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Xplora website launch

Xplora was officially launched for schools at 10am, on 13 October 2005, in Mechelen, Belgium.

Xplora is the European gateway to science education. It is aimed at teachers, pupils, scientists, science communicators and science educators. It is supported by the PENCIL project, funded by the European Commission's Directorate General for Research as part of Science and Society.

The focus of the event was forensic science. A number of activities were featured: a Mysterix film offering some science experiments with schools, a conference for the local public, an online game and the launch of the CERN webcast website “Beyond Einstein”.

Classes from the Sancta Maria Institute, Kasterlee took part in the event.

The event was webcasted from the Xplora site at 10am at www.xplora.org in QuickTime format.
You can download the video of the launch event.

Thanks to Apple Computer for supplying technical equipment for the event.

Mysterix Film

Mysterix is a “science truck” managed by Technopolis in which first year secondary education pupils can perform experiments focusing on geography, language, biology, physics, and electricity.

The Xplora portal featured a short video of forensic science activities performed by pupils on the Mysterix truck. Pupils deciphered obscure characters, typed the blood group of a little girl, tried to identify some witnesses...and more.

This video was shown during the day and will then be available on the portal for other visitors.

More about Mysterix:
-in dutch: http://www.technopolis.be/nl/index.php?n=3&e=45&s=126&t=226

-in english.

Forensic science workshop

Scientists from the National Institute for Criminalistics and Criminology (Nationaal Instituut voor Criminalistiek en Criminologie – NICC - Belgium) explained forensic investigation using everyday life examples.

Mr De Veth, the NICC forensic liaison officer explained what a forensic investigation exactly implies, which are the different phases of an investigation and presented a practical example about forensic evidence left by tools.

Mrs De Greef, forensic expert from the NICC Genetic Identification Laboratory, presented a second practical example of a trail of blood and Mr De Kinder, Head of the Ballistic Department, offered another practical example about the comparison of two bullets.

The public was able to ask speakers questions online. The presentation was in English.
To pose questions, you could register as a member of the Xplora portal, log on and then click “Chat”.

Pupils were invited to play an online game "DNA Detective" from the TryScience website, which is a nice gateway to experience the excitement of science and technology.

The aim of this game is to solve a crime with DNA profiling.

You can do the experiment on line and try it offline too. You can even read some kids comments.

To play the game:

http://www.tryscience.org/experiments/experiments_dna_online.html

CERN webcast website “Beyond Einstein”

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, with ECSITE and the World Year of Physics International Steering Committee launched the website to view a live webcast about Einstein’s science in today's research and daily life.

This unprecedented 12 hour long live webcast is a closing event of the World Year of Physics 2005 and will take place on 1 December 2005, from 12:00 to midnight CET.

From CERN, a world tour will star, going to other physics laboratories and science museums connecting together all the time zones of the planet, from Europe to America, and Australia to Antarctica. Five main webcast platforms will interact over a 12 hour long live production to celebrate, discuss and explain Einstein’s physics and beyond.

CERN's previous live webcast can be downloaded from:

http://www.cern.ch/livefromcern

Contacts:
For more information about the event, please contact:

karl.sarnow@eun.org

laura.massoli@eun.org

About Technopolis

Technopolis, is a permanent platform for science and technology in Flanders and has evolved from a non-profit organization, the Flanders Technology International Foundation.

Technopolis examines ordinary things from an unusual line of approach and works its magic to make even the most complex scientific phenomena crystal-clear. This often offers astonishing results and stimulates the curiosity of the visitor. After all, science starts with amazement. Technopolis means fun but it’s not an amusement park: all interactive experiences serve first of all an educational purpose. Technopolis shows a lot but it’s not an exhibition: visitors are no passive spectators but they are active participants.

At Technopolis, you have access to heaps of fun and interactive experiments, spectacular demos, amazing science shows and an automated theatre on the human body. To read more about day programme, exhibits and calendar activites: http://www.technopolis.be/eng/index.php?n=1