Brain express @ Coimbatore
Students visit `Science Express’, a science exhibition on train, stationed at the North Coimbatore Junction on March 11, 2008.How and when did the cosmos come into existence? The Science Express that chugged into the North Coimbatore station on Tuesday probably has the answer. At least, it can tell you where to find it. 16-coach air-conditioned express train has a wealth of information on the mysteries of scienceFor all those who have found science interesting at some point in their lives, the Science Express is something to visit. The 16-coach air-conditioned express train has a wealth of information on the mysteries of science. Starting from the origin of human life to complex phenomena such as gene sequencing and bio-engineering, it takes one through the modern developments taking place in physics, chemistry, biology and biotechnology.
Having started from New Delhi on October 30, 2007, Coimbatore is the 38th city it is visiting. On the whole, it would cover 57 cities in the country. A joint venture of the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany, research organisation Max Planck Society and BASF, The Chemical Company, the science express is an attempt to develop a scientific temper in students and encourage them to pursue their interest in science. It will leave Coimbatore on March 14.
About 40 research scholars from Vikram A. Sarabhai Community Science Centre, Ahmedabad, explain the exhibits to the visitors and interact with the students.The multimedia exhibits, visual images, video clips and working models displayed in the train are as fascinating as the scientific concepts themselves. The ‘chaotic pendulum,’ indicating the sheer unpredictability of natural phenomena and positron emission tomography which can detect neuro-degenerative diseases are instances of scientific brilliance. While most students who visited the express on Tuesday were from classes VIII and IX, it is mainly aimed at students from Class IX to the undergraduate level.
How do stars and planets originate? How are memories formed inside the brain? What are the energy sources of the future? These are among the concepts that are displayed in the coaches. The exhibits also include genetics, computer applications in medicine, the secrets of the universe, nanocosmos, energy sources of the future and the challenges the globe faces. BASF, The Chemical Company, has set up a ‘Kid’s Lab’ in one of the coaches where each day 80 students are given an opportunity to carry out scientific experiments.The Tamil Nadu Science Forum is the State organiser of the event. Entry is free. It is open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
