Learning science in a classroom or in a school laboratory can neither satisfy entirely the urge for scientific knowledge, nor can it answer fully the questions put forward by enquiring minds.

The urge for scientific discovery is often initiated in the classroom at an early age when students are exposed to simple scientific investigations from which they learn the basic skills of science: predicting results, observing changing behaviour, measuring quantities, tabulating and analysing data and drawing conclusions.

This aspect of science learning is developed further in secondary schools when specialised science teachers provide fertile grounds for further discovery and research through the use of a combination of traditional and innovative laboratory equipment and IT resources.

It is common knowledge, however, that only few students proceed with science learning at tertiary level. Most of the dropouts argue that science is difficult to learn; others say that science, unlike business studies or software programming, can rarely lead to a well-paid career.

While acknowledging that such arguments are questionable and do not always reflect reality, it must be said that science graduates and postgraduates are truly hard to find.

To motivate more students to opt for science courses at university level, one must first of all augment and intensify the interest in science-related subjects.

The state-of-the-art laboratories that are currently being built and the new digital equipment that furnishes them are unquestionably an essential step forward but are simply not enough.

Science should not be limited to the laboratory; nor should it be restricted to a programme of study.

Learning science is an urge that has been present in humankind since creation; an impulsive instinct that has pushed forward men and women of all ages to uncover the unknown and use their discoveries to improve the quality of life.

In view of this, the past 40 years have been crucial to promote interest in science outside the classroom and to satisfy the human urge for discovery.

Science museums worldwide and permanent science exhibitions that engage participants in interactive activities are considered to be of paramount importance in propagating interest in scientific knowledge.

One particular exposition of engaging science material that has attracted my attention for its orderly arrangement and its comprehensible thematic approach is the Paris science museum on Avenue Franklin Roosevelt.

Not as grand or famous as London’s majestic science museum but more engaging and interactive, the science museum in Paris is housed in a spectacular palace whose ceiling, studded with 9,000 stars, is itself a lesson in the basics of astronomy.

The dome staircase whose architectural design is unique leads to two floors of live experiments that are relevant for children and adults alike, whether they are science-oriented or not.

See how molecules move, make invisible light visible, engage yourself in Rutherford’s most historical experiment, test your short-term memory or drink from a bottle you can’t touch.

You can also feast your eyes on temporary science exhibits and spectacular shows or attend a hands-on workshop where science becomes fun, exciting and stimulating.

Various lecture rooms throughout the complex host presentations on specific themes. Each theme is developed in detail by an expert instructor who interacts with the audience through the use of an extensive range of visual aids and computer software.

The Malta Council for Science and Technology at Bighi is currently working on a similar large-scale permanent science exhibition project that will, for the first time, put Malta on the map of European countries that host science museums.

For the sake of science education and science popularisation, it is hoped that this essential project will see the light of day in the shortest time possible.

At the same time, much thought should be put in its planning stages as exhibits need to be designed in such a way as to be fully interactive and able to handle the latest scientific information in an exciting and accessible way.

Those who are working on the project should bear in mind that science is not just for scientists but for all those whose enquiring minds are looking for tangible solutions to unexplained observations.

All those who are giving a helping hand in the project should be encouraged and applauded.

Another science display centre recently opened its doors in Warsaw. Housing the latest in interactive activities and science games that operate on pollution-free sources, this museum in the centre of the city of Copernicus and Marie Curie will provide a stimulus for school children and adults to engage in investigations and experiments.

Intended to add enthusiasm to the annual science picnic in Warsaw, the museum will also be a source of research, particularly for students of human biology, biochemistry and electronics.

The necessity to popularise science and make it more accessible is evident throughout Europe and beyond. The techniques used and the amount of money invested per capita to achieve this vary from one country to another, but motivating society to achieve science literacy has become one of the chief incentives in the civilised world.

The concepts of science may be difficult to comprehend and the mathematics involved in the quantifying aspect of science can only be digested by few.

But open to all are the hours of fun that the puzzling world of science provides and the magic entertainment that science supplies to creative minds.

Observe how a particular gadget works; enquire why it behaves so; predict and discover how it behaves under diverse conditions and apply what you know to create something new.

Nowhere can you do this better than within an interactive science museum.

Mr Falzon is Education Officer for Chemistry.

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