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Einstein's Garden, Green Man Festival

Adam Walton previews science and innovation in Einstein's Garden at the Green Man festival. Set in the fields of the Glan Usk estate in the Brecon Beacons National Park, with thousands of visitors keen to experience music and the arts, culture and science.

28 minutes

Meet the Alchemists....

Einstein's Garden is marking its tenth anniversary this year. It was the brainchild ofÌýtheÌýFestival's Managing Director Fiona Stewart who introducedÌýit in 2008 to create a place where science is playful, fun and surprising.ÌýShe explains how she was inspired by the ancient image of the Green Man - a magical, mythicalÌýrepresentation of nature - and by the idea of alchemy. Alchemists sought ways theyÌýcould develop, create and change natural materialsÌýand Einstein's Garden isÌýa showcase for modern-day alchemists.

We hear from Jessamyn Fairfield. Her day job is research into materials at the nano scale - the very, VERY small - but at Green Man she'll be putting on her other hat asÌýmusician and stand-up comedian. Stuart Nolan, creative technologist and magician-in-residence at Pervasive Media Studio in BristolÌýrevealsÌýhow he's going to turn the Green Man Festival-goers into mind-readers.ÌýAnd materials scientist Anna Ploszajski tells Adam about the extraordinary world of smart materials - from self-healing buildings to wearable technologies.

Finally this week, Adam meets soil biologist David Jones from the Natural History Museum. His subject is 'Dirty Little Engineers'. They're the creatures beneath our feet - including earthworms, ants and termitesÌý - who play a vital role in conditioning, fertilising and generally keeping soil healthy.

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Broadcasts

  • Tue 14 Aug 2018 18:30
  • Sun 19 Aug 2018 06:30

Adam Walton

Adam Walton

Adam's "other job" - tune in every Saturday at 10 PM for the best new music from Wales.