FROM alien invaders and brain transformation to the science of champagne - that's what organisers are promising for the fascinating week in June set aside for the Cheltenham Festival of Science.

The festival's fourth year is packed with informative, fascinating and entertaining events.

And it's not just for boffins - the festival boasts all kinds of talks, demonstrations and debates sure to tingle the interest buds and contain something to impact on the lives of everyone.

The event runs from June 8 to 12 and during that time, about 100 events are crammed in to venues around the town.

On the first day alone, sitting in the Town Hall, you could learn about Brain Transformations and Radical Technology, hear about The Wayward Mind, mull over Choosing Death, learn The Truth About Hormones and about Music of the Primes (numbers), ask Do Computer Games Make You Violent?, go Under Your Skin with TV autopsy star Gunther von Hagens, hear from Green Revolutionary Prof M S Swaminathan, think about Emotions and Film and the realities of Time Travel, take a practical on the Science of Cheese, look at Music and Film and look into Hypnosis in the Late Night Lab.

Festival directors Frank Burnet and Kathy Sykes said: "This year's festival takes us further into science's most controversial and cutting edge ideas as we investigate the world of sensory substitution, parallel universes and brain transformations.

"From time travel to narcolepsy, we take you on an exploration of science from 'other worlds', through developing countries, extreme environments and altered states."

Film producer David Puttnam is this year's guest director and he will lead a series of special events, looking at some of his own work, like Chariots of Fire and the Killing Fields to learn more about the power of film and music to provoke and entertain.

Key speakers include mathematician Roger Penrose, author Philip Pullman, cosmologist Lisa Randall, journalist John Humphrys and chief scientific advisor to the Government David King. Raj Persaud will be looking at depression, Adam Hart-Davis will look at inventions through history and Gunther von Hagens will be discussing with Robert Winston the controversies surrounding his exhibitions and TV autopsy work.

There will be discussions on hot topics like the safety of cosmetics, video games and mobile phones, science reporting, face transplants and the schools' curriculum.

Call 01242 227979 for a brochure or 01242 237377 to book tickets, or log on to www.cheltenhamfestivals.co.uk).