Science Week 2023 at iCRAG

Science Week 2023 returns for another week of science engagement and activities.

This Science Week, we are asking people to consider what it means to be human in today’s world, and how the decisions we make today will impact humans of the future. Human creativity, curiosity and concepts have transformed every aspect of human life, from how we live and interact with each other to the relationship we have with our planet. Incredible developments have shaped our understanding of ourselves and our world. 

At times it can feel like these changes are out of our control, from the environmental emergency to being outpaced by technology. It begs the question - what lies ahead, and what role will science play in this? How will the actions we take now shape our collective human experience for both current and future generations?

Across Science Week iCRAG members will be at festivals, schools, radio, television, art exhibitions and more:

Saturday 11th November 

iCRAG members will be taking part in the Let’s Talk Science Festival organised annually by the Rediscovery Centre in Ballymun. We are looking forward to being back in person for the event and meeting lots of new people! The Let’s Talk Science Festival aims to stimulate conversations about STEM and is suitable for all ages.

Sunday 12th November

Tune into Futureproof on Sunday morning at 10am on Newstalk FM where iCRAG Communications Manager Dr Fergus McAuliffe will join host Jonathan McCrea for all the latest news from the world of science.

Monday 13th November

Fergus returns to the screens on the new series of 10 Things to Know About on RTE One television at 8:30pm. This year's Curious Chronicles features tales of dramatic deep sea rescue, catching criminals and the surprising link between the science of ageing and the mystery of Tír na nÓg. Casting an eye on where science meets history, Curious Chronicles is set to both inspire and intrigue.

That morning Fergus will be on the Jennifer Zamparelli show on 2FM at 10:50am speaking about the launch of the new TV series.

Tuesday 14th November 

Hannah and iCRAG volunteers will pay a visit to County Kildare to run primary school workshops as part of Science Week. Students will be tasked to think like a detective to discover what the earth under their feet looks like, and how we can look after it. 

Friday 17th November 

iCRAG will be on the road again, this time visiting primary schools in County Louth. Students will explore the earth beneath our feet and look at drill cores from boreholes, engage with our interactive 3D borehole model and explore how we can look after our planet for the future. 

Saturday 18th November

Saturday sees the closing event of former iCRAG artist-in-residence Martina O’Brien’s midnight zone exhibition in the Highlanes Gallery in Drogheda, Co. Louth.

Highly surveilled and persistently unknowable, extraordinarily biodiverse and increasingly precarious, the deep ocean is a space of paradoxes. midnight zone responds to industrial and scientific practices that are transforming our relationships with the ocean, from the extraction of the seabed through deep sea mining, to research into the effects of climate change on deep-water corals.

Join us for a lunchtime closing event at 1.30-3pm featuring Martina O'Brien, Mekhala Dave, Dr Eoghan Daly and Prof. Peter Croot. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

iCRAG members will be taking part in the Monaghan Science Festival in Monaghan Institute, where the theme for this year revolves around us, Humans. Questions such as “Can science improve human life?” are posed and we look forward to meeting new people, to spark conversations about STEM and engage with participants of all ages.

As always, iCRAG will also have a strong presence on social media so keep your eyes peeled for updates. iCRAG is looking forward to taking part in the SFI Science Week 2023, for more information about all of the events ongoing over Science Week across the country, check out the SFI website here.