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Fiesta to celebrate the fun in science

SINGAPORE — From juggling acts to roller-coasters and chemical explosions, this year’s Singapore Science Festival (SSF), from July 19 to Aug 4, presents an array of activities that aim to convey one simple message: Science is fun.

SINGAPORE — From juggling acts to roller-coasters and chemical explosions, this year’s Singapore Science Festival (SSF), from July 19 to Aug 4, presents an array of activities that aim to convey one simple message: Science is fun.

At its three-day X-periment! science carnival, British science entertainer and world juggling champion Ken Farquhar will be showing how scientific concepts form the backbone of many circus tricks. His acts include balancing tricks using peacock feathers and spinning objects such as yo-yos and trays.

At another flagship event, chemist Peter Wothers from the University of Cambridge, will unravel the chemistry of the world around us in this year’s STAR Lecture, from July 29 to 31, through experiments that promise lots of fire and explosions for the audience.

“This year’s STAR Lecture will be quite dramatic, with chemical explosions and explosives. It’ll be fun,” said Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng, Chief Executive of the Science Centre Singapore.

The centre and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) are co-organisers of the annual science fiesta.

“We want to let people know that science is fun ... We want to remind people that learning is fun. If you think about how a child learns, we learn a lot through play and through trying things out, and the SSF wants to give that feeling,” he said. “When there’s fun and enjoyment, there’s no fear, and once you have no fear, you won’t be put off by science and learning.”

BRINGING SCIENCE OUT OF THE LAB

This is why this year’s SSF has brought in new partners from the edu-tainment industry. They include Resorts World Sentosa, the ArtScience Museum, Underwater World Singapore and Wildlife Reserves Singapore.

As Assoc Prof Lim explained: “People go to these places for leisure, but there’s also education involved.”

At Universal Studios Singapore, for instance, participants can learn about the science behind popular roller-coaster rides such as the Battlestar Galactica: Human vs Cylon. At the Singapore Zoo, visitors can tour the Wildlife Healthcare & Research Centre and Central Kitchen to learn how the zoo’s more than 8,000 animals are cared for everyday.

The new entrants also make this year’s SSF the biggest yet, boasting more than 70 events and more than 50 partners — 20 per cent more than last year.

Another new addition is the Science Street Fair, a three-day event from Aug 2 to 4 that will see the Science Centre transformed into an extravaganza of workshops, competitions and games. Some highlights include an F1 Race simulator and an overnight movie marathon at the Omni-Theatre.

Breaking down the barriers between science and the general public is one of the targets of the annual science event. As such, the Singapore Mini Maker Faire — which is back for its second year, showcasing fun, creative DIY projects — will be held at *SCAPE instead of at the Science Centre. The idea, said Assoc Prof Lim, is to “bring the SSF to where people are”.

To create a more interactive experience, the Singapore Science Festival 2013 Passport has also been introduced this year. The passport can be used to get exclusive rewards from over 50 festival merchants. Visitors can also earn stamps when they participate in various activities at each attraction, allowing them to enter a lucky draw.

EXCITING EVERYONE

“To enthuse people about science, they mustn’t think of science as exams and textbooks, but as a way of explaining things we see around us, and it’s great fun to understand and do things in science,” said Dr Lim Khiang Wee, the Executive Director of A*STAR Graduate Academy. “(The fun comes from) the sense of discovery and the ability to use the basic principles of science to explain some of the things around us.”

He acknowledged: “If we keep saying science is important to and necessary for an innovative society, that’s boring. So we need to emphasise the enjoyment factor too.”

Almost every A*STAR institute will be involved in the SSF, and they will be displaying their research projects at X-periment!.

“The purpose of X-periment! is to have that national resource on display in a way that is comprehensible to a broader audience. We encourage all our institutes to participate, not merely by displaying what they do, but by translating their work into things that people can understand and appreciate,” said Dr Lim.

The Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, for example, will be displaying zebrafish, which Dr Lim hopes will be “attractive for kids”.

Zebrafish are an important animal model used for biological research as they are translucent, allowing researchers to monitor the development of internal organs visually.

The Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology will show off its 3D printing capabilities and their relevance to modern manufacturing, while the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering will demonstrate printed electronics.

Dr Lim noted: “It’s an interesting challenge. One of the things that scientists have to do is not only be good at research and (be) competitive, but also to communicate their research to their peers and to the broader audience.”

Added the Science Centre’s Assoc Prof Lim: “The SSF is a good platform to demystify science and demonstrate its potential, promises and impact, and I hope that will inspire young people to look at science in a positive light.”

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