A week of infinite possibilities' on RT to celebrate Science Week 2022www.rte.ie/scienceweek | #scienceweek
The exploration of infinite possibilities will take centre stage as RT celebrates Science Week 2022 with a wide range of specially-themed content across RT television, radio, and online, from Sunday 13th November until Sunday 20th November.
From the return of Future Island with host, Anna Daly to 10 Things To Know About, and from the RT jr Radio Podcast, Let's Dive In to Episode 1 of Atom Town, the new cartoon themed around the periodic table, RT has plenty in store for curious minds, including the exploration of ways in which we can reduce carbon emission and help save our planet.
Science Week on RT is supported by Science Foundation Ireland.
Commenting on Science Week, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland, Professor Philip Nolan, said: We are delighted to once again partner with RTE on Science Week. It is fantastic to see the full range of engaging science-themed content planned for people of all ages, across RTE platforms for Science Week. This year building on Creating Our Future, we are concentrating on the themes that we know the public is concerned about such as sustainable living, mental health, and digital technologies. Science Week is a fantastic opportunity for people all over Ireland to discover and engage with science.
RT 's Head of Specialised Factual, Colm O'Callaghan said, Given the uncertainty faced by global society, the infinite possibilities of science have never been more important. This is the 7th consecutive year that we've partnered with Science Foundation Ireland on Science Week and it has long been a staple in the RT One calendar. We're delighted to once again be offering such a variety of quality, home-produced and data-led content on all of RT 's platforms throughout the week.
>>> HIGHLIGHTS: TV + RT PLAYER
FUTURE ISLAND RETURNS
(LIVE on RT One, from 7-8pm on November 15th, 16th and 17th, and RT Player)
Future Island is back to take a look towards the future in the worlds of science and technology LIVE from the O'Brien Science Building at UCD over three consecutive nights on RT One. Through a mix of live studio guests and demonstrations, as well as a selection of illuminating films, Future Island, under the guiding hand of Anna Daly, will sift the science fact from the science fiction and look at how Irish innovators are currently trying to change the world for the better.
Presenter Anna Daly will employ her curiosity for how things work and how science might make the future better for her children, embracing the infinite possibilities of science the theme of this year's Science Week across subjects like sustainability, future health, technology, climate change and future energies.
Anna will be joined on the series by a panel of experts, among them Dr. Shane Bergin, physicist and Assistant Professor in Science Education at UCD's School of Education, and Dr Jessamyn Fairfield, an American physicist who researches biocompatible nanomaterials and neuromorphic devices at University of Galway, and who is also a stand-up comedian.
The series will also work closely with Birdwatch Ireland in order to build on the biggest citizen science project in the country: asking viewers to collect invaluable data regarding the birdlife that exists in their gardens. Each show will throw down a specific challenge to viewers. Can we affect the air quality around us by making simple lifestyle changes that can save lives? Is it possible to create a musical ensemble from scrap, using the science of various instruments to create a musical finale?
Future Island is an Indiepics production for RT and is made with the support of Science Foundation Ireland.
See below for details on each episode.
10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT
(RT ONE, Monday 14th November at 8.30pm, and RT Player)
Award-winning television series 10 Things To Know About returns to RT One for an eighth season to showcase and celebrate the Irish science behind aspects of modern life. Entertaining and informative, each episode is themed around one core topic or research area, with Kathriona Devereux, Jonathan McCrea and Fergus McAuliffe meeting Irish researchers working at home and internationally on projects that affect all our lives.
In episode 1 (Insects), Kathriona Devereux and Jonathan McCrea investigate if the solution to feeding the world in a more sustainable way could be the humble insect? .
As the global population rises, questions are being asked as to how we can continue to feed the planet with more sustainable food products and behaviours. Could the answer be the humble insect? Insects have a high protein content and carbon-friendly breeding methods, and with three types of insects already in use in the EU, we check out the latest Irish research into edible insects and try out some taste testing at the National Ploughing Championships to see if members of the public might be open to adding crickets to their cornflakes!
Unfortunately, not all insects are helpful to the food chain. Grain aphids carrying Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) can devastate cereal crops, reduce the yield by on average 30%, but can be as high as 80% in optimal conditions. With EU regulations limiting the amount of insecticide that farmers can use and aphids evolving to become resistant to it, we meet the Irish researchers looking to further understand these creatures and help farmers to combat BYDV.
THE CHANGE IRELAND'S MENOPAUSE STORY
(Back by popular demand on RT One, Thursday 17th November at 10.15pm, and RT Player)
The phenomenal reaction to women's stories on Liveline in May, 2021, proved that the subject of menopause is not niche, is not unmentionable, and, to state the obvious, effects 50 per cent of the population directly. Kick










