A mixed bag of science tricks

The Edinburgh Science Festival. It had been a long awaited event, and was happening for the first time in India, brought to Bangalore by the efforts of mycity4kids.

We went on Sunday, with some friends - a couple with two children. It was quite a long drive to Bhartiya City, which had rented out their extensive grounds. The directions were easy enough, and when we reached there around 11am, there was already a crowd, and a long line at the ticket counters. Fortunately we had booked tickets online the day before, so we had to stand in a much shorter line to get them. Fortunately, too, as the tickets were sold out just around noon, and many people had to be turned away despite having come long distances, if they had not booked in advance, online.

First, the good.

There were large tents around, which housed the different exhibits. These were arranged quite far apart, with plenty of open space, interspersed with pavilions that had small tables and plenty of chairs.

Drinking water and large garbage bins were placed at convenient places.

There was a food court at one end, with plenty of eating options, from pizza/ sandwiches/ burgers/ frankies, to dosas, biryani, parathas, fried chicken, some Chinese stuff (that didn't look too good), as also tea/ coffee/ fresh lime sodas/ ice cream. You don't have to carry any food or water at all.

The exhibits themselves were in three categories.

There were the shows that were put on every hour - two different shows that alternated throughout the day. These were on an open stage, with plenty of space to sit/ stand in the front. In the format of a play, many scientific principles were explained, and the children in the audience were encouraged to participate and interact with those on stage. This was easy for even 5-6 year-olds to understand.

Next, there were the exhibits which were in tents, but open to both the children and the adults. Many of these were presented by some wonderful people from Indian organisations like mylearnbuddy, Fun Lab, ScienceAdda, and ScienceUtsav, whom I discovered thanks to this festival. The presenters were very knowledgeable, and could satisfactorily answer any questions, and had a way with words that kept the children engaged. Since parents were at hand, even little kids were permitted inside, and yes, they, too, were encouraged to interact and ask questions.

Third, were those that were only for children. These were the most interesting, and the most in demand.

1. Forensic Science - Be a Spy, was presented by Indian Forensic Organisation. The children went in here immediately upon entering the campus, and thoroughly enjoyed solving a murder mystery.
2. Emergency Room. This was facilitated by Columbia Asia Hospitals. Children wore the disposable green gowns that most hospitals use these days and actually performed surgical procedures on life-size rubber dummies. Removing a cyst, removing gallstones using scissor forceps and a laparoscope, and cleaning and treating a realistic deep thigh wound were some of the things that A reported doing. The gowns were their souvenirs.
3. Splat -Tastic. What child does not enjoy playing with something that adults find slimy and yucky? This one was about physics and chemistry dealing with viscosity and stickiness of substances. The kids even created some of their own and came out with slimeballs in paper cups to take home.
4. Pongy Potions. The very name got A thinking of Harry Potter, Severus Snape, and Potions classes. Unlike those, though, these were great fun. This one is about scents and smells. Fragrant and stinky. The children had great fun messing around with them, and came out with fragrances that they had created using veg oil base, and an array of essential oils. What did A use? Lemongrass, vanilla, and patchouli. Why? She said she liked them the best.
5. Sound and Light shapes. This was very interesting - at least what the children described was. One of the things here was a row of flames that were connected to a recording of a piece of western classical music, and the flames danced in response to the decibel levels. Sounds interesting.

Next, the not-so-good.

The above-listed ones were what the adults had been looking forward to most, but we were disappointed to be kept out of all the fun. These also had the longest lines. After sending the kids in for Be a Spy, we adults had chilled out under one of the nearby pavilions with some cold drinks. That was our mistake. After a while, we realized that the lines at all the exhibits were beginning to grow like Hanuman's tail, and if we didn't do something about it, we would end up having a wasted day on our hands. So we decided to make full use of our mobiles, and stood in line in pairs. The husband and his friend together, and the friend's wife and I together. As soon as the children got out of one place, they were ushered in for the one where we were closer to the entrance. Lunch time meant that I went to stand in a very long queue at the frankie counter (the children's choice of meal) and got one for each one of them. A quick munch between two exhibits, and they were sent on to the next one. As soon as we were sure they would be able to enter The Emergency Room, that had the longest duration, of 40 mins, I went to stand in a food line again, this time for parathas for the adults. We had our picnic sitting on the grass near the tent when they went in to do their operations. Hot sun above, shamianas for shade for those standing in queues not yet put up at all places - it tired us out a lot. Between us, we consumed more than 10 litres of water (we bought the water bottles there, as the drinking water drums were set up sometime around 4pm, and I kept a count), probably the only reason we lasted out there under the blazing sun all day. We hadn't checked the festival site properly, and had not carried the requisite caps, etc.

Verdict.

We were there from 11am to around 6pm. The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves, no doubt about that. They learnt much of science in a fun way, as science should ideally be learnt.

There is stuff for younger kids as well as for older ones. Actually for most 6+ year olds. Some, like Be a Spy, are for 8+ kids.

Be ready to do the kid-sitting. No use trying to get into exhibits where adults were permitted if you do not have a person with you who is not really interested, and who will agree to stand in the queue while you go take a look. Or at least be prepared with a book, to take turns at queuing up and going to learn some science.

Take caps, hats, sun protection - we've come back with some really painful sunburns. Unless the weekend was about teething troubles and the shade-providing shamianas for queues are now up.

The shows, though very kid-oriented, can get kind of boring for adults. Be ready to sit through it with your children, or sit it out at a pavilion with a cold drink and a book/ some socializing, while the kids enjoy themselves.

Book your tickets in advance online. So that you don't reach there to find them sold out.

Weekends can get a bit crowded, but most exhibits can be covered in the whole day. A visit on the weekday may not really work if the venue is very far for you. The day is for schools exclusively, and the gates are open for families and the general public from  4,30pm to 8pm. That might not be enough time. Not unless you study the list of exhibits at the festival website, choose what interests you most, and target those in the time you have. Evenings can also mean rain, so although the exhibits are in covered, enclosed spaces, arm yourself for the rain while you sit it out at queues or having a drink.

The actual festival in Edinburgh is a much more extensive one, with more than 200 exhibits, with the whole town joining in joyfully. While the one in Bangalore is nowhere near that, it is at least a beginning.

I also wish more people were interested in this sort of thing. I expected more familiar faces. Among all those who attended on Sunday, the only other face I recognised was that of A's science teacher at school. While malls feature high on most people's lists of places to go to on a weekend, science should, but doesn't.

One thing that struck me was - if we develop a similar infrastructure, and if there is political will, we have our own wonderful scientific communities, who can put up something comparable. Now that's a thought worth mulling over.