Science and Technology
One of the most popular pavilions on the Eisteddfod Maes every year is the Science and Technology Pavilion, and with so many activities taking place there every day, it’s easy to see why so many children and young people rush there on reaching the Maes and stay there for hours and hours!
This year, the Pavilion is crammed full of activities for children of all ages, with shows for the whole family. Once again there’ll be plenty of alime, explosions and fun as Dr Robyn and his chemistry show, supported by Western Power and Bangor University’s School of Chemistry, entertain the crowds. This year, we’ll have plenty of custard as well, as we produce bouncing balls – made from the stuff loved and despised in equal measures by generations of schoolchildren!
Come and see the train going up and down a small track behind the Science Pavilion! Hear the sound of the engine and see the steam rising! If you are lucky you might even hear the whistle blowing! Talk to the train driver, guess how much water is needed to fill the engine? How long does it take to boil the water? How heavy is the engine?
This year’s main exhibition is about tissue engineering, supported by EPSRC, CITER, Penn and Cardiff University. It includes a number of activities that demonstrate the technology Scientists utilise to synthesise new tissue as a pioneering approach to deal with numerous medical needs. These include an interactive model that highlights the parts of the body that tissue engineering can repair, an operation game against the clock, stem cell activities, a workshop on making tablets using old and modern methods, maggot races – the worlds smallest surgeons and micro Tissue Engineering from the femto laser to making new tissue – plenty of information for anyone interested in this fascinating subject.
We’ll have a robot workshop, which is a chance to design, build and program a real robot which will be able to complete a simple task, and also a chance for some solar observation, as part of our space activities, supported by STFC and the University of Glamorgan.
Environment Agency Wales will have a space in the Pavilion, poromoting the need for us to reduce the waste we send to landfill in Wales and we’ll be looking at what other processes can be used instead.
According to Elfed Roberts, “The Science Pavilion is a great favourite at the Eisteddfod, and it’s a fantastic opportunity for our visitors to take part in activities which are very different to those traditionally associated with the Eisteddfod. The wide range of science-based activities available is wonderful - chemical experiments – with big bangs and smoke, with the sound of competing choirs in the background on the field!
“This is part of the appeal of the National Eisteddfod, which is a natural home for a wide range of activities available through the medium of Welsh. Once again this year, we are grateful to the local Science and Technology committee for putting together such an exciting programme to entertain visitors to the National Eisteddfod.”
Activities during the week
Saturday 31 July
11.30 Senses Show
13.00 Chemistry Show
14.00 Senses Show
14.30 Kariad y Clown
15.00 Institute of Civil Engineering lecture
15.30 Chemistry Show
Sunday 1 August
11.30 Senses Show
12.00 Circus Skills
13.00 Chemistry Show
14.00 Senses Show
14.30 Circus Skills
15.00 Institute of Civil Engineering lecture
15.30 Chemistry Show
16.00 Circus Skills
Monday 2 August
11.30 Senses Show
12.00 Official opening
12.00 Circus Skills
13.00 Chemistry Show
14.00 Senses Show
14.30 Circus Skills
15.00 Introduction to the main exhibition
15.30 Chemistry Show
16.00 Kariad y Clown
Tuesday 3 August
11.00 Getting Young Wil to his Bed
11.30 Physics on the Maes
12.00 Physics on the Maes
12.30 Getting Wil to his Bed
13.00 Chemistry Show
14.00 Tackling the Tippers
14.30 Circus Skills
15.00 Daily Lecture
15.30 Chemistry Show
16.00 Circus Skills
Wednesday 4 August
11.00 Getting Young Wil to his Bed
11.30 Senses Show
12.00 Kariad y Clown
12.30 Getting Wil to his Bed
13.00 Chemistry Show
14.00 Tackling the Tippers
14.30 Kariad y Clown
15.00 Daily Lecture
15.30 Chemistry Show
Thursday 5 August
11.00 Getting Young Wil to his Bed
11.30 Senses Show
12.00 Presenting the Science and Technology Medal in Societies 2
12.00 Kariad y Clown
12.30 Getting Wil to his Bed
13.00 The Science Lecture in Societies 2
13.00 Chemistry Show
14.00 Tackling the Tippers
15.30 Chemistry Show
Friday 6 August
11.00 Getting Young Wil to his Bed
11.30 Senses Show
12.30 Getting Wil to his Bed
13.00 Chemistry Show
14.00 Senses Show
14.30 Kariad y Clown
15.00 Daily Lecture
15.30 Chemistry Show
Saturday 7 August
11.00 Getting Young Wil to his Bed
11.30 Senses Show
12.30 Getting Wil to his Bed
13.00 Chemistry Show
14.00 Senses Show
15.30 Chemistry Show
For more details about all our activities, buy the Official Programme.
