NamesEnglish | Francais
HOME About NAMES Join NAMES News Contact Us

 
News

NAMES 2nd meeting in Tunis, November 2006
The four founding members of NAMES have agreed to meet in Tunis, in November 2006, to sign the Memorandum of Understanding, and officially launch the network. The meeting will coincide with the International Conference on Public Understanding of Science: Approaches, strategies and ICT’s contribution, which is to be held 9-10 November 2006.
(http://www.cst.rnu.tn/html/en/index.html)


The BA Planetarium Science Center organizes the 2nd FLL in Egypt competition, December 2006
After the success of the 1st FIRST LEGO League (FLL) in Egypt competition, the “Ocean Odyssey”, organized by the BA Planetarium Science Center (PSC), in cooperation with the IEEE GOLD Egypt, and finalized on 9 February 2006; the PSC launched the 2nd competition, the “Nano Quest”, in September 2006. The finale of the 2nd FLL in Egypt competition will be celebrated on 14 December 2006.

The FLL is an international hands-on, sport-like, robotics program for children 9-14 years of age that is the result of an impressive alliance between FIRST and LEGO companies. Guided by mentors and their own imagination, FLL students solve actual engineering challenges, develop important life skills, and learn to contribute positively to society, enhancing characteristics such as team-building, problem-solving, analytical thinking and creativity.
Every September, a new Challenge is unveiled and over the course of 8 weeks, the FLL international teams strategize, design, build, program, test and refine a fully autonomous robot capable of completing the mission. During the process, the teams also search the web, talk to scientists, visit the Library and develop compelling presentations that relate to a problem or opportunity facing the world today.
The 1st FLL in Egypt competition, the “Ocean Odyssey”, was organized by the BA Planetarium Science Center (PSC), in cooperation with the IEEE GOLD Egypt. Four teams from Alexandria, each including five students and one supervisor, participated in the Challenge. They trained for two months in the RoboAlex lab in the ALEXploratorium and presented the results in the finale that took place on 9 February 2006. All participants received medals, and a special LEGO trophy was awarded to the leading teams.
The 2nd FLL in Egypt competition is the "Nano Quest" mission. Nanotechnology is a new scientific frontier that will impact many facets of society, from medicine to computers to the environment. The "Nano Quest" robot game mission models represent just some of the technology and ideas that scientists are thinking about or working on currently.  Through the "Nano Quest" project, participants will be asked to join the exploration of this new and fascinating world.
In 2006, fourteen teams from all over Egypt will be participating and the finale will take place on 14 December 2006.

New Ongoing Activity
Enrichment Programs at The Scientific Center of Kuwait
Fun and learning come together in The Scientific Center’s enrichment programs. Children from 8-12 years will be engaged in hands-on activities covering various scientific subjects.  The programs also include a visit to the Aquarium, IMAX, and Discovery Place with special activities within those attractions. 

Our Enrichment Programs helps kids make discoveries, solve problems, and learn neat stuff about science, our world, and themselves through many explorations. 
In our Fun Chemistry Program Children became little chemists making fun chemical reactions, and finding out what is a Molecule?
Or they may chose to become immersed into fun, exciting and challenging adventures in our Space Program, exposing them to the mysteries of space.
One of the most attractive programs to children is the Water Program where they learn about water, its properties, its different states… all through amazing experiments such as the floating egg and the mini water cycle.
But, when children are ready to step back in time  there is The Egyptian Experience. This enrichment program exposes children to the highlights of Ancient Egypt: their history, mythology, hieroglyphics and even the making of the pyramids; and to round off the experience they get to watch the IMAX film “Mysteries of Egypt”.
Stepping further back they may visit the age of dinosaurs, where they became a palaeontologist in the Dinosaurs Program. They discover real fossils and uncover the mysteries of the dinosaurs. Children learn about when the dinosaurs lived on earth, their names, their eating habits, why they are now extinct… and much more.

November 2006
DarkStar Adventure, the new Planetarium show at the BA Planetarium
DarkStar Adventure is a groundbreaking half-dome show for viewers of all ages. The show is a Spitz production; an Arabic narration has been produced by the BA Planetarium Science Center for the benefit of Arab viewers. DarkStar Adventure starts showing at the BA Planetarium in November 2006.

