Nineteen action-packed days, numerous enjoyable attractions, 60,000 visitors, and an energetic team of exhibitors and assistants were elements of the special formula for the successful staging of Sci-TechKnoFest 2006. This one-of-a-kind science and technology festival hosted by the NIHERST appealed to all the senses and delivered high quality ‘edutainment’ on the theme of “The Environment – Our Space, Our Place”.

Staged for the first time at the NIHERST/NGC National Science Centre in D’Abadie, this fourth staging of the festival from September 27th to October 15th 2006, surpassed all expectations in providing a fun learning experience in science and technology to visitors. With a challenging mandate of mounting a large-scale exhibition over 19 days, NIHERST pulled out all the stops to make science and technology come alive in new and exciting ways.

Supported by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education and the University of Trinidad and Tobago, the event raised awareness among students and the public in general of various aspects of our environment.

Children enjoying the EcoPark

Visitors explored the “EcoPark”, a specially created outdoor exhibit, which not only featured various natural landscapes which can be found locally, but even the man-made agricultural systems that help sustain human livelihoods. The Apiaries Division presented an interesting demonstration of a live beehive and samples of honey and beeswax, which were well received by visitors. The Forestry Division too, left visitors with a better appreciation of our forest life, with preserved mounts of wild animals.

“Aquatic World” provided a snapshot of a variety of aquatic systems and wildlife, with youngsters enthusiastically marveling over the beauty of coral reefs and local fishes. Parents also felt comfortable acting as teachers, pointing out familiar freshwater animal life such as crayfish, river sardines and coscorubs to their charges. The Institute of Marine Affairs also lent support in poster displays of our marine areas and information on marine life.

“About Us” provided an up-close look at organs, systems and other elements of the human body – our inner environment so to speak. Competitive rivalries were stimulated by a specially crafted “jeopardy” styled game on this subject and by Mindball, a fun exhibit on brainwaves and relaxartion. “I-Wall” introduced visitors to the technologies of MRI, X-rays and CT scans that are used by medical personnel to peer inside the human body in order to diagnose disorders.

One of the many fishes in Aquatic World

There was never enough time spent in “The Raging Planet”, where visitors of all ages were eager to step into the earthquake house to get a ‘shake-up’ by earthquakes of varying intensities! The arrangement of tectonic plates on the earth and the effects created by their movement were ably explained and highlighted by staff of the Seismic Research Centre through more interactive displays and posters on natural disasters.

A virtual trip to the stars was the type of experience gained by visitors to the Planetarium. Accommodated in one of two spacious domes after entering through a crawl-zone, a guided tour of the constellations was offered to audiences, in addition to special slide shows on images taken by the Hubble telescope.
From the stars to the ocean depths, the festival this year was further enhanced by the University of Trinidad and Tobago, which enabled visitors to enjoy a virtual underwater experience in the institution’s 3D animation theatre.

Several other interactive zones provided further exploration into innovation, with AutoCAD technology in the Creative Design Lab, robot building and programming in RoboMania, and quizzes on local inventors in the Go Creative Exhibit. The virtual reality kiosk in the latter zone was especially popular with visitors, drumming up a storm with various types of percussion instruments, or swimming through the oceans with dolphin friends.

Dr. David Gordon the  “Insect Chef”

Visitors 7 years and under were treated to a special “Kidiplay” zone where they learnt how to take care of their environment. Another special zone, “The Games Village”, featured the traditionally popular interactive exhibits, including the sound cones, bike generator, balancing beam and stilts, alongside the newly acquired “Jupiter Boots”.

For those who took for granted the everyday activities of craft and cooking, the creative bead booth and the fruit preserves from the Lopinot community offered a new education on these activities. So too did the demonstration of ‘organic’ instruments fashioned by master drummer, Jah Jah Onilu and his team of musicians, which leads to a review of the dynamic performances put on at the TechKno Theatre, the traditional home of entertainment at Sci-TechKno Fest.

Science education took on a new twist yet again through exciting and side-splitting acts that had patrons coming back for more! With the arthropod connoisseur, Dr. David Gordon as “Insect Chef” who cooked up a protein-rich meal of ‘bugs’ in a jiffy; the stylized rhyming of the Pierrot Grenade, Mr. Felix Edindorough; the Arts in Action hilarious skit on eating habits entitled “Hungry Henry”; East Indian cultural performances; and Brother Resistance who predictably had audiences singing along to the timeless classic “Mother Earth”, the TechKno Theatre was decidedly the super attraction in 2006.

With bicentennial anniversary celebrations of the Chinese community underway, the TechKno Theatre also played hosts to kung fu and lion dance performances by the Wan Zhong Shan troupe from Hoi Ping, Guandong in China.

Interest in science and technology has escalated since the staging of Sci-TechKnoFest 2006 and all are welcomed to make their way back to the National Science Centre to enjoy the permanent displays and exhibits that were developed for the event. You would not believe it but the Planning Committee is getting ready to welcome visitors to Sci-TechKnoFest in 2008!