Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/570058
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2015 39 This Week Student buskers make science more accessible at Science in the City UNIVERSITY student organisa- tions will be science busking along Republic Street in Valletta, during Science in the City, on September 25 from 18:00 until midnight. With over 20 stands, engineer- ing, ICT, psychology, health, medicine, pharmaceutical and science students will be enthral- ling visitors with hands on activi- ties, experiments, health checks, 3D printing and robots. The main attraction of the Uni- versity Engineering Students' As- sociation (UESA) is an airplane. Other exhibits at their stand in- clude a GPS tracker, a Universal Counter, a sound amplifier, as well as a mechanical lifter. Students from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) will be showing the robot Drobika and other electromagnetic games and motors at their stand. Science meets health is this year's theme from the Malta Health Students' Association (MHSA). Students will be engaging with visitors to offer foot screenings by their podiatrists, health checks such as blood glucose and blood pressure, while nutritionists will be measuring people's body mass index. Radiographers will also give advice on the signs and symptoms of various cancers. Individuals will have an opportunity of participat- ing in a DNA spooling experiment while children will enjoy the sen- sory box activity provided by Oc- cupational therapists. S-cubed (physics, biology, chem- istry, mathematics and statistics) invites the public to learn and discover different science facts and current research at the Uni- versity. Among their innovative and practical activities they will have colourful chemical reactions, magnets, insects, and many fun interactive experiments for all ag- es. S-cubed will also be present on the Main Stage (opposite the Law Court) to give vibrant explosive science displays: from fireworks to combustion. For the first time Psychology students from Betapsi will be fo- cusing on Synaesthesia, a percep- tual condition where individuals perceive words as colours or time as an actual ticker tape hanging in mid air. At the stand there will also be a practical section "My ex- perience with Synaesthesia" by a student who experiences this phe- nomena. Student doctors from Malta Medical Student Association (MMSA) will be bringing sex health games, glucose testing, teddy bear hospital and beat the burn outreach to the festival. At the MMSA stand, visitors can also take snapshots at their photo booth to share them with friends through the Science in the City Facebook page. From the computing world, ICTSA (ICT Student Association) are bringing robots and assistive devices. Apps through a Lens (Faculty of ICT) will be bringing wine tasting and digital hopscotch for adults and children alike. The wine tasting is a clever analogy on computer monitoring, come and find out how. While a rasp- berry pi hooked to pressure sen- sor will let children jump around and play digital hopscotch. Ascent Software will be showcasing their robot while Thought3D are going displaying 3D printing technology with a 3D printer with the help of their newly released printing ad- hesive. Full programme can be viewed on www.scienceinthecity.org.mt or follow the festival on Facebook for regular updates: www.facebook. com/ScienceInTheCityMalta Science buskers during last year's Science in the City Malta Book Festival boasts international guests, debuts children's literature award THE National Book Council has announced that this year's edi- tion of the Malta Book Festival will take place from November 4 to 8 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta. In these five days, the gen- eral public will be able to visit the halls of the Mediterranean Conference Centre where both local and foreign publishers will be exhibiting and selling their latest work. As per tradition, lo- cal distributors and bookshops will also be present, together with a Parisian bookshop and the Sicilian Publishers Asso- ciation, thanks to help from the French Embassy in Malta and the Italian Cultural Insitute re- spectively. This year too, the Malta Book Festival will be a one of a kind appointment full of cultural and educational activities for all ages. Maltese authors and publishers will be presenting their latest books in a series of events forming part of the Fes- tival's cultural and educational programme. And for the first time this year, the programme of events will also include ac- tivities that celebrate the win- ners of the National Book Prize, amongst whom, Godfrey Wet- tinger, winner of the 2014 'Life- time Acheivement Award'. The National Book Council would also like to announce that this year's Malta Book Fes- tival special guests are: Marie Darrieussecq, French author; Maram al-Masri, Syrian author residing in Paris; Romanian po- et Dan Sociu and his publisher Bogdan Stanescu; and British publisher of the Maltese an- thology This Fair Land, Clive Boutle. These special guests will be with us during the Festi- val and participating in several public events. Weekday mornings at the Fes- tival are dedicated to visiting school children. Both public and private schools are invited to attend the Festival for the Terramaxka Prize: the Prize for Books for Children and Adoles- cents. Every visiting student will be given a €3 voucher that can be redeemed at any Festival stand during their visit. This initiative has been set in motion so as to ensure that every child visiting the Festival with their respec- tive school takes home a book to read and to keep.