Discovery Tent

The Discovery Tent is packed full of live demonstrations, hands-on activities and workshops from a dozen different teams from across Imperial College London.

• Explore connections in the brain as you make a wearable neuron and watch what happens to your brain while you sleep.
• Observe how your heart and lungs react to exercise and play games to find out how diseases spread and when antibiotics can help.
• Become an engineer as you test the strength of materials, suss out what makes things slide and assess the aerodynamics of energy-efficient e-cars.
• Consider links between nature and science as you track the flightpaths of bio-inspired micro gliders.
• Look back in time with geologists through exploring fossils and matching metals to household objects.

Look out for:

Threads of Connection
Join Imperial’s Department of Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, get hands-on and unleash your creativity by building beautifully handcrafted brain cells and learn more about how they work. Discover the techniques and insider tricks that scientists use to explore the brain, gaining fresh insights into its functions and the mysteries of dementia.

Crushing it! Composites in Compression
Test the strength of a composite material with you as the test load, then see how strong you can make your own composite using just jelly and spaghetti. The pressure is on! Meet researchers from the NextCOMP Team at Imperial College London and discover how composites are made, and how they can be improved.

Slippery Surfaces: Fabulous Friction
Build a model car with researchers from Imperial College’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, fit your model car with interchangeable skis made from different materials, then race it down a ramp to see the effect the materials have on friction. Look at the various materials under the microscope to better understand friction and how it affects the world around you.

Visitor information

This is a drop-in event that is best suited for ages 5–12.

The event is in a gazebo with step-free access in a garden with grass and paths. Accessible portaloos are close by in Prince's Garden.

To attend the Festival, please make sure to register for free. Registering is the only way to receive the latest Festival updates, a first look at the programme, and opportunities to book free tickets for popular events.

Register now for the Festival >