Listen: Harper academic discusses his plans for this weekend's New Scientist Live event

New Scientist Live returns this weekend – and cutting-edge science and research from Harper Adams University will be at its heart.

As the lead education partner, the University will once again be exhibiting throughout the weekend and during the schools day on Monday October 9.

On hand will be a range of experiences demonstrating the wealth of teaching and research at Harper Adams University, the School of Sustainable Food and Farming, and the Harper & Keele Vet School.

These will include an immersive virtual reality experience, larvae dipping with the School of Sustainable Food and Farming, and a practical demonstration of how 3D printed skulls are used at the Harper & Keele Vet School for teaching – with a skull being printed throughout the event.

Senior Engagement Fellow Kit Franklin, the Principal Investigator for Harper Adams University’s Hands Free Hectare which developed into the Hands Free Farm,  will also be among the wealth of speakers who will be presenting, appearing along experts such as Jim al Khalili, Chris van Tulleken, Maddie Moate and Hamza Yassin.  

From machine learning to millimetre-accurate satellite positioning, leading edge technology is being harnessed to produce our food with a lower environmental impact. Join Kit Franklin from @HarperAdamsUni at New Scientist Live https://t.co/HfwmjhelCQ
Partners @farmersweekly pic.twitter.com/Pg0xVYjg9N

— New Scientist Events (@newscievents) September 30, 2023

He recently spoke to the Agri-Turf podcast alongside Anna Eccleston, Commercial Director and Project Leader at Farmers’ Weekly, about how their work at previous New Scientist Live events took food and farming to new audiences – and what to expect this year.

He said: “I’ll lay out some of the challenges for agriculture to come – in terms of trying to meet Net Zero whilst also maintaining high, nutritious food output - and talk about how that leads into potentially the greater use of technology for precision application, and looking at robotics, and Hands Free, and all the things I do.”

Listen to the whole podcast below: