Virtual Wonders

On March 27th and 28th this year, young visitors to Petrosains were given the opportunity to experience landmark places, culture and language of Italy, France or Germany without physically leaving Malaysia. How was this possible you might ask? Well, we owe it all to the technology known as Virtual Reality (VR). 

VR replicates a real or imagined environment and lets us experience a different reality from where we physically are. Although it has been around for a while, it’s only in recent years VR is gaining attraction and is tipped to revolutionize the entertainment, education, tourism and many other industries. With VR, one can experience a live streaming concert as if you are there when the reality is you could be at home in your pyjama; medical students can practice surgery without using a cadaver; or one could learn and experience Mars without being in Mars! The possibilities are endless. 

Science centres and tourist attractions could benefit from VR too. Plenty has been said on how VR can truly enhance the museum experience. The Natural History Museum lets visitors experienced a 3D journey to discover and learn on earth’s earliest inhabitants through VR. The British Museum meanwhile allow their visitors to learn more about ancient artefacts on display by using VR to bring them to the places where the objects came from. 

Now imagine if you are a visitor to Petrosains and when you stop at Geotime Diorama, not only could you see replicas of Dinosaurs but you could also experience how these creatures live and learn more by just putting on a headset! Your visit and your educational experience would be truly enhanced. What about letting visitors a glimpse what is like to visit a 452m tower? Although certain parties worry that virtual reality will deter people from visiting the place physically, I beg to differ. 

Take for example travel shows. If we could already see a culture or a place of a country from a TV, why then did international tourist arrivals worldwide increased by 4.4% in 2015 to reach a total of 1,184 million?(World Tourism Organization). I believe nothing can beat the real experience of being at a place. 

Given the success of VR in tourist attractions and the potential for it to further enhance one’s educational experience, I think it is about time we take this technology further and start creating amazing wonders. 

Shared by Jasmine Johan

Guest Blogger

Strumming with Science at the Petrosains Science Festival 2014

It is a common misconception that science is all about complicated theories and intricate experiments. The majority of us forget that science is present in everything we do, see, feel, taste and hear in our everyday life. The 2014 Petrosains Science Festival is here to remind us that science is everywhere.

Music, one of the focal points of the festival, is one of the main themes for this year’s festival. Workshops such as “Box-elele” where you can make your own ukulele out of a shoe box and exciting forums and talks led by renowned guests are a must for music lovers.

Attending the talks and forums led me to discover the scientific side of music. Who knew that singing in the shower involved a significant amount of science? Without your brain instructing your vocal chords to vibrate and generate sound waves that will produce the desired notes, --e.g. a C note, you won’t actually be able to belt out your favourite ballad while shampooing your hair. This is a common fact that is generally known among many of us; sound waves = music. But how many of us truly comprehend the magnitude of its application in our lives? The “Enhancing learning through music neurosciences” talk by Dr. Valerie Ross from UiTM (photo below) explores the usage of music in education and pinpoints the importance of music in our life.

The “Basic Vocal, Learn it from a Soprano” talk hosted by UITM Music Faculty educates the public on the basics of singing such as how to utilise your vocals, how to fix your posture and breathing, phonation, resonation and articulation techniques. With enough vocal practices as demonstrated by the guest speaker, attendees will find themselves singing like Beyonce soon. Attendees also enjoyed a stunning performance by the guest speaker before her talk ended.

The Box-elele workshop is a definitely fun activity for kids and adults alike. Playing a self-made ukulele has an added attraction that comes from the gratification and satisfaction you obtain from the result of your hard work. The workshop provides you with all the tools and materials needed to make your own ukulele from simple household items and some ukulele strings. The workshop is conducted by a Petrosains staff member and aided by other Petrosains volunteers to ensure that visitors have a pleasant experience at the workshop.

The workshop kicks off with a brief introduction on the history of the ukulele which originated from Hawaii, followed by the crafting of the ukulele. Provided with clear and easy instructions in the form of a booklet, it took me nearly an hour to finish my ukulele. I was aided by two friendly Petrosains staff members who did not hesitate to answer all my inquires and to guide me through the steps. I was pleased with the ukulele after it was finished and took it home to show my siblings. They were delighted with it and could not stop strumming the ukulele. They are currently begging my parents to bring them to Petrosains to attend the Box-elele workshop.

After a fun and tiring day at the science festival, I would definitely rate it 10/10 and recommend everyone, regardless of age, to give the festival a visit because the best kind of learning is through fun and play.

“Necessity may be the mother of invention, but play is certainly the father.”
Roger von Oech
Contemporary American creativity guru

by Guest Blogger,
Nik Nur Liyana Rahimi (@Liyana_R)
Petrosains Science Scout, Troop 3

Petrosains Science Festival FUN CREW Brings Music, Arts & Science into LRT Train

Hooray! Petrosains Science Festival is back, bigger and better this year! So to spread the excitement we decided to get together and bring to you the Petrosains Science Festival FUN CREW! Our FUN CREW gave the public a taste of what this year's festival is all about with a surprise promo in an LRT train! We played music, did some science busking, gave away balloons & flyers and took photos with the unsuspecting but delighted public on the train. Check out the pictures!

Petrosains Science Festival FUN CREW before starting the promo. A total of 60 Petrosains staff and volunteers came out to surprise the public in an LRT train and a few stations.

Colourful Petrosains Science Festival balloons given out to public. 

Our crew all set at KLCC LRT station.

Getting ready before the fun starts!

Pay attention please! Safety briefing by station manager of  KLCC RapidKL LRT.

Here we go! We started at Kelana Jaya station.

Music on a train? Now that's what you call a 'moving' performance! 

Science busking with the 'energy ring' on the lucky train!

Snap! Snap! Don't forget to hashtag us with #petrosainsfest!

Check out the video!

We ended with a flash mob at KLCC station..

Join in the fun at Petrosains Science Festival 2014 this 15 to 21 September 2014! More info at www.sciencefestival.my 
SEE YOU THERE!

#petrosainsfest #music #art #science

Are spiders and tarantulas insects?

Mexican Red-kneed Tarantula
Image credit: George Chernilevsky

No!  They are arachnids.  Scorpions, mites and ticks are considered as family members. Many people think spiders are insects but they are mistaken as insects have six legs and three main body parts.  Scientists suggest there are over 75,000 species of arachnids, the majority of them spiders.

Wolf Spider
Image credit: Philip N. Cohen

What are arachnids anyway?  They are creatures with two body segments, eight legs, no wings or antennae and are not able to chew.  Many arachnids use silk, either to catch prey or to help them reproduce.  Most can only eat liquid food, so they squirt digestive chemicals into their prey and suck out the juice.  They are predators on insects and other invertebrates, except for many mites which feed on all kinds of things, like fungus, plants, dead animals, bacteria and other invertebrates.

Dew covered spider web
Image credit: Rosendahl

Tarantulas are a type of spider but are somewhat different from most spiders.  So, what’s the difference between them?

• Tarantulas are usually larger than most spiders.

• Not all spiders are hairy-bodied, whereas tarantulas are always.

• Tarantulas have two or four spinnerets (silk exuding tube-like structures) while spiders have six.

• Spiders exude silk to make webs to capture prey, whereas tarantulas do that for carpeting of floor of the nest and make hammock-like bedding for resting.

• Silk producing glands in the feet are unique for the tarantulas.

• Presence of barbs on the fleshy abdomen is a distinguishing feature of tarantulas.

• The lifespan for tarantulas is very high compared to spiders.

Why don’t you catch a spider and examine how it looks like?  Make sure you handle it with care and return it to where you got it from.  Forget about tarantulas.. they are DANGEROUS!

Sign up for the 'Spiders & Tarantula' interactive sessions happening during Petrosains Science Festival from 15-21 September 2014. Get your tickets at www.sciencefestival.my NOW! #petrosainsfest

Shared by Azni

Learning Specialist, Petrosains

Sains & Batik

Batik adalah teknik pewarnaan pada fabrik melalui proses 'rintang warna’ dengan menggunakan lilin dan damar sebagai perintang warnanya. Istilah 'rintang warna' bermaksud bahagian pada motif atau corak yang menghalang warna daripada diwarnai oleh pewarna. Bahagian tersebut akan kelihatan kekal putih setelah proses penghasilan batik siap sepenuhnya. Lihat gambar di bawah. Garisan-garisan putih merupakan bahagian yang telah di'rintang warna'.  

Motif Batik

'Rintang warna' lebih mudah dihuraikan sebagai bahagian yang terhalang daripada diwarnakan pada fabrik untuk menghasilkan batik. Apakah kaitannya pula dengan sains?

Corak pada tekstil dilukis bukan dengan pen atau pensil tetapi menggunakan sejenis alat yang menyerupai bentuk pen yang di panggil canting.  Ia terdiri dari bekas bermuncung seperti paip dan buluh sebagai pemegang. 

