

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Issued by the University of St Andrews Communications Office, contactable on 01334 462530 or [email protected].

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