Abu Dhabi Science Festival goes off with a snap, crackle and pop

The Abu Dhabi Science Festival event on the Corniche allowed children to try fun experiments to convince them that science was interesting.

Children learn how an engine works in the Mini Mechanics tent of the Abu Dhabi Science Festival on the Corniche. Christopher Pike / The National

ABU DHABI // It was hard to work out which of the 42 workshops was most popular at this year’s Abu Dhabi Science Festival on the Corniche.

“They’re all at capacity,” said Dr Linda Silver, the festival’s associate director of content. “They’re all popular.”

Attendance figures for the festival’s opening weekend weren’t immediately available on Saturday, but if the dense crowds pouring into the beachfront grounds were any indication, the number of participants this year could well beat last year’s record of 150,000 people.

“All I can say is it feels busier,” said Dr Silver. “We were at absolute capacity yesterday, all workshops and shows were totally sold out here and at Sharjah and Al Ain. So, it’s good that we have the Science Village because that’s all drop-by. All the activities in there you just drop in and out of. It’s essentially helping with the overflow.”

The Science Village on the Corniche houses workshops are sponsored by local companies and, like many of the interactive challenges at the science festival, they are hands-on and invite children to get their hands dirty and experiment with the elements of science.

In the Thixotropic Liquids workshop, for example, the children scientists learnt how a liquid — cornstarch mixed with water — can temporarily act as a solid when under pressure. To prove the point, the children happily pounded trays of the gooey cornstarch.

“We’re trying to make them see how it’s easy to make something fun from science,” said Mohamed Al Messabi, 18, an Emirati who is volunteering at the festival as a science communicator. “They’re playing, they’re having fun and they’re learning. When they realise that science is fun, they can concentrate on their studies more.”

Unlike the regular science festival workshops that require pre-booking, children can just show up for the Science Village activities without having to sign up in advance. Also, many invite the parents’ participation.

In My Green Home, parents and children work together in 15-minute increments to build a smart house out of cardboard and sensors to learn about solar technology, said Mohammed Al Zaabi, the chief executive of Zeroohm, which sponsored the activity.

The 25-year-old Emirati said he loved science when he was growing up and wants to help promote that same sense of wonder and curiosity he felt as a child in other children.

“I love science, I love maths and I love physics,” said Mr Al Zaabi. “Science, if you don’t understand it, it will be like magic for them. Once you know the concept behind it, you will be amazed.

In-between workshops, younger children lined up at the Water Light Graffiti exhibit where they used wet paint brushes to light up white LED bulbs on a black board.

Dr Silver said: “At night, you can imagine how it pops. Essentially, they’re using water to paint. It’s art and science together. It’s a little bit of the technology but we love the idea of being able to show creativity with it as well.”

Eleven-year-old Emirati Ragad Al Durra said she was impressed with this year’s line-up of activities.

“I really like it because it has so many stuff that I didn’t know and I learnt about it a lot,” said Ragad. “I came here to learn more stuff and I liked it a lot, so thumbs up for it.”

The festival continues until November 22.