TV presenter and technology guru Jason Bradbury will be transporting audiences back to the future with his own DeLorean ‘time machine’ as part of a unique event celebrating the 30th anniversary of Steven Spielberg’s cult film trilogy.
Hosted by the University of Lincoln, UK, on Thursday 8th October 2015, Future Fest is a free-to-attend one-off spectacular that will showcase past, present and future technological innovation and highlight the advances that have been made since the launch of the blockbuster film franchise in 1985.
The Back to the Future films were a worldwide box office success and are recognised for transforming the adventure movie genre. They follow teenager Marty McFly as he travels to the past and future in a time machine invented by his friend, Dr Emmett Brown, from a DeLorean car. One of the most memorable sequences in the trilogy arrives in Back to the Future Part II, where Marty and Doc travel forwards in time to October 2015 – envisaged as a futuristic world of flying cars and hoverboards.
As this date approaches, Future Fest invites audiences to explore and experience 30 years of advancements in robotics, games computing, media, art and science.
Jason Bradbury, host of The Gadget Show and Visiting Lecturer at the University of Lincoln, is a self-confessed Back to the Future super-fan. He has constructed his own detailed DeLorean replica, complete with a functioning ‘time circuit’, and will be greeting Future Fest visitors alongside his vehicle as Lincoln’s very own Doc Brown. He will deliver a series of talks throughout the day, musing over topics including the car, the future and nuclear fusion, and asking ‘Is time travel possible?’
Jason said: “Future Fest represents a fantastic opportunity to take stock of exactly how far the world has come in terms of technological advancements over the last three decades. When Back to the Future first hit our screens in the 1980s there was so little consumer tech around, but now amazing new inventions and innovations are being launched on a daily basis.
“We live in an incredibly exciting age, in which our children are digital natives. That is why I am thrilled to be working with students from the University of Lincoln, and why I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
Taking place in the Engine Shed on the University of Lincoln’s Brayford Pool campus, the technology festival will also feature several interactive zones led by academic experts from the University of Lincoln. Visitors will see first-hand the fascinating results of the technological revolution and explore what innovations the near future might bring.
In the ‘Robot Zone’, researchers from the University’s School of Computer Science will demonstrate the very latest in cutting-edge robotics – from 3D printed humanoids, to companion robots and mind-controlled androids. The ‘Games Zone’ will map the progress of gaming over the last three decades; offering visitors the chance to experience retro consoles such as the Atari 2600, Nintendo 64 and PlayStation, alongside today’s advanced Oculus Rift headsets.
Finally, the ‘Maker Zone’ will include an exhibition of interactive art, as well as live 3D printing and scanning. To conclude the festival, a lecture theatre will be transformed into a cinema for a screening of the first two Back to the Future films.
The unique event will see hundreds of school children learn about the incredible advances in science and technology of the past three decades, and the whole festival will also be open to the public. Booking will open soon and you can register your interest online: http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/campuslife/whatson/eventsconferences/future-fest.html
Jason Bradbury’s appearance at Future Fest follows his free public lecture at the University, entitled Back to your Future, at 6pm on Wednesday 7th October. For more information and to book your place at this talk, visit: http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/campuslife/whatson/eventsconferences/back-to-your-future.html