The science festival of the Weizmann Institute of Science will take place today and tomorrow

On Passover, April 4-5, 2007, the traditional science festival will be held at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot

A service to the readers of the science site

One of the many activities for children - building towers and explaining architecture. Photographed by: Avi Blizovsky 4/4/07

For full details on the exhibition website

The Weizmann Institute of Science and the city of Rehovot invite the residents of Israel to a scientific experience as part of the only science festival in Israel, which takes place at the Weizmann Institute, every year, on Passover. The Science Festival is an experiential and lively celebration of science, culture and technology, consisting of displays, competitions, shows, workshops, observations, exhibitions, tours, lectures and demonstrations intended for children, adults and teenagers, and for an audience of understanding, interested and curious people of all ages.

The festival will be held at the Pastoral Campus of the Weizmann Institute of Science, which is one of the leading multidisciplinary research institutes in the world, during the Pesach holiday, Wednesday-Thursday, April 4-5. At the heart of the festival is the Klor science garden, a unique science museum of its kind in the world, operating under the sky, which includes dozens of exhibits that demonstrate physical principles and ecological phenomena, which affect the relationship between man and the universe and nature.

The diverse and rich activities of the festival will allow children and teenagers to have an experiential experience, in the first person, in observations of nature and attempts to understand. Practical workshops will reveal, among other things, the secret of the design of soap bubbles, illustrate optical illusions, demonstrate how ice cream is made, how a tornado develops and occurs, explain why a long-tailed dinosaur was necessary, how a rainbow is formed, how an astronaut feels walking in space, or jumping across the moon There will also be workshops for building marionettes accompanied by scientific explanations, which will be accompanied by the production of a puppet theater, and demonstrations of acrobatics from the circus world - with the participation and experience of the audience, and more.

The festival includes competitions that present participants with intellectual challenges that encourage inventions: how to throw an egg from a height of 42 meters without it breaking? "To the treasure" race following solutions to problems from the various fields of science ("Com.Bina Competition") suitable for teenagers and adults, simultaneous chess games, workshops for building and flying kites, thinking games and more.

Visitors to the festival will be able to participate in demonstrations and activities by the institute's scientists who will present and demonstrate their research areas, from the forefront of global science, in simple language and equal to everyone. In addition, the festival participants will be able to tour, accompanied by guides, around the Weizmann Institute of Science, visit the visitor center, watch a sound-light performance, and be impressed by the achievements of the institute's scientists. Other sites that will be open to visit are the Sun Tower (one of the most advanced facilities in the world for solar energy research) and the home and estate of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, the first president of the State of Israel and the Weizmann Institute of Science.
Science from the movies

The place of science in cinema will be presented, accompanied by screenings of film clips, by critic and film researcher Yehuda Stav. Another show, which will be held in collaboration with the British Council, is "Science in three minutes" - a colorful competition in the popularization of science, in which students will compete in short explanations of natural phenomena and scientific research from the front of science. The winners of this competition will advance to the national final stage, the winners of which will travel to an international competition in London. Another evening of the festival will be dedicated to the discussion "small is beautiful", where senior scientists will talk to the audience about nanotechnology - bring news from the front, offer a look into the future and answer the audience's questions. Other popular lectures will describe research from the forefront of science in various fields: stem cells, the Big Bang, brain research, the race to Mars and global warming.

Art, culture and music at the science festival

Science is an inseparable part of world culture, and therefore the science festival includes additional cultural and artistic elements.

• The photo exhibition "Nobel Portraits", by the German photographer Peter Budge, which includes portrait photos of Nobel Prize brides and grooms.

• Painter and illustrator Yaniv Shimoni will present computer drawings depicting life on a futuristic space station.
• Seven artists who work or live at the Weizmann Institute will present paintings and sculptures, some of which refer to the landscapes of the Weizmann Institute, and the scientific work done there.
• The musician Chen Zimbalista, as well as various jazz ensembles will accompany the festival and appear in some of its main shows.
The festival will also be attended by scientists from the Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences of the Hebrew University (Rehovot Campus), the School of Veterinary Medicine, the Science Museum in Ljubljana, Slovenia, the Bloomfield Science Museum in Jerusalem, Medatech - the National Museum of Science, Technology and Space in Haifa, the MZF - The Department of Forensic Identification of the Israel Police, and the Al-Op company.

