This is a past event
Celebrating the New Moon this Valentine's Evening with a diverse mix of Astronomy and The Science of Love - featuring top University of Aberdeen Academics, the Cosmic Dome Planetarium, Aberdeen Astronomical Society and Satrosphere Science Team.
This Valentine's Day, we're celebrating International Year of Astronomy and the New Moon with an opportunity to view Mars and Orion against a dark sky. Telescopes will be out in force, as will top researchers from the University of Aberdeen. On arrival, you will be greeted with a glass of pink champagne - so come along for an evening of science with a romantic twist.
Admission is Free and there is no need to book - just come along on the evening.
Programme highlights include:-
Dr Alex Johnstone from the Rowett Institute for Nutrition and Health with a talk entitled "Love is in the Air". Alex will discuss the science of how aphrodisiac foods can enhance the mood of love. Alex describes herself as "a Nutrition Scientist with an interest in obesity and weight loss ... and loves champagne".
Dr Ben Jones and Dr Lisa deBruine from our School of Psychology will be presenting "Beauty in the eye of the beholder". They'll be looking at questions such as:- How do we judge beauty? Why do people sometimes agree and sometimes disagree about who is particularly beautiful or handsome? How do culture and biology influence perceptions of beauty? Ben and Lisa run the Face Research Lab at the University, which works on human beauty.
Dr Marco Thiel, Mathematician and Systems Biologist will be talking on "The Many Variables in Romance". How can maths help assess aspects of relationships? Marco will be investigating whether our relationships are perhaps more predictable than we might think. He is working in a field called Systems Biology - an area of applied mathematics that few people may have heard of, but which promises to further our understanding and interaction with biological systems in new and exciting ways.
Aberdeen Astronomical Society with President Torquil Torrance giving an insight on how the New Moon and dark sky can give an opportunity to view much more than usual in a clear sky. TechFest-SetPoint's Cosmic Dome will be offering romantic tales under the stars, in their very own inflatable planetarium - a clear sky whatever the weather!
And Satrosphere will be offering the chance for visitors to win a romantic meal for two, during their Love Trail.
The evening is supported by a Scottish Government Science Engagement grant for International Year of Astronomy. We hope to see you there!