Sheree Russouw
Dozing during science class was always a good way to catch up on lost sleep. Each week my science teacher would demonstrate a new method of blowing up his jersey, using a range of obscure chemicals I had forgotten the names of by the next lecture.
Science seemed reserved for bespectacled Einsteins reading the maths textbook for fun during break. The annual SciFest at Grahamstown is for people like me, and for children who should see science and technology as an adventure rather than a torture session.
If the closest you’ve come to scientific activity is trying to fix your toaster, prepare to embark on the ultimate learning experience at the Sasol SciFest.
“Sasol SciFest aims to get rid of misconceptions surrounding science. We want to demystify science, engineering and technology. SciFest exists simply to make a positive contribution towards a culture of science in South Africa in a fun way,” says Brian Wilmott, its director.
The festival is run by the Grahamstown Foundation and is sponsored by energy giant Sasol. It aims to stress that everyone “owns” science.
“Sasol SciFest exists to switch people on, to enhance our confidence in our opinions about natural and manufactured environments that affect us, and to nurture the natural curiosity that all of us have about the world,” says Professor Peter Clayton, the chairperson of its national advisory committee.
Wilmott says that using scientists to communicate science to nonscientists is the thrust of the festival.
You will see that scientists are much more than just a fraternity of geniuses. Consider Professor Igor Aleksander, for example. He enjoys jazz, he used to play drums and he also likes “not doing very much in Greek and French villages”. Where he may be just a bit different to the average individual is that he assembles neural computer networks for fun. The lecture by this infomatics guru at the Monument Theatre will convince you of this gadget’s potential to change artificial intelligence.
SciFest’s other numerous interactive exhibitions may just make you a proud science convert.
Also at the Monument Theatre, a battle of the stars is set to rock the constellations as astrologers and astronomers controversially debate the difference between the two disciplines. And as you lock yourself in your own inner debate about the inevitable arrival of those grey hairs, Professor Tom Kirkwood, a UK gerontologist, will clear up the mysteries surrounding ageing. He will tackle the questions of whether ageing and death are linked to sexual activity and what the studies of genes reveal about the ageing process.
Dr Zbig Sobiesierski’s demonstrations on the electromagnetic spectrum will show you what colour the universe is and even how to make and change colours. But you will truly be green with envy if you miss his lesson on how to make your own slime. He even aims to explain why slime is such a fantastic fluid.
You will also discover that tracking is not an obsolete practice. Louis Liebenberg, the chief executive of CyberTracker, believes that the art of tracking may be the origin of science and may have played a fundamental role in human evolution. His talk on how merging traditional tracking with state-of-the-art computer science to monitor the environment will blaze a trail on methods of preserving the global ecosystem.
For birdwatchers and potential ornithologists, a series of lectures on the blue crane will ruffle your feathers. It has been adopted as the Sasol SciFest 2002 Spoor-of-the-Year and various workshops by conservationists will explore the challenges and successes of preserving South Africa’s national bird. Further lectures on biodiversity and similar topics will tell you about conservation efforts to save the Addo elephant in the Eastern Cape and the Eastern Cape rocky fish from extinction. But even creepy crawlies do not escape SciFest. A fascinating talk on beetles will clear up why dung beetles push dung balls around and will answer that perplexing question on how to differentiate between a bug and a beetle.
Delving into the enigmatic lives of monks, Professor Colin Lewis will elaborate on the ceremony of bell ringing at monasteries at the Hillandale Monastery. He will explain the ways in which the bells are made and tuned and the principles of tower design. But for a truly shocking experience, learn about static electricity at the Ithemba Laboratory. You can even impress your friends with your new-found knowledge on building a rather good microscope very cheaply after attending Dr Ilya Eigenbrot’s lecture at the Monument Olive Schreiner Hall.
If you’re a certified Internet junkie, then don’t miss the panel debate on “Hacking, hot babes and hate speak”. Clayton and his team are sure to heat up some cables when they question whether there is a new set of rules for the Information Age. But if you’re missing your computer screen so much that you’re experiencing withdrawal symptoms, visit the Mecer Cyberden, where you will challenge other technology fundis at games, cruise the Internet and channel your creativity by splashing graffiti over the walls. Workshops at the Eden Grove Computer Library will teach you how to search the corridors of cyberspace.
And for a bit of escapism, the FilmFest at the Olive Schreiner Hall will show Jurassic Park III, The Dish, Lara Croft Tomb Raider and Atlantis, the Lost Empire. Young learners can learn about micro science and hydraulics, and there’s even a competition to see who can make the best paper aeroplane.
SciFest offers a wide range of exhibitions that accommodate preprimary children and adults. Wilmott says: “We’ve come a long way since the first Sasol SciFest in 1997. We are always finding new developments and our success is that we aren’t static.”