Campuran lilin (parafin) dan damar akan dipanaskan sebelum proses mencanting dilakukan. Setelah campuran ini cair, ia akan dicedok menggunakan canting. Bagi memastikan kelancaran campuran lilin dan damar keluar daripada muncung canting semasa proses mencanting, tembaga digunakan untuk membuat canting kerana tembaga merupakan konduktor haba yang baik. Ini amat penting bagi  memastikan campuran lilin dan damar sentiasa berada dalam keadaan cecair dan akan mengalir keluar dengan lancarnya semasa proses mencanting.

Mencanting pada lukisan batik bertujuan menutup bahagian motif atau corak daripada diwarnakan. Secara kimianya, lilin (parafin) adalah nama umum untuk hidrokarbon alkana dengan formula CnH2n+2. Ia berwarna putih, tidak berbau, tidak mempunyai rasa, pepejal, mempunyai takat lebur di antara 47 darjah Celcius sehingga 64 darjah Celcius dan tidak larut dalam air. Dalam keadaan suhu bilik, ia adalah rapuh dan mudah retak.

Damar yang selalu digunakan pula adalah getah yang diperolehi daripada pokok konifer. Damar sangat likat, mempunyai bau dan juga tidak larut dalam air.

Sifat kimia tidak larut dalam air yang dimiliki oleh lilin (parafin) dan damar menyebabkan kedua-dua bahan ini digunakan untuk memisahkan pewarna pada fabrik untuk menghasilkan batik. Sebelum proses pembuatan batik berakhir, fabrik akan dicelup di dalam sejenis larutan kimia untuk membuang lilin yang melekat. Hasilnya, bahagian yang ditutupi dengan lilin akan kelihatan bewarna putih.

Bengkel 'Mewarna Batik Canting' adalah salah satu aktiviti  sempena Petrosains Science Festival yang akan berlangsung  pada 15-21 September 2014. Layari www.sciencefestival.my untuk menyertainya! #petrosainsfest

Posted by Ayu

Learning Specialist, Petrosains

Petrosains Science Festival is Back!!

Petrosains, The Discovery Centre, is bringing back the Petrosains Science Festival for the second time around, from 15 to 21 September 2014.  Aptly themed “Music, Arts and Science”, this year’s festival which is open for families and youth of Malaysia, promises to be bigger, better and more exciting.  

In the quest to help raise awareness on the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, Petrosains hopes that with this Festival, and the support and participation from Festival partners, it will continue to fulfill its vision of awakening interest and passion in science, spreading wonder in discovery and introducing the pleasures of life-long learning to the general public.  

The inaugural Petrosains Science Festival was organized last year by Petrosains with the theme “Bringing Science Alive”. The Festival received overwhelming response with more than 40,000 visitors attending the six day festival and collaborations with more than 40 partners which consisted of Government agencies, corporations from telecommunications, oil & gas, IT, aviation and entertainment industries. There were performances by more than 40 personalities and celebrities and more than 100 workshops and talks were conducted throughout the festival where visitors thronged to attend the sessions.

This year, Petrosains will showcase Science, Music and Arts and the seamless fusion between these three elements.  Petrosains hopes to receive a bigger pool of visitors, especially as the festival dates coincide with the school holidays.  Already recognized by Tourism Malaysia as one of the anticipated and exciting annual festivals in Malaysia, this Festival will engage children, youth, and adults alike through its educational and scientific activities infused and layered with elements of Arts and Music. 

This year, to expand the reach and to accommodate a bigger audience, the KLCC Esplanade overlooking the dancing fountain will also be decked with Festival activities during the last three days of the Festival besides the weeklong do held at Galleria, Level 4, Petrosains.  This time around visitors can expect a whole lot more of interesting and fun activities, workshops, forums, talks, science shows, health and fitness sessions, celebrity appearances, games and such.  

At the same time, bigger collaborations with festival partners are expected to be forged to offer visitors a whirlwind of discovery and excitement in science. Among the key partners of the Petrosains Science Festival 2014 are PETRONAS, Telekom Malaysia, Technip, Tourism Malaysia, RHB, KRU, Sony Music, Discovery Science Channel, Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Universiti Institut Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Malaya and many more.

The science festival concept where science is celebrated in the community has seen huge success in major cities such as Edinburgh, New York, San Diego, Abu Dhabi and Singapore in the past years.  Petrosains hopes to place Kuala Lumpur’s name amongst these other cities in the category of successful science festivals held with the Petrosains Science Festival.

So mark your calendar and join us for this Festival and enjoy the exciting activities on offer. For more information, please log on to www.sciencefestival.my  or email us at info@sciencefestival.my. 

