Did you know there is science behind skateboarding?
This will be explained during the Science in the City Festival which will include a temporary skate park with explainers on the science behind skating, according to university senior lecturer Edward Duca.
Duca, who is the Rector’s delegate for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) community engagement at the University, told a news conference on Tuesday that the skatepark is only one of the many interesting events during the festival, being held on September 30 and October 1.
Interactive stands and live performances will merge science and the arts as Science in the City celebrates its 10th anniversary.
The festival will also celebrate a return to normality, this being the first Science in the City festival since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to be held without any restrictions.
There will be interactive stands at Fort St Elmo on September 30 and live performances at St Dominic's theatre on both September 30 and October 1.
An app-based interactive performance in Senglea will look at the social history of the city.
Duca said one stand at St Elmo will take a look at genetics and how race is a social construct and not a scientific truth, he said.
One performance will look at how seagrass can help reduce climate emissions, the science professor said.
Duca said pre-festival events include a science treasure hunt and there will be a virtual escape room a week after the festival.
Artist and performer Jeremy Grech said such events helped bring science to life for both children and adults.
They also helped portray beauty and its application in the real world, university rector Alfred Vella said, adding that children should not be discouraged from science.
Duca even hoped Malta would one day have a Nobel prize winner.
Festival manager Karen Fiorini said the festival will focus on how science can help in the understanding of people, the environment, and technology.
Education minister Clifton Grima said science was necessary for the development of policies.
The festival is part of the European Researchers Night project.