FUTURE ISLAND RETURNS

LIVE on RTÉ One, from 7-8pm on November 15th, 16th and 17th, and RTÉ Player

Future Island is back to take a look towards the future in the worlds of science and technology LIVE from the O’Brien Science Building at UCD over three consecutive nights on RTÉ One. Through a mix of live studio guests and demonstrations, as well as a selection of illuminating films, Future Island, under the guiding hand of Anna Daly, will sift the science fact from the science fiction and look at how Irish innovators are currently trying to change the world for the better.

Presenter Anna Daly will employ her curiosity for how things work and how science might make the future better for her children, embracing the “infinite possibilities” of science - the theme of this year’s Science Week - across subjects like sustainability, future health, technology, climate change and future energies.

Anna will be joined on the series by a panel of experts, among them Dr. Shane Bergin, physicist and Assistant Professor in Science Education at UCD’s School of Education, and Dr Jessamyn Fairfield, an American physicist who researches biocompatible nanomaterials and neuromorphic devices at University of Galway, and who is also a stand-up comedian.

The series will also work closely with Birdwatch Ireland in order to build on the biggest citizen science project in the country: asking viewers to collect invaluable data regarding the birdlife that exists in their gardens. Each show will throw down a specific challenge to viewers. Can we affect the air quality around us by making simple lifestyle changes that can save lives? Is it possible to create a musical ensemble from scrap, using the science of various instruments to create a musical finale?

Future Island is an Indiepics production for RTÉ and is made with the support of Science Foundation Ireland.

10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT

RTÉ ONE, Monday 14th November at 8.30pm, and RTÉ Player

Award-winning television series 10 Things To Know About returns to RTÉ One for an eighth season to showcase and celebrate the Irish science behind aspects of modern life. Entertaining and informative, each episode is themed around one core topic or research area, with Kathriona Devereux, Jonathan McCrea and Fergus McAuliffe meeting Irish researchers working at home and internationally on projects that affect all our lives.

In episode 1 (Insects), Kathriona Devereux and Jonathan McCrea investigate if the solution to feeding the world in a more sustainable way could be the humble insect? .

As the global population rises, questions are being asked as to how we can continue to feed the planet with more sustainable food products and behaviours. Could the answer be the humble insect? Insects have a high protein content and carbon-friendly breeding methods, and with three types of insects already in use in the EU, we check out the latest Irish research into edible insects and try out some taste testing at the National Ploughing Championships to see if members of the public might be open to adding crickets to their cornflakes!

Unfortunately, not all insects are helpful to the food chain. Grain aphids carrying Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) can devastate cereal crops, reduce the yield by on average 30%, but can be as high as 80% in optimal conditions. With EU regulations limiting the amount of insecticide that farmers can use and aphids evolving to become resistant to it, we meet the Irish researchers looking to further understand these creatures and help farmers to combat BYDV.

THE CHANGE - IRELAND'S MENOPAUSE STORY

Back by popular demand on RTÉ One, Thursday 17th November at 10.15pm, and RTÉ Player

The phenomenal reaction to women’s stories on Liveline in May, 2021, proved that the subject of menopause is not niche, is not unmentionable, and, to state the obvious, effects 50 per cent of the population directly. Kicking off with some of the audio from emotional Liveline callers, this one-hour documentary explores the menopause experience in Ireland – the taboo, the science bit, the personal stories, and the future.

While no woman’s experience is the same, we look at the common, and some not so common symptoms, and talk to experts about what the causes and effects are, and what the long-term ramifications are. What can be done to help Irish women?

We look at the workplace, and how difficult it can be for women experiencing symptoms to seek support. 10 per cent of women will leave the workforce during these years. Is this where the taboo needs to be shattered?

The documentary centres around real women sharing their experiences. In powerful testimonies, a diverse group women from all over Ireland tell their stories, sometimes hard, sometimes using humour, but always impactful. Expert interviewees include Dr. Deirdre Lundy, Dr.Caoimhe Hartley, and Dr. Sarah Callaghan.The documentary aims to shine a light on menopause, and to take a hammer to any remaining secrecy, while looking at the real issues through a scientific lens. The Change - Ireland’s Menopause Story is an informative, warm and engaging documentary that opens up this conversation further and looks to the future.

RTÉ PLAYER

RTÉ Player will host a special, science-themed rail of excellent, Irish-produced science-led documentaries – among them Cloud Control, My Broken Brain, Will A Robot Steal My Job and Róisín Murphy’s Big City Plan - and will also carry the 2018 Science Week strand, Growing Up Live, presented by Angela Scanlon.

Once again, we'll have a science-themed curated rail of content on RTÉ Player.

ON RTE.IE/SCIENCEWEEK + RTE.IE/LEARN

Online, we'll have a host of science-themed content across the week, including:

• From Monday to Friday, on YouTube, RTÉ Learn will produce a short show featuring 5 different topics with 5 young science communicators, along with 'companion' articles from the science expert.
• We'll have an extract from Luke O'Neill's Book, What Makes Us Human.
• We'll also bring back some popular content like Body Brothers, Let's Find Out and Hub Lab.

There's a new series of the RTÉjr Radio Podcast Let's Dive in with Phil Smyth and Julie Gould.

We'll have Episode 1 of Atom Town, a new cartoon based on the periodic table where elements have the same characteristics as their scientific make-up. The full series will be available in December.

RTÉ Weather will once again support Science Week and, for the duration of Future Island, the nightly forecasts at 6.55pm will come live from the O’Brien Science Building at UCD.  

There will be a week of science-related content on Brainstorm, RTÉ's home of new ideas, fresh thinking and smart insights on Ireland and world. This will include pieces on children's thinking, wildfires, dylexsia, alien life and designing a future Ireland for an ageing population.