2014 Petrosains Science Festival

Petrosains, The Discovery Centre, is bringing back the Petrosains Science Festival for the second time around, from 15 to 21 September 2014. Aptly themed “Music, Arts and Science”, this year’s festival which is open for families and youth of Malaysia, promises to be bigger, better and more exciting. Check out this video! 

Plan your visit NOW at http://sciencefestival.my/ 

Follow us at www.facebook.com/petrosainsfest for updates!

#petrosains #petrosainsfest 

Terbaik Petrosains 2013!

Berteras dan bersandar pada 'Creating Wonder', Petrosains The Discovery Centre telah menyediakan pelbagai program-program pendidikan sains yang menarik merangkumi  pelbagai variasi pendekatan khusus untuk seluruh penduduk di Semenanjung Malaysia mahupun di Sabah dan Sarawak. Program-program yang disediakan bersesuaian untuk semua lapisan masyarakat dan peringkat usia. Tidak ketinggalan juga pusat satelit mini Petrosains yang beroperasi di negeri-negeri lain yang dikenali sebagai Playsmart Johor Bahru, Playsmart Kuantan dan Playsmart Kota Kinabalu. Ini termasuklah pameran Dinotrek 2 yang menceritakan tentang penemuan semula cicak gergasi ataupun dinosaur yang turut menyajikan pelbagai program yang sememangnya unik dan tersendiri. Himpunan bahan-bahan pendidikan sains terbaik juga turut menemui para pengunjung maya di laman sesawang kami www.petrosains.com.my dan di Petrosains Blog www.petrosains.com.my/blog. Kompilasi bahan-bahan tulisan ringkas berunsur sains juga terdapat di laman media sosial Facebook Petrosains - The Discovery Centre, Twitter @petrosains dan di Instagram @instapetrosains.

Saban tahun Petrosains terus berusaha menyediakan program-program menarik untuk tidak menghampakan para pengunjungnya. Begitupun, 2013 sekali lagi merupakan tahun kejayaan di mana  kemeriahan terbaik Petrosains dirasakan menerusi  Petrosains Science Festival yang dijalankan dari 22 Oktober sehingga 27 Oktober 2013. Sorotan yang paling menyerlah bagi tahun 2013 dan juga merupakan acara yang diadakan buat julung kalinya ini menghimpunkan saintis-saintis yang mempamerkan penemuan dan inovasi saintifik terkini, bengkel-bengkel sains, aktiviti-aktiviti sains interaktif, pendedahan informasi terkini mengenai kesan dan pendekatan penggunaan laman media sosial serta banyak lagi. Pembabitan dari pelbagai pihak dalam menjayakan program ini mencatat bilangan pengunjung yang amat memberangsangkan.

Selain itu, Pertandingan Pertunjukan Sains anjuran Petrosains untuk pelajar-pelajar sekolah menengah seluruh Malaysia dikatakan sebagai  sorotan kedua terbesar. Pertandingan ini secara langsung dapat memupuk minat para pelajar untuk mendalami ilmu sains dan dapat mengubah persepsi terhadap mata pelajaran ini dari sesuatu yang rumit kepada amat menyeronokkan.

Keunikan Petrosains terserlah apabila 'pelantar minyak' dipilih sebagai bahan pameran yang paling diminati. 'Simulator helikopter' dan 'Perjalanan Sekilas Masa'  juga dikatakan popular dikalangan pengunjung daripada maklumat maklumbalas yang diterima. 

Program-program lain seperti Program Bersama Saintis, program bersama guru, program -program yang diwujudkan khas untuk pelajar-pelajar sekolah dan banyak lagi secara tidak langsung memberikan kesedaran kepada murid-murid dan masyarakat tempatan untuk meminati sains dan menjadikan Petrosains sebagai satu tempat untuk mempelajari sains.

Sains dimana-mana! Itulah Petrosains yang telah membuka minda dan menjana semua termasuk golongan pendidik untuk melangkah kehadapan dalam pembelajaran dan pendidikan sains melalui pendekatan 'hands-on' mampu memberi manfaat terhadap generasi kini untuk masa akan datang!

Petrosains amat menghargai maklumbalas dari para pengunjung yang hadir mahupun melalui laman media sosial kami. Segala yang baik harus di teruskan manakala kami pasti akan menitikberatkan apa sahaja perkara yang perlu diperbaiki pada masa akan datang demi ke arah mencapai pusat sains bertaraf dunia.

Jadi, mengapa anda perlu kembali ke Petrosains pada tahun 2014? Sudah pasti kerana sorotan dan paparan program sains yang lebih menarik menanti anda!


Selamat Menyambut Tahun Baru 2014!

