Science Days: Project Genesis
Saturday & Sunday, October 19-20, 2013 / 10 AM-6 PM / Ars Electronica Center
(Linz, October 17, 2013) Special guided tours and workshops having to do with synthetic biology highlight this weekend’s Science Days program at the Ars Electronica Center. On Saturday, October 19th, molecular biologist Manuel Selg will offer an introduction to the basics of synthetic biology. On Sunday, October 20th, sociologist Wolfgang Kerbe elaborates on the term “life” from the points of view of biology, philosophy and religion.
Here’s an overview of the Science Days program:
Project Genesis / Special Tour
Saturday & Sunday, October 19-20 / 11 AM-12:15 PM & 3-4:15 / Meeting point: Infodesk
This special tour of the Ars Electronica Center’s BioLab is a great way for visitors to get acquainted with the fundamentals of synthetic biology before proceeding on to Project Genesis: Synthetic Biology –Life from the Lab, the exhibition showcasing artistic takes on this fascinating scientific field.
Eeny, meeny, miny moe, catch a hybrid by the toe! / Workshop
Saturday, October 19 / 3-5 PM / Meeting point: Infodesk
By crossing plants and breeding animals, human beings intentionally intervene in their environment. But what occurs naturally and what has humankind brought about? This workshop will deal with these issues, and kids will also get the opportunity to use images to create fantastic creatures of their own.
myBRID / Workshop
Saturday, October 19 / 10 AM-12 Noon / Lobby
Sunday, October 20 / 10 AM-12 Noon and 1-4 PM / Lobby
Here, kids age 10-14 are equipped with stuffed animals and glue guns to become a new breed of construction engineer and create wonderful hybrid creatures—for instance, three-legged Barbies, lizard bears, and alligator ponies.
BioMix / Workshop
Saturday & Sunday, October 19-20 / 5-5:45 PM / BioLab
In BioLab, the Ars Electronica Center’s in-house R&D laboratory, visitors can examine their own DNA and find out, for instance, whether they have the particular gene that enables them to taste bitter substances. Another interesting and educational exercise is learning what steps are necessary for do-it-yourself cloning of plants.
Introduction to Synthetic Biology / Speech
Saturday, October 19 / 2 PM / Level 1
Manuel Selg, professor at the Upper Austria University of Applied Sciences’ Wels Campus and scientific advisor to the Projeckt Genesis exhibition, will explain the basics of synthetic biology in laymen’s terms.
What Is Life? / Speech (in German)
Sunday, October 20 / 2 PM / Level 1
Sociologist Wolfgang Kerbe elaborates on “life” from a variety of perspectives. Presenting various items on display in the Project Genesis exhibition, he’ll go into some fascinating issues at the nexus of science and society.
Science Days
Science Days events are held regularly at the Ars Electronica Center to spotlight the facility’s marvelous array of labs and fascinating exhibitions, and to encourage visitors to focus on and deal with important issues.
Pressetext “Science Days: Projekt Genesis” / PDF
Photo:
Cloning / Nicolas Ferrando, Lois Lammerhuber / Printversion / Album
Photo:
Biogenic Timestamp / Martin Hieslmair / Printversion / Album
Photo:
Project Genesis / Martin Hieslmair / Printversion / Album
