Science fest has kids in ecstatic thrall - Deccan Herald

Bangalore, August 30, 2013, DHNS: The famed Edinburgh International Science Festival (EISF), which seeks to impart rudiments of science to young adults adopting fun and interesting elements to inculcate science learning, got off to a rousing start at Bhartiya City, Hebbal, Thanisandra Road, in the City on Friday. The festival on the inaugural day was a hive of activity, with children of all hues and learning, getting a first hand experience at the marvels of science, as the representatives went about demonstrating various facets, in keeping with the EISF's motto of imparting the basics in science in ways that are fun and interesting. Sure enough, leading from the front, was British Deputy High Commissioner Ian Felton, going beyond the formalities of inauguration, by donning the role of a surgeon, strapping imaginary operation gloves while demonstrating a laparoscopic operation on a dummy patient at the 'Emergency Room.' As if adding a dose of humour to his new habiliment, Felton took to ribbing his colleagues playfully to consider a career change evoking gleeful guffaws all around. Explaining the genesis of bringing the first of such festival to India and Bangalore, EISF Chief Executive Officer and Director Simon Sage explained real experience of not only being inside an operation theatre but being able to perform this operation using real instruments has made this particular feature of the festival very popular among the childen. According to Sage, a number of children fainted while performing the emergency room surgery. The operation performed on a dummy, uncanny resemblance to real organs inside the body makes children skirmish and even black out.  Observing that though ESIF had brought only five of its 25 plus science displays to the City on its maiden visit, Sage hoped that more would follow suit next time. Besides science displays, there are a number of others on lights and sounds, from their counterparts in the City. That ESIF's interesting way of doing science was an instant hit among the intended was succinctly expressed by Sebastian Richards, 13, who, along with a number of his classmates from St Patrick's School, Brigade Road, was busy performing various experiments on taste and smell at the 'Splastic' lab. "From these experiments I realised that our nose and sense of smell is very essential for tasting. We also mixed a number of substances from which we got our own bottle of perfume," said an enthusiastic and ecstatic Sebastian. A number of children were seen engrossed in various activites like mental math exercises, building lego robots et all.       Minister of Agriculture Krishna Byre Gowda, who flagged off the event, was hopeful that the science fest would help in igniting the minds of the young and increase their enthusiasm towards basic science, which, according to him was fast dwindling. According to Ian Felton, the decision to bring the science fest to the City and not anywhere else is primarily because of Bangalore's standing as the technology and knowledge centre in the country. Felton also spoke about the possibilty of collobarating on research projects. "This is the best place for research collaboration with the presence of a number of  institutions. We are looking forward to collaboration in the field of water research and aerospace," said Felton.   The fest is on till September 9. So folks make the most of ESIF and experience and engage in science like never before and bring out the Einsteins and C V Ramans in you. Go to Top via Science - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHm2HHe5qmrPQ418lxuHsLHB2TykQ&url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/354429/science-fest-has-kids-ecstatic.html

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