After spending three years at her father's astronomy research station on a dusty, dying planet, Subrah, a teenager bored by science, is excited about leaving. The planet's sun is about to explode and it is time to evacuate, but when a technical glitch launches Subrah's father into space without her, she is faced with the biggest challenge of her life – making her own getaway and returning safely home again.
Join Subrah, and her robot helper, on an unforgettable voyage of discovery as they unravel a cosmic riddle that points the way to planet Bekanal. You will witness the awesome power of a supernova, explore the heart of a gaseous nebula, visit exotic pulsars and learn to keep a safe distance from a black hole!

November 2006
Hosting of an Aeronautics Exhibition
The Scientific Center of Kuwait will be hosting an exhibition for the French Embassy in Kuwait entitled “Les Coulisses de l’aeronautique Européenne” (European Aeronautics – behind the scene) for the period from 5-15 November 2006. This exhibition will shed light on the history and productions of the European Aeronautics Industry.

The Exhibition consists of a number of photographs, most of them taken by Antoine Gonin, specialist in industrial photography. Thanks to a perfect sense of visual composition and a rare talent for light effects, he succeeds in portraying the value of technological development via his camera lens.
Gonin offers a spectacular view of the technology developed by EADS group, sponsor of this project, which is aworld leading group in the field of aeronautics. EADS have established their leadership in civil transportation as well as in aerospace and defense industry. They are the builders of Airbus planes, the biggest helicopter manufacturer in the world, the world leader in the filed of missiles, as well as partners in architecture of military carrier planes.
The exhibition has been presented in the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain; and it will go on to be presented in Saudi Arabia after its show at Then Scientific Center of Kuwait.

October 2006
Launch of the new IMAX film “Ocean Wonderland 3D”
With the first day of eid-el-fitr, The Scientific Center of Kuwait will be launching the new IMAX film, “Ocean Wonderland 3D”. This film is one of the latest IMAX films in 3D format exploring the wonders of the vast seas.

Starting Monday, 23 October 2006- first day of eid-el-fitr- the new IMAX film “Ocean Wonderland 3D’ was launched at TSCK IMAX Theater.
Ocean wonderland 3D is the first 3D Large Format underwater movie entirely shot using digital technology. Thanks to this technology, the film was shot almost entirely with natural light, thus showing for the first time the underwater world as it exactly is.
Shot on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and in the Bahamas, Ocean Wonderland 3D brings to you the amazing beauty of the many varieties of coral and the immense diversity of the marine life thriving there.
The mission of the film is to underline the crucial ecological role of coral reefs play in maintaining the well being of our planet, and to point out and warn against the dangers that are destroying the world's coral reefs.

October 2006
Einstein in Alexandria, the proceedings of the Einstein Symposium Scientific Meeting
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina has published the proceedings of the Scientific Meeting of the Einstein 2005 Symposium, organized by the BA Planetarium Science Center as part of a year-long celebration of the World Year of Physics. The proceedings are edited by the eminent Prof. Edward Witten, Professor of Physics at the Institute for Advanced Studies.
The BA is currently in the process of publishing the proceedings of the Public Forum of the same Symposium, which included lectures by three Nobel Laureates, in addition to an elite group of world renowned scientists.

August 2006
Direct Tele-conference with The International Space Station
On 27 August 2006, a direct satellite link was established with the International Space Station (ISS), where students from several schools in Kuwait got to speak with astronaut Jeff Williams on the ISS in a live session held at TSCK, thus making TSCK the only entity in the Middle East Region to have had the privilege to host this session.

Efforts were brought together by The Scientific Center of Kuwait, Kuwait Science Club and Kuwait Amateur Radio Society to organize this memorable event successfully. The idea started with an initiative and great effort from  Maryam Al-Joaan of the Kuwait Amateur Radio society, who had previously spoken with the Russian Cosmonaut on Board the International Space Station, Sergei Krikalev.  Krikalev was the commander of Expedition 11 and held the most accumulated time in space : 800 days on 6 missions.
The contact with the International Space Station (ISS) at The Scientific Center was done by telebridge via a ground station in Hawaii which had established a direct contact with the  ISS then connected to telephone via MCI operator to Kuwait.
Eleven students participated in this event, which was held at the main conference room of TSCK with their parents in attendance, listening proudly to their children converse with the astronaut Jeff Williams. Each student had to prepare a list of space-related questions to ask, such as the living conditions on board the ISS? What are the effects of micro-gravity? How astronauts feel physically while in space? What do they miss the most while being abroad? One of the students even asked what he cold do to become an astronaut.

