Supernova at Eskom Expo for Young Scientists!

The Supernova team visited the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists which is held from the 7th to the 10th of October. We had the opportunity to meet some very clever, curious kids as they showed off their scientific talents, which were very interesting to see.

Raihaan Bhyat, who is in Grade 7 and is from Johannesburg, made a working wireless iPhone charger, while Heidi Böttcher in Grade 8 from Cape Town explained the age old question “What really attracts boys to girls?” This was extremely enlightening! Sinethemba Latha, in Grade 10 from KwaZulu-Natal, told us how colours in our bedrooms affect our moods. For example, how warm and cool colours can influence our general perception towards reality. Nolene Viljoen in Grade 10 from northern Gauteng has already developed a vaccine for Cowdriosis, also known as ‘Heartwater’ which is a bacterial disease, originating in ticks, which affect all species of antelope, excluding Springboks who are naturally immune.

The Eskom Expo for Young Scientists is a non-profit organisation which strives to promote an interest within the fields of science and technology in order to promote careers that are orientated around these specific areas. This is an expo for young scientists from all over the country in which they are able to discuss their projects with teachers and judges, as well as learners from other schools. Their awareness of scientific wonders is increased as well as their scientific horizons broadened.

Sinethemba Latha

The event takes place annually at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Boksburg, Gauteng. The students who are selected as finalists receive international exposure to various career opportunities associated with technology, engineering, science, innovation and mathematics. They also stand the chance to receive mobile science kits, laptops, bursaries to various universities, electronic equipment and money.

The prize giving ceremony will take place on Friday the 10th of October.

Best of luck to all the talented young-scientists currently, taking part in this expo. We at Supernova are holding thumbs for you!

Science fiction at Sci-Bono

Between 4 and 12 October Sci-Bono Discovery Centre will host an amazing holiday programme called The Science Fiction Festival.

The past decade has seen the impossible and improbable feats and wonders of science fiction movies and books become a reality in our daily lives. We can do things today that left us in awe a couple of years ago. Travelling into space and having all the knowledge of the world at your fingertips is a reality and no longer just a fantasy meant to entertain.

Sci-Bono Discovery Centre will explore this wonderful world during a programme that will leave all visitors inspired, informed and entertained. Kids get to make their own alien slime while learning about polymers. After a trip through the cosmos, a number of programmes await all willing explorers where they can learn about our solar system and also build their own cosmic kaleidoscopes. The Fiction Busters Science Show will explain exactly what is fact and what is fiction in the movies we watch. For schools there will also be science fiction writing competitions, art expos and exhibitions with amazing prizes to be won like Kindles.

If the holiday programme is still not enough to keep kids and parents alike entertained for hours, there are more than 350 interactive science exhibits that can also be explored. 'Don’t touch!' are words that don’t exist at Sci-Bono and visitors are encouraged to touch, push and wind up the hundreds of exhibits that were built exactly for that purpose. After hours of fun stimulating young minds, feeding hungry tummies will be a priority, but that’s easy to do at the coffee shop offering tasty snacks and light meals.

Some of the daily programmes are free and included in the entrance price. For more details and bookings please contact Cynthia Sithole on 011 639 8491 or email cynthia.sithole@sci-bono.co.za/bookings@sci-bono.co.za. Sci-Bono Discovery Centre is open Monday to Friday between 9h00 – 17h00 and Saturday & Sunday between 9h30 – 16h30. For more information contact +27 11 639 8400 or email info@sci-bono.co.za or visit our website on www.sci-bono.co.za

Click on the programme below to enlarge:

Press release issued by Sci-Bono Discovery Centre.