X-Periment! Opening Ceremony

03 Sep 2004

By Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts and Health

Venue: Suntec City Entertainment Centre

Speech By Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister Of State For Information, Communications And The Arts & Health, At X-Periment! Opening Ceremony On Friday, 3 September 2004, 12.00nn At The Suntec City Entertainment Centre.

Dr Chew Tuan Chiong, Chief Executive, Singapore Science Centre

Associate Professor Lam Kong Peng, Director, Biomedical Research Council, A*STAR

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen

It gives me great pleasure to join you this afternoon at X-periment! 2004. Today's event also launches science.04, an annual month-long celebration of science, technology and biomedicine.

Since its launch four years ago, X-periment! has proven to be a popular anchor event of the science month in September. It has helped bring science and technology out to the general public. I am told that the success of X-periment! gave rise to the "Science in the Mall" events held at the end of each school term.

In 2001, the idea of bringing science from the research laboratory into a public space such as a shopping mall seemed like a radical idea. It superimposed an unfamiliar and technical research world onto a very familiar context, the shopping mall.

This fusing of one context with another aptly mirrors the way science works. The impetus is to integrate, to make connections - for example, not to think in terms of Physics or Chemistry or Biology separately, but to be inter-disciplinary, to think of biochemistry, bioinformatics and nanotechnology. It means drawing on strengths traditional to the established subjects and applying them creatively to another domain.

Here at X-periment! 04, the 16 booths invite you to make connections while showcasing the work of A*STAR Research Institutes. This three-day science event offers a unique insight into the research work of our local science, technology and biomedicine scene.

There are many exhibits to view and learn from. For example, one of the exhibits features the Zebrafish and how it has been used as a model for biomedical research in genomics and tissue development.

Another exhibit shows us how technology and science can make robots display emotions such as love, fear and aggression. Here is an example of an integration of Psychology, Engineering and Computer Science. This is something that I am sure will interest you, especially in the wake of the recent 'I, Robot' movie based on Isaac Asimov's robot stories.

Another series of exhibits features the projects done by Secondary 3 students from 7 different schools working alongside their teachers and researchers from A*STAR's Institute of Microelectronics, Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology and Infineon Technologies.

It is imperative for Singapore to promote a vibrant culture that encourages scientific discovery and exploration. The creative and innovative use of science and technology will fuel a nation's economic growth and allow it to gain a competitive edge. In such an economic climate, the key to our success is to equip our people not only with the right skills, but more importantly, with an inquiring mind, the willingness to ask why and why not, and, the courage to take risks.

I encourage all of you, especially our youths present today, to be inquisitive and ask as many questions as you wish so that you can bring back with you a wealth of knowledge. Each time you ask questions about how something works or why things happen in a certain way, you are already embarking on a quest for scientific knowledge. It is your ideas, your energy and your innovation that will help the next generation push and redefine the boundaries, and create new opportunities for Singapore.

Credit is due to A*STAR and the Singapore Science Centre for organizing this event. The participants must also be commended for their dedication and hard work.

I am sure everyone here will have fun and learn something. On this note, I wish you much happy exploration!

Thank you.