August 2006
The BA ALEXploratorium hosts the Microscopes of Physics Exhibition
A hands-on exhibition, Microscopes of Physics is owned by INFN (Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics) and is hosted at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina ALEXploratorium, one of the components of the BA Planetarium Science Center, 6 August - 31 October 2006.
Microscopes of Physics aims to explain what is known about the infinitely small and the infinitely large, using the instruments adopted by physicists to investigate the two worlds. The exhibition, organized in four showrooms, contains interactive exhibits and simulations that are particularly suitable for schoolchildren. A special area is set aside for inter-disciplinary applications of nuclear and sub-nuclear physics.

August 2006
Mystery of the Nile, the IMAX film now showing at the BA Planetarium
Mystery of the Nile, narrates the epic story of the first expedition down the world's greatest and deadliest river.
"The Nile is the most magnificent river in the world. No other river can compare, and no other river in the world is as closely associated with a particular culture and society. Without the Nile there would be no Egypt, no pharaohs, no pyramids" says Pasquale Scaturro, expedition leader.
Mystery of the Nile captures the epic story of the team that became the first ever to navigate the waters of the Blue Nile from source to sea. At the heart of film lies the Blue Nile, the main artery of the Nile river, which cuts a vital, life-sustaining path from the remote, rugged highlands of Ethiopia through the unexpected beauty of war-torn Sudan and on into modern Egypt, where the river spills into the Mediterranean Sea at Alexandria.

24 June 2006
The inauguration of SEED corner at the BA ALEXploratorium
The SEED (Schlumberger Excellence in Educational Development) program and the BA Planetarium Science Center join efforts to achieve their common goal of raising scientific awareness and enhancing the understanding of science among the children and youth of Egypt by launching the "SEED corner", inaugurated on 24 June 2006, at the BA ALEXploratorium to host a series of scientific hands-on activities starting with Water Analysis and Electronics.
A non-profit organization, SEED is a volunteer-based program, which provides a channel for members of Schlumberger’s workforce to share their expertise and passion for science, technology and learning with youth.

20-21 June 2006
The BA Planetarium Science Center celebrates the third Eratosthenes Annual Festivity
In celebration of the global scientist Eratosthenes, third Librarian of the Ancient Bibliotheca Alexandrina, who excelled in most ancient fields of science, the PSC organizes an annual festivity based on shared efforts between schoolchildren in Alexandria, Aswan and France to determine the Earth's circumference applying the method developed by Eratosthenes around 2000 years ago.
This year, the festivity, which is the third in a row, took place on two days where simultaneous activities were conducted in Alexandria and Aswan, including lectures, workshops and observations. At noon on 21 June, student groups in both cities took measurements to calculate the Earth’s circumference and compared results through a videoconference between the participants in Alexandria, Aswan and France.

June 2006
Polar Express in DMR System at The Scientific Center of Kuwait
Starting 14 June 2006 and for two months the IMAX DMR film “Polar Express 3D” played at the Scientific Center IMAX Theater. “Polar Express 3D” is the first whole animated 3D movie to be made in DMR technology. Special upgrades were made to the system earlier on in order to accommodate this new amazing technology.  

The IMAX Theater at The Scientific Center of Kuwait has undergone an upgrade to include the new DMR technology. DMR or Digital Mastering Recording is a revolutionary proprietary technology that makes it possible for virtually any 35mm live-action film to be transformed into the unparalleled image and sound quality if the IMAX® Experience. Applying the IMAX DMR process to films originally shot in 35mm results in the delivery of bright, high quality images that provide uniquely immersive cinematic experiences. Hollywood movies are digitally re-mastered and reformatted into IMAX’s 15/70 format, and thus certain upgrades must be made to the projection equipment to accommodate the longer running time of the Hollywood features.
After making upgrades and alterations to the system at the projection room, TSCK IMAX Theater launched the spectacular 3D film “Polar Express” on 14 June 2006. This 100 minute animated film was a favorite for children and adults alike; not only were the image and sound enhancements attractive, but the meaningful story and themes of the film also played an important role in attracting viewers.
In keeping with the Center’s policy to continuously present to its visitors the latest of technological feats, The Scientific Center intends to launch two other 3D DMR movies during 2007.

May 2006
The BA Planetarium Science Center celebrates the Astronomy Day 2006
An annual international event, the "Astronomy Day", takes place on a Saturday, sometime between mid-April and mid-May, just before the first quarter moon; in 2006, it was celebrated on 6 May 2006. To celebrate the occasion, the PSC organized a festivity targeting upper primary and preparatory schoolchildren. The event included a lecture by a resident astronomer, two workshops: the "Sundial" and the "Solar System"; an Observation of the "Sky of Alexandria", and finally a Videoconference with NASA: "Our Solar Neighborhood".
The Planetarium Science Center reached the final round of selections for the Sky & Telescope Astronomy Day Award. Although the Center did not win, the judges were very impressed with the entry and decided to award the Center an Honorable Mention.

