Countdown to Be Curious 2019

The countdown has begun to our action-packed Be Curious 2019 programme on Saturday 30 March.

Marty Jopson, resident scientist for the BBC's One Show, will be entertaining the crowds at Be Curious 2019

Marty Jopson, resident scientist for the BBC's One Show, will be entertaining the crowds at Be Curious 2019. March 2019

This year's theme is 'Brave New World' as we once again seek to engage the public in the pioneering studies undertaken at Leeds by showcasing some of our world-leading research in an easily accessible format.

More than 40 exciting activities will be on offer across several locations on campus, centred around Parkinson Court. You can explore the world of robotics, discover how new stars are born and find out how to stop an alien invasion!

Free, interactive, family-friendly fun is very much the order of the day, with stalls for all ages running from 10am to 4pm. Children can also take part in a sticker trail, with this year’s theme being the microbial world inside the body!

The School of Music has teamed up with Leeds International Piano Competition to offer craft activities and the rare chance to play a Steinway grand piano. There will also be performances by three globally-renowned musicians from the Lang Lang Music Foundation.

Dr Charlotte Haigh is Associate Professor in Human Physiology at Leeds and Academic Lead for Public Engagement with Research. She said: “Be Curious is a fun day out and a fantastic opportunity to meet researchers and learn about some really interesting topics.

“The event has grown in popularity every year – it has attracted more than a thousand visitors in previous years.

“It’s also a great chance to explore our campus, including its galleries and art trail.”

Another highlight this year is a performance of Invisible Worlds with TV's Marty Jopson, from 1pm in the Rupert Beckett Theatre. Take a journey from everyday life, down into the realm of microscopic wonders with the BBC One Show’s resident scientist. Limited tickets will be available on the day on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.

Other stalls and activities at Be Curious include:

  • Surgical Robots 101 – Have you got what it takes to perform robotic surgery? Test your skills on a surgical trainer and find out more.
  • Baxter’s sweet shop – You can interact with a robotic waiter and order sweets through your smartphone.
  • Who wants to live in a pop-up home? – If you could design your own home, what would it look like? Explore the social, environmental and political opportunities of moving away from bricks and mortar.
  • Growing up and old in the future – Test your brain as staff from the School of Psychology showcase research into memory, sleeping and eating. Challenge your parents to a memory test and find out how plastic your brain is.
  • Crowd physics and psychology – Learn about the physics and psychology of a crowd. How do we influence each other? Why do people not act immediately when an alarm sounds?

A full list of attractions is available on the Be Curious website, together with a link to download the programme and a map of events. You can also access the latest updates on Facebook.

Refreshments can be bought at the cafés in Parkinson Court and the Laidlaw Library.

Parking is available in the multi-story car park, payable by debit or credit card on exiting (free to staff if their car is registered). Bus routes, including 1, 6, 28 and 97, all stop outside the Parkinson Building from H10 stop on The Headrow in the city centre. 

So, why not step into a Brave New World by taking your family and friends to Be Curious 2019?

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