The opening of the 2016 Edinburgh International Festival was a spectacular visualisation of the city 350 million years in the making. ‘Deep Time’ – a celebration of the work of James Hutton, the Edinburgh-born ‘father of geology’ – projected an astounding light show onto the side of Edinburgh Castle.
Spectators saw Castle Rock rise and fall as Paleozoic seas washed over the castle walls, the first volcanic eruption in the city since Arthur’s Seat became extinct 340 million years ago, and life evolve from single celled organisms to the complex lifeforms of the Carboniferous period. You can watch the full amazing performance, sound tracked by Mogwai, here.
The performance was informed by research undertaken by EEHN’s David Farrier and the Unexpected Encounters with Deep Time series. You can read David’s blog about the event, and also listen to The Big Idea podcast where David and other Edinburgh academics discuss deep time, Hutton’s influence, and the deep futures heralded by the Anthropocene.
