Singapore Science Festival 2017 Opens with More Than 50 Activities for Everyone
Singapore Maker Extravaganza to present largest-ever Singapore Maker Faire
19 July 2017- Singapore – The month-long Singapore Science Festival (SSF) returns in its 17th edition with an expanded suite of offerings- including the largest Singapore Maker Extravaganza in Singapore- to encourage stronger curiosity about science and innovation. Themed ‘Future Health’- SSF 2017 will connect local and international changemakers in the science- technology- engineering and mathematics community to offer informative and inspiring content for every participant. SSF 2017 is jointly organised by Science Centre Singapore- which is celebrating its 40th anniversary- and the Agency for Science- Technology and Research (A*STAR).
In line with the theme of ‘Future Health’- SSF 2017 will showcase the development and use of innovative approaches in science and technology that would support the transformation of healthcare to one centered on the well-being of patients and caregivers. This will be presented through a suite of activities- from lectures and talks- to workshops and interactive games- designed for participants of all ages.
“Science and technology have played an important role in the advancement of healthcare- and will have the potential to improve our everyday life. We’re excited to present SSF 2017 and celebrate innovations that are relevant- creative and presented in fun and interactive ways. We hope that more visitors will enjoy the wide range of multi-sensory activities offered during SSF- and that it will inspire visitors young and old to discover science and innovation in their own way-” said Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng- Chief Executive- Science Centre Singapore.
Taking place from 20 July to 19 August 2017- SSF 2017 presents festival-goers with an exciting line-up of more than 50 activities- curated to inspire both young and old in scientific discovery and innovation. This year’s programme line-up features refreshed returns of crowd favourites like X-periment! @ one-north Festival- Singapore Maker Extravaganza- STAR Lecture and Visual SG.
“Every year- the Singapore Science Festival highlights the profound contributions of STEM to both economic and societal outcomes. This year’s focus on the future of health is particularly pertinent- given our rapidly ageing population and also a general increased awareness of the importance of individual health and wellness-” said Prof Ng Huck Hui- Executive Director of the A*STAR Graduate Academy- and the Genome Institute of Singapore- A*STAR. He added- “We hope that this year’s festival encourages young people to take a greater interest in scientific research that impacts health and more- and inspires them to take a more active role in the STEM community – be it as makers and hobbyists- or future scholars and academics.”
One of the biggest highlights this year is the Singapore Maker Extravaganza. The combination of the Maker Summit- Maker Conference and Singapore Maker Faire will offer useful tips in twinning critical and creative thinking with the application of technology and an entrepreneurial spirit.
Other Festival highlights include:
- X-periment! @ one-north Festival- a two-day science carnival that celebrates the latest development and cutting-edge innovation on the theme of Future Health;
- Singapore Maker Extravaganza- consisting of the Maker Summit- Maker Conference and Singapore Maker Faire- which spotlights the growing maker movement in Singapore;
- Visual SG- a key visualisation festival in Singapore with interactive displays- forums and workshops. Hear from an impressive line-up of speakers at the Visual Frontier Forum including Victor Luo (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory)- Adrian Tout (Google)- Robert Jenkin (Wildfire Entertainment)- and more;
- STAR Lecture- titled “Supercharged: Fueling the Future” by Professor Saiful Islam- who is from the department of Materials Chemistry at the University of Bath- UK;
- Singapore Buskers Festival- which showcases how science enthusiasts from all walks of life communicate and express science in fun and creative ways;
- NanoGirl Science Show- which brings science out of the classroom with interesting science experiments on stage.
More information about SSF 2017 can be found in Annex A.
About Science Centre Singapore
Science Centre Singapore- a non-formal educational institution and leading regional Science Centre- along with its group of attractions- brings out the wonders of science- technology- engineering and mathematics through its unique blend of exhibitions- educational programmes and events. A custodian of creativity and innovation- Science Centre Singapore has captured the evolution of scientific developments for nearly four decades.
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- engineering and mathematics. Since 1997- the Centre has welcomed over 30 million visitors and inspired them with more than 1-000 exhibits spread across 14 exhibition galleries and outdoor exhibition spaces.
