In association with Science Foundation Ireland, Science Week is back, and this year RTÉ is focusing on Climate.
Running from Sunday, November 12 – Sunday, November 19, RTÉ will shine a light on climate action across TV, radio, and online. You can find out more at www.rte.ie/scienceweek.
From learning more about our planet in the returning 10 Things to Know About, to understanding the increasing power and influence of AI on our lives in the one-hour documentary, Game Changer: AI & You, and from Tomorrow Tonight, a scripted, docu-drama set 27 years in the future, to great RTÉjr series, clips and podcasts, there is plenty in store for curious minds throughout Science Week.
10 Things To Know About
Airs on Monday, November 13 at 8.30pm on RTÉ One, RTÉ Player
Presenters Kathriona Devereux, Fergus Mc Auliffe and Jonathan McCrea travel the country to meet the researchers working on some of the most important challenges facing society – from planting more trees to help reach our climate targets, to improved ways of tracking and tackling waterborne diseases in our private wells.
Episode one will look at the power of trees. Trees have long had an important, almost mythical status in Ireland and the first written Irish alphabet called Ogham was said to be inspired by trees.
Kathriona Devereux meets Stephen O'Neill (Associate Professor in English, Maynooth University) at a forest in Wicklow to discuss his Literature and Ireland’s Trees project which aims to highlight the importance of trees in Irish writing and culture and reinvigorate our connection to nature.
Kathriona then meets David Styles (Associate Professor in Agri-Sustainability, University of Galway) whose research into carbon sequestration reveals that Ireland needs to plant more than 16,500 Croke Park’s worth of trees every year to help reach our climate targets.
Finally, Jonathan McCrea meets Teagasc’s Oliver Sheridan to find out about work to produce better quality birch and alder trees and maximise their potential. And with Ash dieback, a fungal disease which is expected to devastate up to 90 per cent of the State’s ash trees, recently reported to have infected trees in the grounds of Leinster House, Jonathan meets Dheeraj Rathore to discuss research into breeding more climate resilient and disease-resistant trees.
The People There To Catch Us
Airs on Monday November 13th at 8pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
Meath native Tom Hope and Clare-based Rachel O’Mahony both have a lived experience of cancer bring us through their stories, from diagnosis to now, where they work with others on their cancer journeys in a new documentary, The People There To Catch Us.
Their stories intertwine with the work of scientists with similar goals, developing personalised treatments for patients and working to improve the lives of others living with cancer. Through their conversations, we see how the gaps between the work in labs and the patients’ lived experiences with cancer are being bridged.
The film showcases the community that is there to help. Organisations like Precision Oncology Ireland, Cúram, The Patient’s Voice, and many others are working in different ways to aid people through what can be a very challenging time.
Every patient is different, and every cancer is different – and with new approaches, people can live well, with and beyond their experience with cancer.
Tomorrow Tonight: Live Event
Taking place at The Project Arts Centre on Tuesday, November 14.
In the run up to Tomorrow Tonight on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, a live event will be hosted by Mark Little alongside Colin Murphy, Dr Cara Augustenborg, Diane O'Connor, Maeve Strone, Eoin Warner and Dr. Abigail Ruth Freeman.
This event will be recorded and made available as a podcast at a later date.
Tomorrow Tonight
Airing Wednesday, November 15 at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
It’s 2050 and at the United Nations in New York, the leaders of the world gather for a make-or-break climate summit. A raft of unprecedented binding measures to precipitate greater climate action globally are under discussion and the world is waiting for the outcome…
Mark Little and Carla O’Brien present Tomorrow Tonight, a scripted, docu-drama set 27 years in the future guiding viewers through the breaking news moments on a seismic night, as climate change pushes the planet to a moment of crisis!
From a studio in Dublin, an impressive panel of experts and augmented-reality graphic explainers decipher a range of complex issues for the audience. Meanwhile a team of roving reporters link live by satellite to the studio, offering analysis and immediate reactions from multiple locations around the world, as they piece together the comprehensive global picture.
Throughout the programme we hear about the catastrophic effects of global warming and sea level rise on ordinary families at home and abroad, analyse the global climate refugee crisis that has hit home on Irish shores and meet the Chief Prosecutor of the International Court of Climate Crime as she holds business leaders and politicians alike to account for past actions of denial and delay.
The programme will also report on the good news, including the Irish rural economy that has innovated and thrived despite the decline of traditional dairy and livestock farming. And, in Brazil we see a revitalised Amazon rainforest whose fate was placed in the hand of indigenous leaders in the late 2030s.
Game Changer: AI & You
Airing Thursday November, 16 at10.15pm, RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
Game Changer: AI & You is a new one-hour documentary which will air on RTÉ One on Thursday, which has been made in partnership with Science Foundation Ireland for Science Week. The documentary sees journalist Anne-Marie Tomchak take a look at how this technology is transforming human experience and how we need to adapt to cope with AI’s increasing power and influence on our lives.
