THE 15th Otley Science Festival takes place at Otley Courthouse next week.

There will be special science-based events available to attend from Monday, November 13 to Sunday, November 19.

The highlight of the week is the family show ‘Ultimate Dinosaurs’ with Professor Ben Garrod on Wednesday, November 15 at 7.30pm. This event is the hit stage show using film footage from the BBC’s Planet Dinosaur. Family and individual tickets available.

On Saturday, November 18 at 7.30pm, Dr Adam Rutherford, BBC broadcaster and author will talk about ‘Control: The Dark History and Troubled Present of Eugenics’, based on his latest book. This talk is for adults and 16 plus.

The week begins with Early Explorers at the Courthouse on Monday, November 13 from 10.30am to noon. Under fives, with an adult, are welcome to join in the discovery activities organised by Otley Children’s Centre. Tickets are £3 and accompanying adults are free.

Monday evening is a chance to pit your wits against other quiz and science enthusiasts at the Science Festival Quiz, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets are £12 with food and £7 without.

Professor Dame Jane Francis will talk about ‘When Antarctica was Green’ at 7.30pm on Tuesday, November 14, showing how fossil plants preserved in rocks demonstrate that the land was once covered in lush green forests.

There’s a chance to learn about Roman Medicine on Friday, November 17 at 2pm when Dr Nick Summerton talks about ‘Medicine and Health Care in Ancient Rome’. And also on Friday evening at 7.30pm why not discover the science of cheese making at Creating Cheese with ‘McGlincheese’? Cheese and nibbles included.

On Saturday, November 18 from 10am to 4pm is Otley Science Fair, a free event for all the family. Stalls, demonstrations and experiments will keep you occupied all day. Otley Bridge Church and Otley Library join in the fun as well, so look out for the extra venues this year.

To end the week and as a special 15th birthday event, on Sunday, November 19 North Street Car Park will host the amazing Moon Palace 2023 bus, part of Leeds 2023 celebrations. The Moon Palace brings together creativity and art, engineering and science. The drop-in afternoon session runs from 3pm to 5.30pm. You can experience solar and radio astronomy, chat with the artist and science hosts, browse the on-board library over a cup of ‘cosmic tea’. Please be prepared to wait and bring slippers, as shoes must not be worn in the bus. See https://leeds2023.co.uk/whats-on/moon-palace-daytime-observation-session-in-otley for further details.

Visit the Courthouse website at https://www.otleycourthouse.org.uk or ring 01943 467466 for more about the Science Festival and to book tickets.

Events are supported by Otley Town Council, Otley Town Partnership, Leeds City Council, Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society and the Institute of Physics.