The Centre’s group of attractions include Omni-Theatre- Snow City and KidsSTOP™. The Omni-Theatre is an immersive dual-technology edutainment destination fitted with Southeast Asia’s largest seamless dome screen and featuring the latest and brightest 8k digital fulldome system in the world. Snow City is Singapore’s only permanent indoor snow centre offering an Arctic inspired experience at Singapore’s first ice gallery and snow chamber. KidsSTOP™ - Where every child gets to Imagine- Experience- Discover and Dream - is Singapore’s first children’s science centre offering an enriching experience through purposeful play for children aged 18 months to 8 years old.
For more information- please visit www.science.edu.sg
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 spearheads economic oriented research to advance scientific discovery and develop innovative technology. Through open innovation- we collaborate with our partners in both the public and private sectors to benefit society.As a Science and Technology Organisation- A*STAR bridges the gap between academia and industry. Our research creates economic growth and jobs for Singapore- and enhances lives by contributing to societal benefits such as improving outcomes in healthcare- urban living- and sustainability.
We play a key role in nurturing and developing a diversity of talent and leaders in our Agency and Research Institutes- the wider research community and industry. A*STAR oversees 18 biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering research entities primarily located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis.
Annex A
Highlights of Singapore Science Festival 2017
| Singapore Maker Extravaganza | This year’s Singapore Maker Extravaganza consists of the Maker Summit- Maker Conference and Maker Faire Singapore- and aims to showcase the growing maker movement in Singapore- and fuel the discussion of topics like community- technology- entrepreneurship and education. |
| NanoGirl Science Show | Dr Michelle Dickinson is a passionate researcher and teacher with a love of science and engineering. She brings her NanoGirl Science Show specially to this year’s Festival. She will bring science excitement to the stage with the airzooka- crushing tin cans and exploding soap bubbles during her show. |
| Science Buskers Festival | The Science Buskers Festival provides a rare opportunity to see science enthusiasts aged from 7 to 70 from all walks of life showing off their ability to communicate and express science in fun and creative manners. Do come and vote for your favourite science busker! |
| Visual SG | Visual SG celebrates beauty through its emphasis on visual aesthetics- insights and narratives that reside in data and scientific visualisation. Through its line-up of interactive displays- forums and workshops- Visual SG aims to provoke conversations on the significant role of data analytics in today’s business and societal context. More info on www.visualsg.com |
| X-periment! @ one-north Festival | Fancy a peek at what goes on behind-the-scenes in science? Discover the latest developments by researchers from universities- research institutions and companies at this two-day science carnival- where they will demonstrate their new- cutting-edge innovations on the theme of Future Health. A great science discovery for the whole family. |
| STAR Lecture | This year’s STAR Lecture is entitled “Supercharged: Fueling the Future” by Professor Saiful Islam- who is from the department of Materials Chemistry at the University of Bath- UK. Prof Islam will describe something invisible that drives everything around us from our bodies to mobile phone from airplanes to all the stars in the universe… ENERGY. |
| Introduction to Astro-Photography + Remote Telescope Control Workshop Contact: Aishah_abdullah_sani@science.edu.sg | Learn how to take photos of the night sky and milky way with your camera and control remote telescopes in Australia and take beautiful distant objects such as galaxies and nebulae in this workshop. Astro-photography is becoming increasingly popular due to the rapid improvement of digital cameras. Nowadays it is possible to take stunning images with basic camera gear in dark sites. In addition- remote telescopes are now available online and anyone with Internet connection can control these telescopes and image distant galaxies and nebulae. Participants will learn how to:
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| Urban Farming with Edible Garden City | In this session- we would be looking at the benefits of urban farming and the methods involved to start your own little plot of green. With the majority of the worlds; population is living in dense megacities- how do we keep agriculture relevant and sustainable? Urban farming is a solution and has become a trend in Singapore. In this session- we would be looking at the benefits of urban farming and the methods involved to start your own little plot of green. |
| Prachi Perfumery Workshop | Through this workshop- participants will be introduced to perfume making and will also learn how to create their own signature scent. Art of perfume making is as ancient as our society. Perfume (par - fume) means from smoke and that’s how messages to gods were sent. Prachi’s olfactive creations range from artistic- to common- creative to usual and even local. Through this workshop- participants will be introduced to perfume making and will also learn how to create their own signature scent. |