When the curtains came down on Sci-TechKnoFest 2013, the twenty consecutive days of fun, excitement and educational science and technology were certainly enjoyed by the 55,000 visitors who came through our doors at the Centre of Excellence in Tunapuna. This science and technology festival stimulated all the senses, and engaged people in exploration of their curiosity about the world around them: the inventions that help us to work and live and improve our lives, well into the 21st century.
"Celebrating Human Ingenuity", the theme of this year's event, was underscored in all areas of the festival including the featured exhibit "101 Inventions that Changed the World". Youngsters and older persons celebrated man's ability to soar above the earth in aeroplanes in a flight simulation booth; capturing the rain was given a high-tech upgrade in a specially designed rainwater harvesting system; our attempts to mitigate climate change and save energy using a range of innovations were also demonstrated.
The science behind rum distillation and the secret science of our Angostura bitters were also a hit with crowds, who enjoyed take-home samples of this unique Trinbagonian product. The home grown, so-called "hottest pepper in the world" - scorpion pepper - was a main attraction at the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute booth and "Monoprint Batik" was a new innovation shared with visitors at the Artistic Revolution Booth. Budding engineers gained information about cutting-edge advances in the field, and manipulated robots and computer aided machines to learn about various means of fabrication of 3D objects.
For those wanting to put themselves to the test, there was no end of interactive puzzles, games, and exhibits from the National Science Centre (NSC). Two-player challenges were going on among students at all hours of the school week, which spilled into family rivalries on the weekend, all good-humoured edu-tainment in a safe and comfortable environment. The ever-popular NSC Planetarium dome was fully booked at all hours of the day and visitors were able to enjoy new interactive exhibits in this area to learn about the weight of the galaxy, planet orbits and identification of some constellations.
The festival also featured stellar entertainment on the stage of the TechKno Theatre. Science showman from the UK, David Price offered up exciting experiments with water, including a sensational 'soak down' as he tried to squeeze water before giggling audiences. Alwyn Gordon, the NSC's own showman, drew large crowds, as he engaged students and parents in performing as a live "boomwhacker" band, while exploring the science of sound and its application in the invention of sonar technology. Other outstanding performances came from Necessary Arts Theatre, Let's Play Pretend, JJ and Friends and the loveable puppets of the Inter-Caribbean Children's Ministries.
Adding to the festival atmosphere, product promoters shared samples among eager crowds and on the outside of the venue, the air of excitement continued, with a display of animals put on by the Serpentarium and weekend performers including the Prisons Band, the Central Bank Singers, and various steelband groups.
NIHERST's Sci-TechKnoFest continues to be an event that is highly anticipated and greatly patronised by the Trinbago public. The Institute is thankful and equally hopeful for the continued support of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, our many corporate partners and our science-savvy and curious population to fully insert Sci-TechKnoFest into the cultural landscape of an innovative and creative Trinidad and Tobago while being the leading science and technology festival in the Caribbean region.
