This year’s Scifest Africa theme of “Science Across Cultures” has inspired a bumper 15th anniversary edition of the festival – truly exploring the universal application of science.
This year’s Scifest Africa theme of “Science Across Cultures” has inspired a bumper 15th anniversary edition of the festival – truly exploring the universal application of science.
A core purpose of the festival is to make science accessible to all; and this year’s programme holds unique cross-cultural, age-independent and multi-disciplinary appeal because of its “Science Across Cultures” theme!
From ancient paintmaking to modern micro-rocketry, colour and illusions to prehistoric bling, organic vegetables to supersonic science, DNA detectives to weather ice cream, laser beams to the science of facial beauty, instrument acoustics to continental drifts, bubbles to electricity, marine pollution to robotics, astronomy to agriculture, astonishing alchemy to curious chemistry, sushi to the SALT telescope, satellite building to speed dating a scientist, bird ringing to mapping, industrial design to invasive alien species, fracking to kitchen chemistry, Marie Curie to the mathematics of Zulu design, laser shows to quiz nights, a living maths children’s sleepover to CSI, understanding the dark universe to healing with light, semaphores to having a HART – Scifest Africa 2011 is bursting at its scientific seams with incredible experiences, activities, exhibitions, lectures, demonstrations, installations, excursions … and most of all, fascinating fun for everyone!
In many ways the universal applicability of science around the world and across a myriad disciplines, holds special significance in these times of universal global crises like global warming, because now humankind truly needs to act as a collective if we are to not only avert calamity, but actually survive and thrive! And it’s exactly this kind of collectively shared responsibility to act that is given a phenomenal boost by Scifest Africa’s monumental bringing together of scientists and insights from around the world!
It’s interesting to note that Scifest Africa’s host city, Grahamstown, is known as South Africa’s cultural capital, because it also hosts the National Arts Festival every year, so it is delightful that Scifest now too is imbued with a dynamic cultural element, albeit in a different sense. And in a country like South Africa – priding itself on its diversity – the diversity of fields and national and international specialists and exhibitions represented at Scifest Africa 2011 is truly an ode to how much science connects us all.
Indeed, the theme of “Science Across Cultures” is also vividly represented by the generous involvement of the Embassy of the Netherlands as festival co sponsor – with the Dutch themselves being a nation that was built on innovative science and technology, which saw the country double the size of its usable land by reclaiming it back from lakes, marshes and the sea.
Ultimately however, the ideal of “Science Across Cultures” is more than about universal scientific applicability or joint responsibility. It’s about the realisation that the most distant particle in our universe and we as a species are all part of a single magnificent cosmic soup worthy of fascination, exploration and joyful veneration at the marvellous eternal complexity of life! And it’s all unveiled at Scifest Africa this year – running from the 4th to the 10th of May.
This year’s festival programme is as universal as the theme it’s inspired by. It’s available online at www.scifest.org.za. Or make enquiries on (046)603 1106. Go on! Log on! Cross cultures and come play with the global community of science!
