Orkney International Science Festival’s programme brochure is available now with details of over 100 events in a packed seven days from 1-7 September.

The Festival combines cutting-edge science with the enjoyment of an island setting. There are reports on frontline climate change and on new wave and tidal power development, and news of progress on using hydrogen for transport. There is also news of biomolecular research showing that bere, Orkney’s native grain, is over 4,000 years old, and there are the latest developments in ongoing genetic studies of Orcadians.

The programme also includes the story of the Arctic whalers and a modern design of a ship to cope with the ice of the Northwest Passage. There is a new look at the sea monster that came ashore in Orkney in 1808 and a possible link to the story of Frankenstein.

There will also be a look into the future with a science fiction author with a track record for gritty – and accurate – predictions. The new field of transition engineering will be described, with its potential for tackling local and global challenges. A new case will be put for the abilities of the human brain over artificial intelligence – in its remarkable ability to manage complex uncertainty.

One presentation will highlight a new way forward with land regeneration, enabling wildlife and humans to co-exist and thrive. Festival audiences will also hear about a remarkable approach to animal navigation. There will be spectacular images of the surface of the Sun.

The rich mix of events will include music created from recordings of renewable energy – from the sounds of wind turbines and underwater hydrophones. Two concerts in the 12th-century St Magnus Cathedral will weave together music, astronomy and history.

There’s a look at the days of early radio and crystal sets, and the life of the Caithness crofter’s son who invented the electric clock and the fax machine.


Further details on all the events and tickets can be accessed at:

PROGRAMME 2022 – Orkney International Science Festival (oisf.org)