Given there’s a university full of world-class scientists right here in Grahamstown, it’s not surprising that Rhodes is very well represented in this year's SciFest programme.
Given there’s a university full of world-class scientists right here in Grahamstown, it’s not surprising that Rhodes is very well represented in this year's SciFest programme.
In A Huff and a Puff, watch a master at work and learn more about glass, its versatility and the art of glassblowing in this interactive demonstration.
This workshop will take place on 2-4, 7 and 8 March. The Big, Bigger, Biggest Bang Show will explore some of the remarkable compositions, structures, properties and changes of matter or reactions that make up your world. Come along to the Department of Chemistry, to experience this once-off workshop, on 5 March at 10.50am.
Dr Rob Gess will present a lecture entitled ‘The Rocks Beneath the Monument’: A fossil time capsule which will allow you to travel back in time, and explore life when the rocks beneath your feet, were sands upon the shore.
This lecture will take place on 3 March at 11am the Olive Schreiner Hall at the Monument. Jono Davy from the Department of Human Kinetics and Ergonomics will be look at the human circadian rhythm, or body clock.
He will explore how it is influenced by/synchronised to the external environment, the role the body plays in the sleep-wake cycle and our ability to perform, the various factors that disrupt the body clock, and basic recommendations to maximise human performance while keeping the effects of the body clock in mind. Davy’s lecture will take place on 8 March at 11am – also in the Olive Schreiner Hall.
The Rhodes University Department of Mathematics will explore the festival theme, ‘A matter of Time’ in their exhibition this year.
They will show how space and time are dynamic and intertwined and have always held a fascination for scientists.
Learn more about the character of these concepts, the expansion of the Universe, and why mathematics is the language that underlies all sciences, through a selection of mind-bending mathematical games and puzzles. There will also be exhibitions by the Department of Geography and Faculty of Pharmacy.
The Etcetera
Scifest Africa programme contains interactive events that refuse to be classified as lectures, workshops, or exhibitions. As the dust settles after a busy day at Scifest Africa, unwind with good food, good wine and good company at a local restaurant 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. This event takes place on 2 March at 8pm at Saint’s Bistro. The cost per ticket is R200, and includes a three-course meal and a drink.
Or join us at our Science Café. This is a global initiative, which brings the public together with scientists and experts around science topics that are interesting, timely and often controversial. 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 Jayne Morgan and will take place at 5pm on 3 and 7 March respectively at Handmade Coffees.
Keep your eyes on the Scifest Africa website and Facebook page to see the line-up of who’s who for A Conversation With… and the Science Café sessions.
• To find out more visit www.scifest.org.za to see the full Rhodes University and Etcetera programme or visit www.tickethut.co.za. Bookings are open on 0860 002 004 or www.tickethut.co.za.
