Date: February 3   Time: 18:00 - 21:00

FREE Monthly Event

First Fridays at the Castle is an action-packed open night on the first Friday of every month with activities for visitors of all ages.

This month, join us as we explore what you can and can’t believe!

18:00-20:00: Family Workshops – Is Seeing Believing?

Four half-hour family-friendly workshops with BCO’s teacher and resident astronomer, Frances McCarthy.  Experience some tricks and jokes and look at what you can actually see! Explore the online world of astronomy through the Zooniverse – the home of Galaxy Zoo, Moon Zoo, Planet Hunters and more.

18.45-19.45 (sharp!): Cork Science Café – “Beautiful Data”

The Cork Science Café returns to the cosy Lodge of the Castle Café with Finn McLeod to lead a discussion on “Beautiful Data”

A little about Finn….

Finn Macleod is a former research fellow in probability and machine learning who is interested in the area of data visualisation. His company, Beautiful Data, was a recent recipient of investment from Enterprise Ireland. Finn will talk briefly about open data (the unlocking of information held in government departments), data visualization – the representation of information in new ways using colour shape, sound and movement, and how this will affect the future of education, administrative decision making and open up new ways of thought.

20:00 – 21:00: Lecture – “Hype, Hoaxes and Hysteria in the World of Astronomy”

From the Great Moon Hoax to the 2012 Doomsday fears, outer space has always been fertile territory for the wildest and weirdest speculations. In a wide ranging talk, Colm Ryan will discuss some of the stranger stories from our love affair with the Cosmos. Of particular interest is how people delude others and even themselves, sometimes with fatal consequences. Colm will take a sceptical look at the UFO phenomenon, the discovery of mysterious meteorites and strange life-forms here on Earth. He will talk about the continuing quest to find life on planets and moons beyond the Earth. Lastly, Colm will introduce a baloney detector kit, which may help distinguish outlandish claims from normal scientific discovery!

An insight into Colm…

Colm Ryan is a keen astronomy enthusiast and a founding member of Cork Skeptics, a group that promotes critical thinking and scientific inquiry in the local area. Cork Skeptics meet monthly in Blackrock Castle, featuring expert speakers on wide variety of subjects from nuclear energy, to alternative medicine, to GM foods and much more.

18:00 – 21:00 – Stargazing (weather dependent)

Once the skies are clear, BCO astronomers and the Cork Astronomy Club will help train your eyes towards the constellations.