Journey to the future
Get a glimpse of the wonders of tomorrow at the Petrosains Science Festival 2018
WE once thought that space travel was impossible. But since 1961 when Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to travel into space, not only have we sent people to the moon, but we are even looking at a future where people can possibly live on Mars!
The future is filled with vast and exciting possibilities. Technological advances like flying cars, talking robots and rovers on Mars are no longer confined to the realm of science fiction.
Many of these inventions are close to reality today and could be potential solutions for the challenges we face tomorrow, such as climate change, rapid urbanisation, complex healthcare needs, ageing populations, and the scarcity of natural resources.
Get a glimpse of the opportunities that await us in the future, at the Petrosains Science Festival 2018 (Sept 14-16), themed Journey Into The Future, One Discovery At A Time.
The three-day festival organised by Petrosains, The Discovery Centre, aims to take visitors on a journey of discovery through various aspects of life in the future, including mobility, communications, sustainable living as well as education.
Festival of ideas
This annual festival is an extension of Petrosains’ commitment to nurture meaningful learning of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
“The Petrosains Science Festival is one of Petrosains’ key initiatives to inspire the learning of science through a platform that is engaging, educational, impactful and highly accessible,” says Petrosains chief executive officer Tengku Nasariah Tengku Syed Ibrahim.
Tengku Nasariah says the theme of this year’s festival reflects Petrosains’ spirit and aspiration to progress and move forward with the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“We are privileged to live in an age where new scientific discoveries are developing at a rapid rate, and are changing our lives in unprecedented ways.
“One instance is how digital technology has transformed the way we do everything – from the mundane to the profound. Artificial intelligence and big data has allowed us to process massive amounts of information, and make better and faster decisions.
“Yet we have only just begun to scratch the surface of how we can use these technologies to solve the major problems we are grappling with today, such as poverty, equal learning opportunities, environmental and social sustainability.
“This is why this year we have chosen to address the science of tomorrow as our theme to share and inspire the people on the exciting possibilities waiting for us in the next few decades.
“At the Petrosains Science Festival, the future will come alive through the interactive programmes that include hands-on workshops, science shows and exhibitions in the Galleria areas of Petrosains, the Suria KLCC Concourse and the Esplanade, KLCC Park,” she says.
The three-day line-up is also packed with interesting talks and forums, exploring future technologies and innovations in various industries. Many of these are free and will be open to the public at the Concourse and Esplanade areas of KLCC.
This festival also promises entertaining activities, with celebrity performances from the likes of Hael Hussaini, Ismail Izzani, Colours of Voices and Fazz, as well as stage performances by traditional dancers and street musicians.
Reaching out
Now in its fifth year, the festival continues to celebrate science in the community, following in the footsteps of science festivals in major cities such as Edinburgh, New York, San Diego, Abu Dhabi and Singapore.
“This exciting community festival is aimed at supporting the national aspiration of promoting the learning of science while addressing the challenge for a greater scientifically-literate society in the nation,” says Tengku Nasariah.
“It also provides a unified platform in the community where both the public and private sectors, key industry players and academia can work together to inspire and instill an appreciation and respect for science,” she says.
This year, for the first time, the festival was extended to other parts of Malaysia – Kuantan (Aug 4-5) and Johor Baru (Aug 11-12) – allowing local communities in Pahang and Johor to enjoy the same learning opportunities available in Kuala Lumpur.
The festival was held at the Petrosains Playsmart centres in Johor Baru and Kuantan, which are smaller satellite centres set up in 2008 and 2011, respectively, to bridge the gap between urban and semi-urban communities in terms of science literacy.
While held on a smaller scale, the state-level events were no less exciting, featuring hands-on workshops such as building terrarium gardens, solar ovens and hydraulic robots.
There were also interactive learning sessions, such as liquid nitrogen and combustion science shows, as well as entertaining activities such as stage performances and Zumba fitness sessions.
Wonder and joy
“For the past two decades, the days in Petrosains have been filled with the joy and wonder of children and smiles of visitors of all ages,” Tengku Nasariah says.
Each day, Petrosains welcomes thousands of people through its many doors, opening up their minds to the joys of learning and discovering about the various aspects of science.
“Science centres are designed and structured learning environments that play pivotal roles as powerful learning support systems to formal and continuing education,” explains Tengku Nasariah.
“Through exhibitions, programmes, competitions or festivals, science centres aim to make science accessible, engaging and interesting to the public. These activities have the potential to help thousands of people understand the social, environmental and economic impact of human behaviors on the planet’s future.”
Twenty years after its establishment by Petronas as its corporate social responsibility arm in the pillar of education, Petrosains has delivered on this promise – not only through The Discovery Centre in the Petronas Twin Towers, but also through its satellite centres in three states across Malaysia, travelling exhibitions (StreetSmart and DinoTrek) and countless in-reach and outreach programmes.
The Petrosains Science Festival shows that Petrosains embraces the big questions and helps to translate them into something accessible for the community.
For instance, in 2017, the festival celebrated sustainable living with the theme Little Plans for the Big Planet. The programme showcased green ideas, including recycling, conserving energy and zero waste, to demonstrate how small actions in our daily lives can help to bring positive impact to the planet. In the same way, taking small steps to appreciate science in our lives can advance our understanding of the world around us by leaps and bounds.
The Petrosains Science Festival will appeal to every one who is curious to know more about the world around us and the possibilities to come.
For the Petrosains Science Festival schedule of activities, go to www.sciencefestival.my/schedule.php
We are privileged to live in an age where new scientific discoveries are developing at a rapid rate.
Tengku Nasariah Tengku Syed Ibrahim CEO, Petrosains