Dinosaurs and spacesuits: science night comes to York

Friday night is hyena night. Oh, and sea monster night. And dinosaur night, and fossil night, and spacesuit night…

More than 80 science and research activities will take place across 20 York venues on Friday, September 26.

It’s YorNight – the annual European Researchers’ Night.

The University of York won EU funding to ensure York is one of only four cities in England hosting events, along with Birmingham, Bristol and the Natural History Museum, London.

People are encouraged to find out about a wide array of research through hands-on demonstrations and workshops, mini-taster talks, tours, games, and demonstrations.

All events are free and child-friendly and visitors are encouraged to experience as many of them as possible over the course of the evening.

Amy Baggeley, learning manager for York Museums Trust, said: “This is a very rare chance to come and meet leading experts on everything from dinosaurs to Romans, medieval jewels to moths all in the same place for one night only.”

So what’s happening?

YorNight highlights

Try on a spacesuit, handle a real space meteorite and enjoy a free screening of the blockbuster film Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, at King’s Manor from 6.30pm

Learn more from academics about their research with numerous Taster Talks. Find out what colour dinosaurs were with a talk by Johan Gren on molecular palaeontology (5.30 – 6.15pm, Yorkshire Museum Tempest Anderson Hall)

Discover how fruit flies can help Parkinson’s disease with Ryan West (7pm – 7.15pm, York Medical Society)

Roger Colbeck introduces quantum cryptology (8.50–9.20pm, King’s Manor) and Bob Doherty talks about the history of Fairtrade, its impact and its future (7pm – 7.30pm, Mansion House)

Stargaze in the Observatory at the Yorkshire Museum Gardens from 5pm

Discover the unsung role of ambulance trains in WW1, become a railway research detective and find out how research brings the collections to life, at the National Railway Museum from 6pm-8pm

Discover how huge hyenas hunted big game across Yorkshire with a lecture from Professor Patrick Boylan, president of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 6.30 7.30pm at the Yorkshire Museum

Learn about ancient diets with a feeding time tasting table at Dig!, with late-night opening hours for adults. Sample bread made with grains used in the medieval period and Bronze-age nettle stew. From 7pm

Learn about storytelling, plays, performance and linguistics in three talks at York St John University, 6–7.30pm

Venture out on historical walking tours of the city centre, learning about Georgian, Norman and later Medieval York. Conducted by Matthew Jenkins and Gareth Dean

Discover which archaeological tribe you come from, decode the DNA of medieval parchment and make a DNA bracelet of your own name at the EU zone in St Helen’s Square

Drop in and have a coffee at two Researcher’s Cafés with late-night opening hours at the Treasurer’s House and York Cocoa House

Find out about food sustainability with Quorn through an exhibition, free food tasting and a 15 minute talk from 7.30pm

Discover how insects could help meet our protein demands through an exhibition at King’s Manor, 5pm-10pm

Explore York’s Cold War bunker with the University of York’s Department of Physics.