Printable solar-powered batteries, eco-friendly jewellery making workshops, and exploring the extreme frontiers of chemistry are just some of the exciting offerings in store at this year’s Festival
SINGAPORE, 19 July 2013 – The Singapore Science Festival 2013 kicks off today with the launch of X-periment!, a weekend science carnival held from July 19th to July 21st, by Guest-of-Honour Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) at the Central Atrium in Marina Square.
The Festival, co-sponsored by A*STAR and Science Centre Singapore with marketing partner Cityneon, brings together close to 70 exciting events, activities, and exhibitions island wide, from July 19th to August 4th, featuring world-class speakers and science performers from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom. Taglined, ‘Science is Fun’, the nation’s largest annual science event collectively celebrates and showcases science in an attractive, experiential, and relevant manner to everyday life.
X-PERIMENT!
This year, X-periment! is headlined by internationally renowned science entertainer, Dr Ken Farquhar, who will be performing his ‘Entertaining Science Circus Show’ that demonstrates the science behind some of the common circus feats performed by acrobats across the world.
“The Singapore Science Festival is an eagerly anticipated event on our national calendar. This year’s festival is bigger and better and promises to demonstrate how science can be fun through the wide range of events, activities, and exhibitions lined up in the upcoming weeks, including crowd favourites like X-periment!, STAR Lecture, and the Singapore Mini Maker Faire,” said Associate Professor (A/P) Lim Tit Meng, Chief Executive, Science Centre Singapore.
Visitors at X-periment! will also have the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities, meet local scientists, and witness up close the innovations created by A*STAR’s research institutes, local universities, and polytechnics. Some of theseinclude printable solar cell batteries from the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) and a giant robotic snake that can mimic real snakes in its movement from Nanyang Polytechnic.
“At X-periment!, visitors will discover the importance of scientific research to Singapore’s economy by witnessing first-hand some of the innovative discoveries that have been made in recent times and learn how they contribute to our society,” said Dr Lim Khiang Wee, Executive Director, A*STAR Graduate Academy. “The many events lined up this year were selected to underscore to visitors how science can be fun and relevant in everything we do.”
RETURNING CROWD FAVOURITES
Another returning favourite this year is the STAR Lecture, co-sponsored by Procter & Gamble,from July 29th to July 31st, which will take visitors on a journey of scientific discovery and inspiration. Targeted at school-going students between the ages of 13 and 18, the STAR Lecture draws from the Christmas Lectures approach of teaching science to youths in an engaging and relevant manner. This year, Dr Peter Wothers, Teaching Fellow at the University of Cambridge, will delve into the chemistry of the world around us – looking at three original Greek ‘elements’ of Air, Water, and Earth, through his show, ‘The Modern Alchemist’.
Celebrating the spirit of innovation and Do-It-Yourself crafts, the Singapore Mini Maker Faire, sponsored by Intel, will gather inventors, hobbyists, crafters, and artists from Singapore and abroad to demonstrate their projects, share their skills, conduct workshops, and even sell their work. Happening from July 27th to July 28th at *SCAPE Warehouse, this year’s event has two new forums lined up in the mix, one on 3D painting and another on the Maker Movement in Singapore. Some of the highlights visitors can look forward to include eco-friendly jewellery making, creating animated wall paintings, and automating home appliances and equipment from the single touch of a smart phone. Participants can also hop over to watch some interesting science busking at the Science Buskers Festival, also happening at *SCAPE Warehouse during the same period as the Singapore Mini Maker Faire.
“The festival continues to promote interaction between the scientific community and the general public. This is an important step in inspiring young Singaporeans to become passionate about science and subsequently pursue a career in it,” said Mr Lim Chuan Poh.
PARTNERING UP
This year’s Festival will be the biggest edition yet with over 50 partners from local attractions, education, and research industries teaming up to show how fun science can be; this marks a 20% increase in the number of participating partners from last year’s Festival.
Exploring the science of ancient burial practices in Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb exhibition at the ArtScience Museum, discovering the science behind roller coasters at the Universal Studios Singapore Physics® Programme in Resorts World Sentosa, and learning how over 8,000 animals are kept in the pink of health in Animal in the PinK! at the Wildlife Reserves Singapore are just some of the many partner events, activities, and exhibitions that are offered as part of the Festival.
“With many partners on board from various industries and offering such a diverse range of events, activities, and exhibitions, this year the festival will be bigger and better. We hope there will be something for everyone to enjoy and learn from. Science is all around us, and we hope by attending some of these events, visitors will be able to enjoy and appreciate that,” A/Prof Lim added.
More information about the Singapore Science Festival 2013 can be found on the Festival website (http://www.sciencefest.sg).
Please refer to the Events Guide for the complete list of Festival activities and the Appendix for comments from the Festival partners
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About the Singapore Science Festival 2013
The Singapore Science Festival is an annual celebration of the latest scientific innovations, new technologies, cutting-edge research and engineering, making them relatable and relevant to everyday life. With a range of exciting hands-on activities, carnivals, partner workshops, and guest performances lined up all over Singapore from July 19 to August 4, the 2013 edition of the festival promotes the message “Science is Fun”. Previously known as the National Science Month, the festival is jointly organised by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the Science Centre Singapore. For more information, please visit us at http://www.sciencefest.sg or look us up on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/singaporesciencefest.
About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore's lead public sector agency that fosters world-class scientific research and talent to drive economic growth and transform Singapore into a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation driven economy. In line with its mission-oriented mandate, A*STAR spearheads research and development in fields that are essential to growing Singapore’s manufacturing sector and catalysing new growth industries. A*STAR supports these economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry. A*STAR oversees 20 biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering research entities, located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis as well as their vicinity. These two R&D hubs house a bustling and diverse community of local and international research scientists and engineers from A*STAR’s research entities as well as a growing number of corporate laboratories.
For more information about A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg.
About the Science Centre Singapore
The Science Centre Singapore celebrates 35 years of promoting interest and creative learning in science and technology. Over the past 35 years, the Centre and its partners have played a pivotal role in transforming the way students and the public interact with and learn about science & technology. The Science Centre, Omni-Theatre and Snow City have engaged and enriched more than 29.5 million students and visitors since 1977. A custodian of creativity and innovation, the Centre has captured the evolution of scientific developments through unique and relevant exhibitions and shows. It continues to ignite young minds and foster new generations of scientifically savvy Singaporeans. A non-formal educational institution and leading Science Centre in the region, the Science Centre houses 14 exhibition galleries with more than 1,000 exhibits, and another 30,000 sq metres of outdoor exhibition space showcasing the Waterworks exhibition, Ecogarden and Kinetic Garden. It also houses the Omni-Theatre — Singapore’s only dome-shaped, 5-storey high IMAX theatre. The Science Centre, Omni-Theatre and Snow City received 1.26 million visitors for FY2012/2013.
For more information, please visit www.science.edu.sg.
Contacts
Germaine Shalla
Tel (65) 6826 6297
Email germaine_shalla@a-star.edu.sg