The New Zealand International Science Festival opened this morning in Dunedin, and will showcase more than 100 events over the next 10 days.
Festival director Dan Hendra said the focus of the festival was to inspire people to learn about science and the world around them.
Events would range from detailed discussions about the plastics industry to fun shows for children.
One event to look out for was the Bang! Science Show, which combined a narrative stage production with a variety of scientific experiments to capture the audience’s attention, he said.
The show was written by award-winning comedian and playwright Abby Howells and directed by Alex Wilson of Arcade Theatre.
The University of Otago chemistry department assisted the showrunners in creating the scientific elements, Mr Hendra said.
The show followed Dr Frankenstein and Igor as they used chemical experiments to come up with the perfect villain superpower.
Other big events included the ‘‘Our Moon: Then, Now & Beyond’’ exhibition, which explored the history of the moon and showcased a high-quality replica that was moon 4m in diameter, and the University of Otago Science Expo, which presented the work of science and health sciences departments and research groups.