Activities at the science festival of the Weizmann Institute of Science

Competitions open to visitors

The flying egg

Contest participants will compete in planning and implementing sophisticated methods to throw eggs from different heights, without breaking or cracking the eggshell. Festival participants are invited to watch the flying egg show. The winning egg, according to the contest rules, will win the box builder a prize. The competition will take place on both days of the festival at 13:30.
This competition is watched by a large audience, but participation in it requires registration in advance.
Phone for more details about the flying egg competition, and to register for the competition: 9343959-08

Look for the cache - Kom.Bina
A prize-bearing competition for adult teams in the style of "hunt for the treasure", which includes tasks and problems from various fields of science. Suitable for lovers of challenges and ideas.

A simultaneous chess game
Come and participate (and maybe win) in a special and multiplayer simultaneous chess game, the game will be dedicated to Garry Kasparov who is currently celebrating his birthday. (Suitable for ages six and up). Under the direction of Deputy Artist Vladimir Pivnik.

Shows

Science in three minutes

A colorful competition in the popularization of science, carried out in collaboration with the British Council. As part of the competition, students will compete in short and simple explanations of natural phenomena and scientific studies. The winners of the competition, according to the judgment of a team of scientists from the Weizmann Institute, will advance to the national final stage, where they will compete for participation in the world final - in London.
This show will include a performance by an Israeli jazz band.

Professor Magic

Prof. Robert (Bob) Friedhofer from the City University of New York will present a spectacular show of scientific magic. (Involving an additional fee of NIS 10).

Science from the movies

The place of science in cinema will be described, accompanied by screenings of film clips, by critic and film researcher, Yehuda Stav. (Involving an additional fee of NIS 10).

get out of the plotter

In the show you will be able to face and discover unusual solutions to various thinking games. Participation in the workshop encourages inventive thinking and ways of solving problems in a creative way and entitles the participants to a personal thinking game. Under the direction of Yehuda Colton.

Egg patties

The director of the science museum in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and the museum staff will give demonstrations on "agology" (egg hatchlings), "gravitology" (gravitational force), "gasology" (different gases) and more.

Physically, it's easy for me

Dr. Moshe Rashpon, director of the Klor science garden at the Weizmann Institute of Science, will demonstrate the fun and magic of science.

Full of air - but fragile

A fiery demonstration in real time of blowing glassware for use in the laboratory, art, home and industry. Demonstrator and lecturer: Danny Notman, glassblower from the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Workshops and demonstrations

Marionette theater

A workshop for building marionettes accompanied by scientific explanations, followed by a puppet theater production.
In collaboration with the Puppet Theater Museum in Holon.

from science

Scientific cooking workshop - and kosher for Passover.

Acrobalance

The "Reaction" circus will present acrobatics from the world of the circus - with the participation and experience of the audience, accompanied by physical explanations.

Ice cream - scientific ice cream

Demonstration and experience in the scientific process of making ice cream - and eating it.

Water water up to the sky

Demonstration of a special water saw that creates all the colors of the rainbow from the sun's rays, illustration of the law of interlocking vessels, experimenting with a method for transferring water from one vessel to another without spilling a drop, and making and launching water missiles.

who is in the bubble

A workshop that allows the little ones to experience the Casman secret of the soap bubbles and for dessert - to enter a giant bubble.

Appearance

What is an optical illusion? Is our sight deceiving us? We will present a selection of optical illusions, a demonstration of a blind spot. We will make an endless ring and cut some more illusions.
An island of stability

What is equilibrium? Is every body stable? We will try, play and we will be able to answer the question why a dinosaur had a long tail.

Dr. Doppler

A doppler device for measuring the speed of balls thrown by the participants in the festival, will allow the participants to understand what the doppler effect is and how it is used to detect speeding criminals, as well as for the diagnosis of diseases and the study of the universe.

to be an astronaut

What does the astronaut take with him to space? What is the difference between a shuttle and a spaceship? Do aliens really exist? A workshop from another world.

rain sticks

What is a rain stick? Rain stick creation workshop.

I heard my voice

A workshop that begins with a demonstration of sound and waves and ends with the preparation of personal sound amplifiers.

what's the mood

How do you make a cloud in a jar? Or a small little tornado? What is a meteorological sukkah? All this and more, in activity and demonstrations.

Blue which is by the sea

Find out how many grains of sand exist on the beach without counting, get to know different units of measurement and learn to estimate different amounts incredibly accurately.

important good good

A celebration of mind games for the whole family. The workshop is operated by the company Eshkolot Chitra.
Voices from the world

A musical workshop, musical instruments from around the world, from a medley with a spring to a didgeridoo, a unique meeting where we will discover special musical instruments from around the world, through research, experimentation and listening. Moderator: Danny Meisel, Babbage.

with the wind

Workshop for making kites and flying them.

Star Trek - in the planetarium

Guided viewing of the wonders of the universe, galaxies and stars.

global juggling

Experimenting with throwing (and catching) balls using special sticks and other tricks. Suitable for the whole family.

