The bachcha party express
The Science Express invites children to explore the world of science in an engaging format. Children can tinker around in the Kids Lab and enjoy interactive displays in this exhibition on wheels …KEVIN LOBO
Like the Gypsies who travelled throughout the world, holding fairs, showing magic tricks, we have the Science Express doing just the opposite. They are travelling throughout India (57 cities) educating people and dismissing superstitions with the power of practical education.
BASF in association with the department of Science and Technology and Max Planck (a German NGO) have come up with the concept of the Science Express, a 16-coach train of which 13 coaches are a science exhibition on wheels. The train may be stationary, but each coach has a different theme, the themes range from Quarks (the smallest particle) to Global Warming.
The highlight of the Science Express has to be the last coach which is a lab meant for kids. “Twenty to twenty-five kids are taken in batches of five or less and are instructed by research students from Vikram Sarabhai Community Service Centre, Ahmedabad.
Chemicals are generally perceived to be harmful substances but every thing can be harmful in this world from driving a car or even electricity!” says K V Rao, who is the consultant for corporate relations for BASF. “The aim of BASF is to encourage students to take up chemistry as a major and go ahead and make a career in it,” continued Mr Rao.
The Science Express has seen a phenomenal response, with about 35,000 people coming for the exhibition in Patna on a single day! “The target initially was 1 million people but we have already crossed the target in Hyderabad itself,” said Mr Rao.
You can even ask for the exhibition to happen in schools. The schools have to contact BASF and provide them with an auditorium. So now you can have the same exhibition in your own school!
The concept is patterned on the famous Science Tunnel exhibition of the Max Planck Society of Germany. The train houses tomorrow’s technologies – biotechnology, nanotechnology, neuro electronics and quantum computing.
All said and done, the Science Express is a great way of getting your kids interested in the sciences, and practical experience always helps.