Scientriffic coming to town
20 March 2006
Hot air balloons, reptiles, energy bikes, performance cars… Scientriffic must be back in town. This Saturday sees the return of the popular Scientriffic event at NEWI. This event, which is guaranteed to be fun for all the family, has something for everyone and offers opportunities for hands-on involvement as well as the opportunity to gaze in wonder at the realisation of how science affects everyone.
For people that have always wondered about hot air balloons and how they work, visitors will be able to see a tethered hot air balloon and ask questions and hopefully take a tethered flight, weather permitting. A variety of animals will be on campus from live marine animals commonly found on the North Wales coast to a range of reptiles including the fourteen foot of muscle that is the Burmese python.
Wrexham Fire Station will be popping to see us and presenting their demonstration on the dangerous hazards faced by firefighters everyday. Are you a Sherlock Holmes waiting to be discovered? NEWI’s forensic science students have set up a reconstruction of a crime scene and invite visitors to follow the forensic trail and solve the crime.
NEWI Racing will be showing off their performance cars and demonstrating the techniques used to prepare a car for racing and the Starchaser Nova Rocket display returns again this year enabling people to make and test their own paper rockets.
The World Museum Liverpool is providing an opportunity to really get to grips with a whole range of extinct animals and plants, with a chance to dig for fossils, make your own plaster casts of fossil remains, do a fossil rubbing and see many of the specimens including dinosaur material from the museum’s geological collections. Experts will be on hand to answer questions and visitors are welcome to bring along any natural history objects that they wish to be identified.
If you’ve always wanted to generate your own power then the energy bike is the bike for you. Visitors will be able to rise to the challenge and power a range of equipment by cycling. Cyclists will quickly realise how much energy they are wasting by leaving their computer monitors on standby and the drastic difference between efficient and inefficient light bulbs is seen by a grimace on the cyclists face!
NEWI Computing department are giving a workshop on Game and Network Technology. This interactive demonstration of game and network technologies, highlights the current trends and techniques in 2D and 3D graphics. The event will also enable visitors to participate in a small multiplayer game tournament and to make their own game to take away with them.
There will be a number of science themed shows available throughout the day. Why not join bubble master Steve Allman for a show full of fantastic bubble science involving giant bubbles, smoke filled bubbles, flying bubbles and cubic bubbles.
The day will offer adults and youngsters alike the opportunity to take part in challenges and experiments from the trying to design the world’s slowest marble race, making their own musical instruments, taking part in perplexing puzzles and engaging games to even having their arm in plaster for the day!
A prize draw will be running on the day enabling visitors to be entered to win an £150 track sport voucher for a track or drifting day at a real race circuit. Scientriffic is the finale of Wrexham Science and Technology Week. It is on Saturday 25th March from 10am until 4pm. Tickets are available in advance from Wrexham Tourist Information Office, Techniquest@NEWI or by calling 01978 293439. Prices in advance are Children £2, Adults £4 and Family Tickets £10, prices on the day are Children £3, Adults £5 and Family ticket £12.