OUTSPOKEN atheist Richard Dawkins will open this year's Oxfordshire Science Festival with a talk on his unpublished theories on evolution.

Setting the tone for a 2017 festival taking on the 'meaty' topics of sex, food and the future of the planet, the former Oxford professor will discuss his thoughts on how the evolutionary tree of life should actually be represented in public settings such as museums.

That event at Oxford University Museum of Natural History on June 14 will be followed the six days of the usual family-friendly events from June 16 to 21 including workshops on 'touching clouds', 'building stars' and a chance to 'dance the Universe'.

More than 10,000 people are expected to attend this year's festival.

Organisers announcing the 2017 program this week said: "Meaty topics discussed at this year’s festival include sex, food and the future of our planet.

"The evolution debate will be untangled from science fiction with events asking 'is it right to synthesise human genomes?' and 'should brain scans be used at airports or in classrooms?'

"We invite everyone to explore everything from solar plasmas to pleasure and insect’s knees to the history and fate of humanity."

This year's speakers include celebrity chef Tom Kerridge, neuropsychologist Barbara Sahakian and geographer Nicholas Crane.

The festival is produced in association with Science Oxford and supported by University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University, local industry, research institutes and publishing houses.

Find out more and book tickets at oxfordshiresciencefestival.com