Exploring the positive developments in areas like health, education and climate action, as well as touching on the negatives – the scourge of misinformation and deep fakes, the threat to jobs, the existential concern around artificial intelligence becoming more intelligent than us and the fact that our ability to determine what is real or fake is being increasingly compromised by the capabilities of AI.
Heated
Airs on Thursday, November 16 at 8.30pm on RTÉ One, RTÉ Player
RTÉ’s new six-part series, Heated looks at the implications of climate change for the actual and lived lives of the people in this country – telling stories of hope, inspiration and practical endeavor as we push to cut emissions. Stories try to find the intersection between climate change and climate action – for individuals, families, communities and industry.
Each week presenters Hannah Quinn Mulligan, Michelle McKeown and Rónán Ó Dálaigh bring us three stories about practical, informative or inspirational aspects of climate action.
Episode four looks into the potential of repair cafés - community gathering places where people can bring their broken items, such as appliances, clothing, bicycles, or electronics, to be repaired by skilled volunteers for free, thereby promoting sustainability and reducing waste by encouraging people to repair and reuse their belongings instead of throwing them away.
ON RTÉ 2FM
Across RTÉ 2FM, Fionnuala Moran will be bringing you Beautiful Day, practical and everyday tips that will help you make small changes that could lead to a big difference; from what to do with unused clothes to how car pooling can be beneficial in lots of different ways.
You can enjoy the first installment at 7.30am on Monday 13th November.
NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS
The Galway Science and Technology – Sunday 12th November
RTÉ’s Western Correspondent, Pat McGrath visits the Galway Science and Technology festival, which runs for two weeks in November to coincide with Science Week. On Sunday it’s Exhibition Day at the University of Galway campus. Thousands of people are expected to attend workshops, demonstrations and interactive exhibitions on a range of topics from medical science to 3D astronomy, and from wildlife to self-driving cars. The 2023 Galway Science Person of the Year will also be announced.
The Business of Science – Tuesday 14th November
RTÉ’s Western Correspondent, Pat McGrath looks at the medical devices/medtech sector in Galway and the West, and the economic impact the growth of this sector has had, and explores how it is shaping government policy and vice versa.
Farming & Science – Wednesday 15th November
RTÉ Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Correspondent, Joe Mag Raollaigh has a case study of how new food supplements for cattle have been shown to reduce methane output in cattle breath by 30%, and methane output from slurry by 80%.
This coincides with the Department of Agriculture conference, which is all about scientific advances that will help to reduce carbon footprint of Irish farms. Teagasc and other farming bodies have previously said achieving the 25% reduction in emissions will require existing AND new technology.
Nature’s Pharmacies
From local lore to the lab, scientists at Trinity College Dublin are trying to harness the untapped therapeutic and commercial uses of native Irish bog plants, using the written records of school children growing up in 1930’s Ireland as a starting point. The groundbreaking project aims to ‘unlock nature’s pharmacy’ and ultimately deliver undiscovered medicines to market.
Ask the Scientist – Your questions on climate change answered
Science questions gathered from members of the public on RTÉ News social platforms throughout Science Week – answered by a team of scientists from UCC over the coming weeks.
Climate Jargon Explainer Series
Created for RTÉ social media platforms and the RTÉ website, the Climate Jargon Explainer Series will kick off during Science Week to explain terms and concepts commonly used in discussion of climate change. This helpful guide will explain terms such as "Anthropogenic Climate Change," explain the difference between "Adaptation" and "Mitigation", define "Net Zero", and more.
Young People
We have some great shows where kids can have fun while learning all about science.
Space Camp Challenge
Airing at 3.50pm on Monday, November 13 on RTÉ2 & RTÉ Player. The box set will be on RTÉ Player from Monday.
Space Camp Challenge, in conjunction with Science Foundation Ireland, brings us to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Centre in Rocket City, Alabama, where eight Irish teens have an ‘out of this world’ experience as they find out if they have what it takes to be Ireland’s first astronaut.
Let’s Find Out has lots of great experiments and there are even lesson plans for teachers – why not give them a go in school.
Come and meet the Atoms of Atom Town and explore the magic and wonder of the universe. Meet a colourful community of characters based on the Elements of the Periodic Table.
Claaaass Science is a series of five YouTube Films from great science communicators where they answer your questions on everything from hormones to hair.
Ireland’s Future Is Mine
Imagine if kids were allowed to re-design their own town or use their imagination to make the world more sustainable. Well, on Ireland’s Future Is Mine that’s exactly what we did by harnessing the power of Microsoft Education Edition. Hundreds of schools entered the competition with two taking part in an e-sports Grand Final. You can stream the show and the lessons are still there for everyone!
We all know the Body Brothers like to dance, they like to move, but they also like to learn about new things. They found out about parts of the body, animals and now it’s time to look at inventions. Stream all three series on RTÉ Player.
RTÉjr PODCASTS
Ecolution, the climate action podcast for young people, has a special show from Wednesday on citizen science.
The Science of Sense Podcast is back with a brand-new series, The Science of Sense Does the Environment. All six shows are available on Thursday.
For more, visit www.rte.ie/scienceweek.