Posted by Ayu
Learning Specialist, Petrosains

SCIENCE BROUGHT ALIVE WITH PETROSAINS SCIENCE FESTIVAL 2013

Petrosains Science Festival 2013 has successfully concluded and proven that public institutions, private corporations, and individuals from diverse science and technology industries and academia can rally together in a shared goal to engage and inspire the Malaysian public and specifically our youngsters with the wonders of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The inaugural festival, a collaborative effort between Petrosains and 34 partners was organized by over 200 staff and assisted by more than 100 volunteers, managed to draw in crowds of over 42,000 people within the 6 days period. In comparison, the attendance to the 2012 San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering (4th edition) in multiple venues around San Diego with 44 partners was estimated at 50,000 people over its 8 day period.

The Petrosains Science Festival, running from 22nd – 27th October 2013, had activities ranging from speaking engagements by scientists/personalities, hands-on workshops, interactive exhibitions, and performances by various groups at 3 different locations within KLCC area: Petrosains, The Discovery Center, Suria KLCC Centre Court, and KLCC Esplanade.

Partners’ contribution was in the form of exhibit  items, high speed broadband infrastructure for seamless internet connectivity, state-of-the-art LED screen facilities, personality appearances and many others. Special participation by world-class corporations such as Google, Boeing and GE made the event more special.

The PR, media and online exposure were estimated at more than RM 500,000 with print ad insertions in the STAR, SCJP, Harian Metro, daily editorials, online ad/web banners, Red FM radio activation, below the line and out of home media promotions, digital media/blogger coverage and plasma screen at shopping malls. 

The news updates via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by public figures such as Major (Dr.) Faiz Khaleed (Angkasawa Negara), Najwa Latiff (local singer), Terry & Mynn (Red FM deejays), Dato’ Fazley Yaacob (celebrity chef), and many other personalities have surely hyped up the event in the social media sphere.

The exhibitors inside the Petrosains’ Gallerias such as the PETRONAS Carigali, SIRIM, StreetSmart, UMT, UiTM, Bamboo Malaysia and many others had six busy days attending to visitors. The Recycle Zone and Play Zone by Legoland Malaysia were also a hit among the kids. 

Some of the 63 workshop sessions as well workshops organized by Petrosains such as the ‘Cow’s Eye Dissection’, ‘Make Your Own Ice-Cream’, ‘Digital Animation’, and ‘Batik Painting and Painting by Yusuf Gajah’ just to name a few, attracted full capacity rooms with long waiting list for participation.

A total of 36 talks and forums were conducted with some popular sessions such as ‘Debunking the Myth of Gravity’ by Major (Dr.) Faiz, ‘Let’s Talk Fitness’ by Kevin Zahri(fitness guru), ‘Edible Science’ by Dato’ Fazley, forum on social media by celebrities: Nik Michael Imran, Imran Ajmain and Vincent Ha of Gushcloud, and ‘Your Brain: Use it or Lose it!” by UiTM drew a full house with crowds cramming in to listen to the talks. Other interesting sessions included ‘Science of Tongkat Ali’ by UMS, ‘Belangkas Bukan Ketam’ by UMT, and ‘Mystery Solved! Forensic Science’ by Jabatan Kimia Malaysia.

The exhibition at the Suria KLCC Centre Court during the last 3 days of the festival was the culmination of the 6-days science festival. Key Partners like PETRONAS Motor Sport, PETRONAS Dagangan, TM, Google, Star Publication, Nova Spectra, Yayasan Angkasawan and Petrosains, had significant presence with their individual display of interactive exhibits and running of exciting activities.

The presence of Dr. Graham Walker, a globally known science show performer from Australia, had the crowd in the Suria KLCC Centre Court in stitches with his amazingly funny and educational science show. Talented Petrosains’ science communicators as well science busking teams also had the audience enthralled with their interesting science shows and trivias.  

Stage performances by local artists such Yassin Sulaiman, Najwa Latiff, Capoeira Dancers, Kakinari Dancers, Zumba by Kevin Zahri’s Team, YAWA recycled items performance group, St John Bagpipes band, and many others added more colors to the festival. 

Not limiting to only indoor, we also had outdoor activities such as kid’s favorite ‘Bubble Madness’ demonstration by Prof. Chong Hon Yew, and ‘Mencari Ramli’ football activity by TM.

Based on feedback received, visitors of the festival were very pleased with the activities organized and were happy to have spent an enjoyable and educational time at the festival. With this year’s success, a benchmark has been set for the 2014 edition which can only be bigger and better.  It will be more than just ‘Bringing Science Alive’ but perhaps ‘Bringing Science Up’ to the next level!