Total Solar Eclipse 2006
On 29 March 2006, a Total Solar Eclipse was observed in parts of Egypt, and to celebrate this rare scientific occasion that will not take place in Egypt again except in another 21 years, the BA Planetarium Science Center organized a major multi-event festivity that included the two-week "Frontiers of Astronomy" school/workshop for university students; the two-day "Culture and Astronomy" series of lectures for schoolchildren, in addition to simultaneous observations of the Total Eclipse from Alsaloum, and the Partial Eclipse from Alexandria.

A multinational festivity, the “Total Solar Eclipse” targeted several age groups through four different events:

    • The two-week, invitation-only, “Frontiers of Astronomy” school/workshop targeted a selected group of international, regional and local under- and post-graduate students. Those participants were given a rare chance of mingling with, and benefiting from, an exceptionally elite group of scientists who are at the top of their fields of study from the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA), Max-Planck-Institute for Astrophysics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Calthec, Paris Observatory, University of California, Cambridge, Oxford, Princeton, Stanford and JILA. The event was successful for the speakers as much as the participants. All speakers showed great interest in the proposed idea of a Research Program and are very enthusiastic to cooperate.
    • The two-day public “Culture and Astronomy” series of lectures targeted promising preparatory and secondary school students as well as the interested unspecialized public in general. The twelve lectures were delivered by a group of highly acclaimed astronomers from COSPAR, the Paris Institute for Astrophysics (IAP), the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, Paris Observatory, Max-Planck-Institute for Astrophysics, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Boston College, St. Andrews University, the Kwasan and Hida Observatory, the Virtual Laboratory for Archaeometry and Ain Shams University. The young students showed great enthusiasm and curiosity; they were keen to ask questions and the speakers were very impressed and equally enthusiastic to answer.

One of the strategies adopted by the PSC team is to take advantage of unique science related events to create an unforgettable memory that would stay with the public and especially the younger sector with the aim of provoking and stimulating them to search and learn. In accordance with this strategy, the other two events of the "Total Solar Eclipse 2006" took place simultaneously on 29 March 2006. The PSC staff was divided to cover all possible aspects of the event that will not take place in Egypt again for another 21 years:

    • Some of the PSC staff traveled with the speakers from the first two events and the participants of the school/workshop on 28 of March to Alsaloum where a camp had been arranged for the group to spend the night and be able to follow all the steps of Totality in the morning of 29. The trip was a unique opportunity for the staff, the speakers and the participants to bond and further enhance the newly-established connections.
    • The other group of the PSC staff stayed in Alexandria where an observation of the partial eclipse was organized for the public on the BA plaza. The one-day event also included a lecture by one of the PSC resident astronomers, a videoconference with NASA and coverage of the observation of Totality from Turkey.

NAMES 1st meeting in Alexandria, January 2006
In 2005, The Planetarium Science Center (PSC) of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, was selected by the International Program Committee (IPC) of the World Congress of Science Centers to represent North Africa and the Middle East in the committee. For the PSC to really have an active role in the IPC, it invited creating a network that represents North Africa and the Middle East (NAMES).
On 30 January 2006, the BA organized a one-day closed meeting to lay the foundation for the new network.

The meeting included representatives from:

    • The BA Planetarium Science Center
    • Suzanne Mubarak Science Exploration Center
    • Prince Salman Science Oasis (Saudi Arabia)
    • The Scientific Center of Kuwait
    • Tunis Science City
    • Turkey Science Centers Foundation
    • Sharjah Science Museum (United Arab Emirates)
    • Deutsches Museum, guest
    • Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics, associate

Some of the topics discussed included:

    • Mission Statement
    • The Statutes
    • Office premises
    • Membership and Fees
    • Board of Directors
    • Executive Committee
    • The General Assembly
    • Budget

After the deliberations that continued following the meeting of 30 January 2006, the decision was made to launch the NAMES network with four founding members:

  • The Planetarium Science Center, Egypt     

http://www.bibalex.org/English/psc/about/overview.htm

  • Turkey Science Centers Foundation

http://www.bilimmerkezi.org.tr/

  • The Scientific Center of Kuwait

http://www.tsck.org.kw/

  • Tunis Science City

http://www.cst.rnu.tn/