Curious 2026 festival launches

The great debate about lithium-ion batteries, the future of democracy, true crime investigations, Scottish mosquitoes and the artistry of stained glass at Dunfermline Abbey will all feature at a free festival this September.

Today, the Royal Society of Edinburgh has announced its programme for Scotland’s festival of knowledge, which will include luminaires such as political scientist Sir John Curtice and award-winning crime writer Louise Welsh.

Dr Amer Syed of the University of Edinburgh will lead a hands-on workshop that will give people a new perspective on lithium-ion batteries as they become increasingly common place in our everyday lives and in industry.

Dr Syed said: “These batteries are becoming increasingly common, and while we hear a lot about them as they are used in a wide range of places from your Bluetooth earphones to electric vehicles, it is important that people understand what goes into their design and manufacture.

“This event will give people a great opportunity to get to grips with the global supply chain, all the elements that are used in making these batteries and packs for electric vehicles, their environmental impact, and to understand the state-of-the-art of these systems that are an important part of our renewable energy landscape.”

Vivienne Kelly, artist and PhD student at Heriot-Watt University, will host a workshop on the science and conservation of stained-glass at Dunfermline Abbey along with Dr Craig Kennedy. The pair will do a live demonstration of x-ray fluorescence (XRF), a technique used to analyse how glass is given its colour.

Vivienne and Craig will explain the challenges involved in conservation of stained-glass, using the curious case of the fragments of the stained-glass Margaret Window that were taken from – and then anonymously returned to – Dunfermline Abbey last year.

She said: “It’s important that people have the opportunity to engage with stained glass heritage, and the mystery of the Dunfermline Abbey fragments gives us the chance to unravel their secrets together.

“The event will be a unique look not only at the stained glass, but at the research techniques used by academics and practitioners, and how individuals and communities can interact with heritage through a new lens.”

They will also provide insight into the skills, training and careers involved in heritage research and conservation, and how communities and building owners can play a vital role for Scotland’s art and culture.

Each year, the RSE’s Curious festival of knowledge is a perfect opportunity for any person to dive into a field of exploration or artistic endeavour and satisfy their curiosity and thirst for knowledge.

Professor Heather Ferguson will host an event on the complex issue of mosquitoes in Scotland. The talk will highlight findings from the Mosquito Scotland project, which is the first to comprehensively investigate the distribution, ecology and potential risk of disease transmission. Professor Ferguson will also hold a question-and-answer session about her research.

Climate change is increasing the risk of mosquito-borne diseases in northern Europe, both through enabling the spread of tropical mosquitoes northwards, and by increasing the potential of native mosquito species to spread emerging pathogens. This raises important questions about Scotland’s mosquitoes and whether they could pose a risk to human or animal health under warming conditions.

Professor Dee Heddon FRSE, Fellow of the RSE and member of its public engagement committee, said: “I am proud to reveal the programme for this year’s Curious festival. Each year the team pull out all the stops to get a whole range of experts to join us and engage with the public, and this year is superb. The sheer breadth of knowledge they can share could fill entire libraries.

“For anyone curious to learn about something new, or a passion they have held for years, you can learn – free – with the people who know their subjects best, through this series of workshops, talks, film screenings and creative walking tours.

“It is such a privilege to be able to offer this free festival to the people of Scotland. The only question now is: what are you curious about?”

Also on the programme are writer Louise Welsh FRSE with architect Jude Barber FRSE. Louise and Jude will be giving a talk on their ongoing citizen investigation podcast Who Owns the Clyde? a long-running project to pool the viewpoints of Clydeside citizens, architects, ecologists and activists to explore the history, cultural significance, stewardship and potential future for the River Clyde.

Professor Sir John Curtice FRSE, Professor Ailsa Henderson FRSE and Professor Chris Carman will also present an event to assess the future of Scottish democracy in the wake of the 2026 Holyrood election. This event will unpack what happened, why, and what it means for Scottish democracy.

Tickets are available to book from Thursday 23 July at the RSE’s website – https://rse.org.uk/curious/