By far the most popular attractions each year at Sasol SciFest, the exhibitions are set to outdo themselves this year with the return of old favourites, some fresh young blood and the winners of last year’s best exhibit awards.
The exhibitions almost completely engulf the 1820 Settlers National Monument and the Albany Science and History museums in Grahamstown. Running each day of the festival, the exhibitions are open from 9am to 5pm. Entrance is free.
Top of the list of ‘must sees” is the Department of Science and Technology’s Public Understanding of Biotechnology programme’s It’s a Biotech World exhibit.
Located in the council chamber on the first floor of the monument, this exhibition will include lots of interactive elements as well as educational theatre and audiovisual performances. The message behind it is the role biotechnology plays in our everyday lives. Areas such as DNA basics, biodiversity, indigenous knowledge, future applications and heritage will be covered.
The exhibition has been developed by the MTN ScienCentre in conjunction with the Medical Research Council and the University of Cape Town.
The winners of Sasol SciFest 2004 will this year be incorporated into one multi-level exhibition on the second floor of the monument, at the Thomas Pringle Hall.
The winners were the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Science at Your Fingertips; the University of the Western Cape’s Science @ UWC: Your Key to a Better Future and MTN ScienCentre’s Great Inventions: South Africa and Beyond!
Science at Your Fingertips presents an overview of the world through scientific glasses and invites visitors to celebrate, discover, touch and measure the secrets of our magical world.
Science @ UWC narrates the relationship of the living environment to our everyday lives. It features the range of UWC’s programmes, from environmental and water sciences and applied geology to biodiversity and conservation biology.
Great Inventions: South Africa and Beyond! is an interactive exhibition with examples of great South African inventions like the Kreepy Krawly, dolos, Prattley Putty and CATscanner.
The underwater world features heavily in this year’s SciFest exhibitions.
Port Elizabeth’s popular Bayworld will exhibit Ocean Shadows in which visitors can learn more about sharks. Maxine, a female ragged tooth shark, will be ‘displayed” and illustrations will be given of how her movements were tracked by scientists using satellite and other technology. There is also a new, interactive board game called Shark Quest, in which humans play the role of sharks and race against other sharks through the hazardous waters along the Eastern coastline of South Africa. The quest of the game: to survive and reproduce.
The African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme will also explore the oceans using technology in its exhibit.
Another exhibition on aquatic animals will be presented by Dr Jim Cambray. Long Swim for Survival: The Eel Story focuses on freshwater eels. These creatures have one of the most fascinating life history cycles of any of our freshwater fish species, making a long swim off the coast of Madagascar to breed.
Back on dry land, Rhodes University’s environmental education and sustainability unit is set for a hit with its Indigenous Knowledge, Science and Sustainability exhibition in the ground floor alcove of the monument. The themes of this unusual exhibition are biodiversity, wholesome foods, waste disposal, power, health and sanitation.
An Nguni hut will be the venue for story-sharing about more sustainable ways that emphasise indigenous ingenuity. Small groups of visitors will be invited to participate in Eziko action research processes and to develop and share ideas that draw on indigenous ways of knowing and modern scientific knowledge.
The information gathered will be used to develop activities to inform the forthcoming United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005 to 2014).