32 | New Scientist | 19 October 2019
1 Maggie Aderin-Pocock celebrating
the history and future of the moon
2 Maddie Moate on making
chocolate and paper at the
Space Shed
3 Playing with sound and selfies
during the new Friday Night
Lates event
4 Gina Rippon takes on the myth
of male and female brains
5 Chris van Tulleken talks defying his
genetics with his twin brother and
fellow doctor, Xand (off-picture),
and a couple of young helpers
6 Middlesex University London’s
robot Pepper engages in dialogue
with human visitors
7 Megan Rossi on gut health – and
why flatulence can be a good thing
8 Astronauts Tim Peake and Al
Worden beneath Luke Jerram’s
Museum of the Moon installation
9 Researchers from Imperial College
London demonstrate a fire tornado
10 Lee Berger tells the story of
finding a new hominin species,
Homo naledi
11 A view of the main show floorViews Aperture
191110stayed open late on Friday.
Psychologist and magician Gustav
Kuhn explained how illusions reveal
the vulnerabilities of perception,
illustrating this with a bewildering
rope trick. Bobby Seagull elucidated
the mathematics of dating, Julia
Shaw delved into the science of evil
and Steve Cross hosted a comedy
science quiz to round off the night.
Throughout the festival, the
Space Shed hosted question sessions,
workshops and storytelling, featuring
astronaut Al Worden and author
Konnie Huq. Nearby, a virtual-reality
roller coaster offered some scarier
fun and visitors glimpsed the future,
thanks to a cutting-edge operating
theatre and a giant combine
harvester for farms yet to come.
For New Scientist staff, it was a
thrill to see so many people inspired
and entertained by the festival,
including readers from as far afield
as Canada and Australia. Thanks
to everyone who was part of it.
We look forward to seeing you
again on 15-18 October 2020. ❚Sam Wong