TICKETS are selling fast for the 2018 Otley Science Festival - and the chance to explore ‘invisible worlds’.

This year’s event runs at Otley Courthouse from Monday, November 5 to Saturday, November 10 and will be packed with talks, experiments and demonstrations.

Otley’s own Dr Marty Jopson - of the BBC’s One Show fame - will help kick proceedings off when he presents Invisible Worlds: a microscopic safari at 7.30pm on the opening day.

Fellow festival organiser Dr Sue Bowler said: “In this adventure into the world of things too small to see with just your own eyes, Marty will show stunning images of hugely magnified insects, plants and even bacteria, with live interactive demonstrations using the latest equipment from Zeiss.

“As ever, you’ll have to expect the unexpected.”

Dr Jopson added: “There are some big surprises in the world of the very small.

“Things do not look the way you think they do when you take a really close look.”

Big names taking part this year include Dr Alice Roberts, whose TV shows include The Incredible Human Journey and Origins of Us, and internationally recognised pyrotechnician Matthew Tosh.

Great British Bake Off finalist Andrew Smyth will also be presenting Bakineering in Space.

The festival will feature a Science Café on Tuesday, November 6 and a Science Lunch on Friday, November 9 when Dr Peter Hine from the University of Leeds will discuss how physicists develop new materials.

For more details and tickets call the Courthouse on (01943) 467466, visit www.otleycourthouse.org.uk or pop into the venue.

The festival schedule can also be viewed at http://otleysciencefestival.co.uk.