Mazes and have fun

A huge hoop maze that allows experimentation and dealing with uncertainty, while having pure fun and enjoyment.

The lighter side of the scale

Varied and entertaining demonstrations concerning the phenomena of pressure, weight, ballistics and more.

Lectures, observations and tours

Small is beautiful

Senior scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science will tell the audience about the advantages of miniaturization, about the challenges involved, and about inventions that change the world. At the end, there will be a panel discussion with the participation of the audience.

Meetings from the front of science

Lectures for adults and teenagers, on topics from the forefront of science: what are stem cells, how did the big bang happen, new challenges in brain research, global warming, and the race to Mars. The meetings will be held at the Davidson Institute, the educational arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science.

"Mammals of the Deep" exhibition

In the rotating exhibition room at the Science Garden, the unique biology of dolphins and whales living in our area will be presented. The exhibition is presented courtesy of the Makhmalyi Association, and the Reknati Institute for Maritime Studies at the University of Haifa.

Bird trail tour

Guided tour through bird feeding stations throughout the Weizmann Institute of Science - and encounters with birds. In collaboration with the Center for the Care of Domestic Birds.

Nature tour

A guided tour of the beautiful and unique corners of the Weizmann Institute of Science gardens.

The Sun Tower and the Field of Mirrors

Guided observation of a spectacular field of 64 huge mirrors, which are spread out at the foot of the Sun Tower. This is one of the most advanced research facilities of its kind in the world, which includes a system of sophisticated laboratories where advanced uses of solar energy are researched.

A tour of the Weizmann estate

The tour will take place in the estate and home of the first president of the State of Israel and the Weizmann Institute of Science. At the beginning of the tour, a film will be shown about the life and legacy of Dr. Haim Weizman ("King without a Kingdom"). The tour will end at the visitor center where you can watch a light and sound show that tells the story of the Weizmann Institute of Science, which is one of the leaders of the world's advancement. The length of the tour is about an hour and a half.

Gardening site

A visit to the horticulture site of the Rehovot Municipality, where an exhibition is presented describing the history of horticulture in Israel and the different stages in the life of the orchard and its operation. Access to the site involves an additional fee.

The science garden

This year, the "Eco-sphere" will be displayed in the garden, which is a special domed structure (geodesic dome) made of metal and glass rods, with elements of an ecosystem inside. The system includes: land plants, water plants, fish and algae and it illustrates the connection and interrelation between them. On the days of the festival, guided tours will be held in Eco-Spira.

The Science Garden is a unique science museum of its kind in the world, operating under the roof of the sky on the pastoral campus of the Weizmann Institute of Science. The garden includes dozens of exhibits that demonstrate physical phenomena and principles that shape the relationship between man and the universe and nature. As part of the science festival of the Weizmann Institute of Science, the garden expands its activities and enables a wide variety of demonstrations, workshops and activities: dancing on a sbasbat, pumping water with your feet, being a yo-yo, starting a fire with the sun's rays, and more.
Additional exhibitors at the festival

School of Nutrition - Faculty of Agriculture, Hebrew University

About nutrition and health, why it is good to eat vegetables in 5 colors a day, and other interesting facts about our food, in bingo games and tastings. Part of the activity was made possible by the courtesy of the Plant Council, the vegetable branch.

School of Veterinary Medicine - Faculty of Agriculture, Hebrew University

Presents a variety of school activities in the field of pet care.

Madatech - the National Museum of Science, Technology and Space, Haifa

Popular Science Demonstrations.

Bloomfield Science Museum, Jerusalem

Popular Science Demonstrations.

Man and Animal Museum, Nature Museum in Ramat Gan National Park

The changing environment - display and activity related to the preservation of the environment, from ancient times to the present day.

Hvida Rehovot

An experiential scientific activity for the whole family about air.

Alup company from Elbit systems group

See in the dark (ages 6 and up)
Demonstration of a thermal imaging system that enables vision in the dark using a special camera manufactured by Alup, from the Elbit Systems Group.

The MZP - Department of Criminal Identification, Israel Police

Demonstration of some of MZP's operating methods by way of personal experience, joining the laboratory experts and identification technicians to investigate "example mysteries", and viewing the test results of real cases.

* Admission to the shows "Get Out of the Wanderer", "Professor Magic" and "Science from the Movies" involves an additional fee of NIS 10.

These additional payments can only be made in cash (for technical reasons it is not possible to pay with credit cards at these places).

Entry to the talk on nanotechnology, and to the "Science in three minutes" competition - is free, and does not require the purchase of a ticket to the festival.