'Patterns' aims to deliver a high-impact, large-scale, outdoor exhibition that will explore, through a series of glorious full-colour images and sculpture, the science of pattern formation in nature. Launched at the end of January 2013 and running for 12 weeks, 'Patterns' be the flagship public offering of our 25th Anniversary Festivals, linking to a suite of activities across Scotland in celebration of the Scottish Government's 'Year of Natural Scotland'. Free, open and accessible, the exhibition will provide a valuable platform for reaching new audiences. It will form a valuable part of our continued attempts to make science and technology easily accessible to those not necessarily engaged with, or targeted by, most traditional science communication activity. Curated from a selection of world-class collections, a selection of up to 45 images and a number of specially chosen sculptural works will reveal some of the myriad of eye-popping visual formations that colour and pattern our world and will explain the role that the laws of maths and physics - the forces of nature - play in the manifestation of this astonishing order and regularity. From the patterns on a butterfly's wings, to the windblown ripples of desert sand, the allure of snowflakes and crystals, and the spirals of galaxies, our world is full of beauty, symmetry and complexity. Science and technology can not only explain WHY this is the case but can - through the use of cutting-edge imagery techniques - also reveal these patterns in all their glory. Choosing a number of these general themes, 'Patterns' will: - Provide a beautiful and arresting visual demonstration of nature's underlying order. - Reveal how mathematical and geometric principles act as a kind of pattern book from which nature constructs complex and sophisticated structures. - Demystify the exciting secrets of just how patterns come into being; how the repetition of simple rules leads to the formation of some of nature's most intriguing patterns in both living and non-living system. - Showcase the work of artists/photographers whose work is inspired by nature's underlying structure and form. - Demonstrate the vital role that science and technology play in making these patterns visible and explaining their genesis. 2013 is the Year of Natural Scotland and Edinburgh International Science Festival aims to tie this event to that overarching national objective to promote public interest and engagement in nature in science to align with a growing awareness and enthusiasm for the Natural Scotland agenda.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Edinburgh Science Foundation (ESF) creates interactive and immersive experiences to engage people in science and technology so that participants better understand their value and role they play in their lives and the opportunities they present. This project focuses on an activity about mini satellites that conduct space research. We want to redevelop our CubeSat Creators activity with expert input from STFC for delivery at two Edinburgh Science events - Edinburgh Science Festival and Careers Hive - to inspire around 2,500 children (age 8-13) with the incredible astronomy technology being created and used in Scotland, and the broad career opportunities on their doorstep. We want to work with STFC to achieve high-quality public engagement in CubeSat technology, an area of active work at the UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC) in Edinburgh. There will be opportunities for UK ATC staff to engage directly with the public and to promote awareness of their work. The workshop will be available for years to come so it can benefit children beyond the project timeframe. CubeSats are an excellent example of space becoming more accessible; with the UK ATC nearby and new space start-ups appearing, there are more opportunities than ever to follow a career working in the space industry. These new opportunities are not limited to one topic or skill set but a great chance for a range of people to come into the space industry at every level. Without redevelopment and funding to deliver, we will not be able to include this activity in our events.

Edinburgh International Science Festival is an educational charity with a 27 year history of success in promoting science engagement across a wide range of events, activities and education programmes. Our mission, central purpose and objectives are all aligned to promoting engagement with science and technology, through innovative events and projects for a wide range of audiences. In 2015 over 105,000 people attended our ticketed events and a further 190,000 people engaged with our free exhibitions and hands-on activities staged across Edinburgh. We are particularly well-known and respected for creating immersive, high-value learning opportunities for young people, and in recent years have been very successful in applying this expertise to our programme of events for adults. We see the Festival as a 'living laboratory': an experiment space that has the potential to bring people (audiences, scientists and experts from relevant fields) together in novel ways to explore science and its impact on society. In the Scottish Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, the 2016 Festival, held March 26th - April 10th, asks how can we Build Better Worlds? Exploring science, technology, engineering and design's ability to help improve our world and how we live in it, we will tackle themes that showcase the current status of research across a range of disciplines and areas of scientific enquiry, and articulate some of the most interesting and perplexing questions that surround the science. Under this umbrella, Beyond Planet Earth will be an exploration of non-Earthbound challenges and opportunities. From early childhood we all grow a fascination with the stars in the sky and ponder what lies beyond. This strand of linked events will explore the opportunities and challenges we face as we attempt to build better worlds beyond the little blue planet we currently call home. The long-standing popularity of space as a theme in literature and the recent successes of films like Gravity (2013) and The Martian (2015) and the recent BBC series Stargazing Live show a public appetite for investigation of this fascinating field. This project will deliver an opportunity for Festival attendees to delve much more deeply into the subject matter. From accessible introductions to astronomy, and the fascinating, but undeniably weird, quantum world, to updates from intrepid planetary robots and the latest on the search for extra-terrestrial life and personal space travel, Beyond Planet Earth will take audiences on a journey that is truly out of this world. Central to Beyond Planet Earth, with STFC's support, is an exploration of the world-class innovation and research made possible by STFC. We will work with local, national and international partners, including the Royal Observatory Edinburgh, the UK Astronomy Technology Centre, the University of Edinburgh's College of Science and Engineering and School of Physics and Astronomy, the Boulby Underground Laboratory, the National Space Academy, the UK Centre for Astrobiology, and many more. We will work with these partners to incorporate their projects and research into Beyond Planet Earth events, providing audiences with fascinating insights into a broad range of space science topics, including dark matter, the origins of the universe, protoplanetary systems, terraforming planets, upcoming space missions, and topics such as the Philae lander which have already captured the public's imagination. Comprising of a series of 14 events and activities, including city-wide Street Science bikes, and a large-scale event in the National Museum of Scotland, Beyond Planet Earth aims to engage with approximately 12,000 people overall (with 4,000 attending events/activities that directly showcase STFC projects and research).

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.