The outcome of the ANCs long-awaited KwaZulu-Natal conference was a win for the Thuma Mina crowd. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
As the dust settles after a busy day at Scifest Africa, unwind with good food, good wine and good company in A conversation with … at Saint’s Bistro. Learn about the secret lives of our high-profile scientists over dinner in this new event format. A conversation with… takes place on March 2 at 8pm.
If you prefer a more vibey affair, then Pub Science is for you. Grab a pint, meet our Scifest Africa 2016 contributors and talk to them about their work, watch as they do science using only what they can find in the pub, and later (much later), you can tell them your crazy idea to save the world. A must for the over-18s, and besides, one always needs an excuse to go to The Rat and Parrot on a Monday night. Pub Science is on Monday March 7.
A formal dinner party turns into murder most foul at Murder at the Museum, where the quick-witted and inquisitive come out on top. At the Observatory Museum at 8pm on March 3.
To really make those brain cells work, join as at our Science Café. This is a global initiative that brings the public together with scientists and experts to delve into science topics that are interesting, contemporary and controversial. For individuals with an inquiring mind, these sessions are bound to unravel into lively conversation, laughter and heated debate. Talk about the chemistry of coffee and explore the question “is the universe unconscious?” The Science Café will be hosted by local personalities Tony Lankester and Jane Morgan and happens at 5pm on March 3 and 7.
If you are a fan of game shows or the local quiz night, then perhaps you should try your hand at Revenge of the Smarty Pants for Scifest Africa’s very own battle of the brains at 8pm on March 6 at The Highlander. Locals are invited to enter teams in a general knowledge challenge with a difference and show our visiting geniuses a thing or two.
Our renowned lecture series will also be a draw card at this year’s festival. Specific adult content includes a lecture on the science of human attraction, dating and mating and how our attraction to one another changes the longer we know one another. Lucy Hunt from the University of Texas presented the lecture on March 2 at the Monument’s Olive Schreiner Hall.
For those that prefer a more hands-on approach we have various workshops geared at learners as well as adults. From making your very own jellyfish out of recycled materials to trying your hand at 19th century printing, there is sure to be something to get your creative juices flowing. If you are still a child at heart, then perhaps the Micro-Rockets workshop is for you. The more discerning can mind take part in the Exoplanet Travel Bureau with Nasa visual strategist Dan Goods. Here you will need a vivid imagination as you develop a series of posters to help travellers pick an exotic planet for their next vacation destination.