Run by: Various
Contact: Renee Watson    info@oxfordshiresciencefestival.co.uk  Website
Cost: Free
Target audience:Everyone 
Scientific area: Varied 
Event type: Hands on, Demonstration, Workshop, Interactive, Exhibition 

Is wine really good for your heart? How do 3D televisions work? Why does flu spread? How good are your reflexes? These questions and many more will be discussed at Science In Your World - the launch event of the Oxfordshire Science Festival 2012

Come and be amazed by the science in everyday life at our free and interactive science fair! With hands-on activities throughout Bonn Sq and science buskers around the town centre there is something for everyone!

Stalls include:

Diamond Light Source: Illuminating Science: We will demonstrate how scientists and engineers from Diamond Light Source generate light using a particle accelerator, and show some real examples of the work carried out at the facility.

Brain Strain! Do you have super-fast reactions? Can you beat our tricky brain test? Take part in Science Oxford's brain challenges, and discover a bit about the human body at the same time! Come along and test yourselves against your friends, family, and everyone else!.

Brookes Mini Science Bazaar: Join us on a science adventure and explore your senses. Maybe come away with the plague or small pox (will wash off)!

Why it's cool to be hot Staff from the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) will offer a range of interactive exhibits for all ages which demonstrate the principles and goals of fusion energy research.

Alcohol: Ask The Expert: "Does drinking red wine manage to keep the Cardiologist at bay?" Staff from our Addictions Service will be on hand to answer all your questions and expel the myths around drinking. Come along and test your reaction times under the simulated effects of alcohol, gain some knowledge and take away some goodies.

Siemens: Demonstrate how superconducting magnets work. Demonstrations of flower shattering, balloon shrinking liquid nitrogen and the applications of technology in health and disease research and treatment.

The Quantum Workshop: We will have a high-tech, research grade experiment where a tiny glass sphere is levitated by nothing but light. The sphere is clearly visible to the eye, and the experiment also features cameras and interactive data acquisition which is displayed on a computer. The experiment is the first step in bringing quantum mechanics to the scale of the real world, to answer the question "why isn't the world more weird?". If an atom can be in two places at once, why can't I? The workshop will be used as a catalyst for discussion on the strange theory of quantum physics.

Museum Mysteries: What on earth is that?! Put your observational skills to the test to work out the identity of our mystery museum specimens. Risks very minimal (dropping elephant tooth on foot....), risk assessment attached..

Catch the flu! Viruses are extremely clever organisms that can invade our bodies without us even knowing it. Come and learn how viruses work, what they look like and make your own influenza virus to take home..

What can I do to help Wildlife? We will sell books and booklets on wildlife. Give away free wildlife leaflets. We will provide activities for children - feely boxes, life cycle puzzles and other nature quizzes. Answer questions on attracting wildlife to your garden.

Thames Valley Air Ambulance: The Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance is on call seven days a week, 365 days of the year, across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. We do not receive any central Government or National Lottery funding which means every single penny needed to fund this life-saving emergency service is raised by the community and businesses of Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. With monthly costs of £165,000 – we rely on you, so you can rely on us.