A STRING of celebrity scientists will be appearing at Otley Courthouse next month.

Experts from well-known TV and radio shows, including The One Show and Britain's Brightest, will be giving talks as part of the 2016 Otley Science Festival.

This year's festival runs from Monday, November 7 to Saturday, November 12 and as always will conclude with an all-day Science Fair at the Courthouse.

The speakers will include scientist Steve Mould who has appeared in a number of television programmes, including Blue Peter and I Never Knew That About Britain, and has a new Radio 4 show, Domestic Science.

Steve will be performing some eye-catching - and loud - experiments while exploring modern mysteries, and giving tips on how to use science to perform pranks on friends, when he appears on Wednesday, November 9.

The audience is being warned to expect mind-bending illusions, weird chemistry, explosions and more at Prank Science, which starts at 7.30pm and is suitable (like all the 7.30pm talks) for anyone aged seven or older.

Tickets cost £10 or £8.

Then on Friday, November 11 Professor Marcus du Sautoy will be discussing the limits of what we can discover about the physical universe.

Marcus, whose TV credits include presenting The Story of Maths, received an OBE in 2010 for his science to science.

His 7.30pm talk will consider What We Cannot Know, and ponder whether there are some regions of the future that are beyond the predictive powers of science and maths - and some ideas so complex they are beyond human comprehension.

Tickets cost £12 or £10.

A man recently included in a list of the 100 most influential scientists in Britain, Mark Miodownik, will discuss the topic Stuff Matters on Saturday, November 12.

The talk will explore the nature of all kinds of strange new substances, including 'self-healing' concrete, implants that can become living bone and magnetic liquids.

Tickets again cost £12 or £10.

The festival will also feature plenty of other talks and demonstrations including events tailored for toddlers and schoolchildren and a performance by Otley's own celebrity scientist, Dr Mary Jopson - from the One Show - on Monday, November 7.

To book tickets or for more details visit otleycourthouse.org.uk or call (01943) 467466 - or view the full festival schedule at otleysciencefestival.co.uk .