Science and the city

The past might seem weird, but the future looks weirder. At least, it did from my seat in Edinburgh’s cutting edge scientific exhibition centre, InSpace. This all white space is a university owned laboratory that specialises in exploring the cultural significance of informatics and technology. It couldn’t look more futuristic if it tried; live twitter feeds about robots project on to its bright white floor, while scientists smile sweetly and inform the public that robots are smarter than they think. At least, that was my experience, as InSpace hosted Edinburgh’s most unlikely festival during my stay – the Festival of Science. Guest Professors and nutty inventors were cool and charismatic, and revealed to me a bizarre, real, and very contemporary side to the city. I sat on the train ride home and tweeted; I was already missing Edinburgh and the endless opportunities for expansion it offered.