Mathematics is the language of the sciences, and the 2011 British Science Festival will be speaking volumes about how exciting maths can be. From events exploring the impact of maths on ground breaking scientific ideas to the role of statistics in professional sports, there's enough to bring out the mathlete in everyone.

Throughout history, mathematical ideas have evolved to become integral parts of science and culture. Join the New patterns — new perspectives event on the 15th September to discover how maths has shaped some of the 20th century's most important scientific ideas. Discover how non-Euclidean geometries revolutionised our ideas about space, played a key role in the birth of chaos theory and are still delivering fresh insights today.

Maths makes waves at the British Science Festival. Image: Roger McLassus.

At Maths makes waves on the 13th September you can discover the wonderful world of wave mathematics. Find out how Schrödinger's wave equation revolutionised modern science by forming a keystone of quantum mechanics, as well as the myriad wave-forms that surround us every day, from atmospheric waves to the solitary waves promising to revolutionise modern communications.

In today's technological world we are swimming in a sea of data, but how can we harness this to better understand our surroundings? In the world of sports, managers and sportspeople alike increasingly regard statistics as superior to conventional sports wisdom. At Vital statistics: sport's key to successful decision-making on the 10th September you can join researchers to find out how football, rugby, cricket and other sports are using statistical data to put them at the top of their game.

Exhibitions running throughout the festival will educate and enchant about all maths has to offer. The getstats campaign is all about empowering people to use numbers well to inform the choices we make every day, while The sight and sound of the primes will use the pseudo random nature of prime number sequences to control captivating moving images.

The British Science Festival will take place in Bradford from 10th-15th September, giving members of the public the chance to explore the latest in science, technology and engineering, and meet researchers face-to-face.

Spaces for some events are limited, so book in to hear these exciting talks first hand or call 0207 019 4947.