OIST Science Festival 2017

This event was held on November 19th. Read the OIST News article about Science Festival 2017.

Date: Sunday, 19th November 2017
Time: 10:00~16:00
Venue: OIST Campus(1919-1, Tancha, Onna  MAP
Admission: Free

Download the OIST Science Festival 2017 Guide (6MB, PDF)
OIST サイエンスフェスタ2017

Lecture

13:00-14:00 Auditorium (All Ages)
Cosmic Lab - Feeling the Universe with Your Five Senses
Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Subaru Public Outreach Specialist Dr. Yuko Kakazu
Through hands-on activities, we will learn various techniques used by astronomers to explore the Universe. Then the journey begins. We start in Okinawa, the island of “chura” (beautiful) stars, then blast off to comets, planets, stars, extrasolar planets, black holes, and distant galaxies!

11:00-12:00 Auditorium (All Ages)
How Would AI Change People and Society?
Riken Quantitative Biology Center
Team Leader Dr. Koichi Takahashi
Recently, we often hear the word “AI (Artificial Intelligence)” in multiple contexts: automatic driving,  Igo (Japanese chess) Championship Tournaments etc.  AI started approximately 60 years ago. It is about to make an unprecedented leap with the advent of deep learning technology, and it could even bring more changes to people and society than the changes brought by Industrial Revolution with the invention of steam engine 200 years ago.  We will look into AI and its effect on human society from technological and social aspects.

15:00-16:00 Auditorium (All Ages) 
Science Show ~Physics of the World Around Us~
James Schloss (OIST Student)
If you look around carefully, there are many cool things happening in the world around us. Let's explore the wonders of physics together!

11:00-12:00 Seminar Room (All Ages)
RIFA: Alien Species tThreaten the Okinawa's Ecosystem
Speaker: Masashi Yoshimura (OIST Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Staff Scientist)
The unique ecosystem is an important resource for Okinawa. But it cannot be maintained without cooperation of the Okinawan people. I will talk about the function of the observation and collaboration network that the OKEON Churamori Project has made with Okinawan society, with the theme of "the alien species problem" including Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta, which flustered Japanese people this year.

*Please note that the lecture time has been changed since the event flyer printed.
15:00-16:00 Seminar Room (All Ages)
Sato Unit
Science from the Ocean in Okinawa
Speaker: Koki Nishitsuji, Asuka Arimoto, Yuna Zayasu (OIST Marin Genomics Unit, Researcher)
“Mozuku for our good health”; “Umibudou of crunchy tastes”; “Coral Reefs, Cradle of life in the ocean.” Those are mysterious organisms living in the ocean of Okinawa. Let’s study them with latest scientific researches.

Kid's Lecture (Target Audience: Children)

*Please note that the lecture time has been changed since the event flyer printed.
13:15-14:15  Seminar Room (Target Audience: Children)
Secrets of the Octopus and Squid
Physics and Biology Unit
Takahiro Nishibayashi
When you hear of octopuses or squid, you might think of food. But did you know that they are in fact smart and experts of disguise? In this class, we will learn not about octopuses and squid on the dinner plate, but about the cool bodies and behavior of the living animals.

Science Cafe

14:00-15:00 Lab3 (Junior High+)
The Future of Science and Technology through "Yachimun"
Speaker:  Kenichi Sajiki (OIST G0 Cell Unit, Staff Scientist)
Genome editing, AI, robots, and other advancements science and technology have been changing our lifestyles and ways of thinking.  Science and technology realize things that used to be impossible.  However, we may feel some sort of anxiety, “What kind of future are we going to have?”  The research on Yachimun, the traditional Okinawa pottery, gives us some clues which would resolve this anxiety and make us optimistic about the future.  From a craft studio, we will introduce you some techniques to enrich your future lead by the state-of-the-art science.

Science Program

Monster toothpaste and fancy liquids 

Do you know how to make monster size toothpaste? Do you know what makes some liquids sink and other liquids float? Let’s find out.
Hands on

Termites!

Did you know that termites are actually cockroaches and not ants? Do you want to see the microscopic “fairies” (symbiotic microbes) that help their host termite to digest wood or even harvest food from the soil? Among Okinawan termites, there are also fungal gardeners! We will show you these and even more intimate details of termites’ lives in our booth.
Hands on
Display

Experiments with liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream!

Have you experienced a super cold world? Let's see what happens when it gets to -196C!!
Hands on

Lending a Robotic Hand

Find out how robots can help our research activities at OIST.
Display

Discover the amazing 3D world! 

Let's create a simple shape and bring it to life in 3D.
Each Session<Capacity 20/ 30 minutes>
Tickets will be available at 10:00 for ① 10:30 ②11:30
Tickets will be available at 11:30 for ③ 13:00
Tickets will be available at 13:00 for ④ 14:00 ⑤15:00
Hands on
Tickets

Experience the world of computers   

Curious about what a “super” computer looks like or does? Come here and let’s experience the wonderful world of computers!
Display
Hands on

Introduction of Zebrafish  

We will show the zebrafish, our animal model for genetic research,  and introduce the research of the Developmental Neurobiology Unit.
Hands on
Display

Exploring colors!

Is black ink really black? Is green ink really green? Let's find out the answer using chromatography!
Hands on

Let's explore and travel the world of the atom using an ultra-high-resolution electron microscope.

Hands on

Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)

Peer inside a ten-thousandth millimeter world.
Hands on

The Wonderful World of Honeybees

Have ever seen inside a honeybee colony? Come and join us to observe honeybees through our observation beehive with no fear of stings! Let us help you discover more about the bee world and where honey comes from. You can even play researcher with our video game the ECOEVO QUEST.
Hands on

Open Lab

The laboratory that you cannnot usually visit is opened. We will introduce our research using fission yeast and human blood. Let's use labware!
Display
Lab

How Do Robots Learn? 

Do you know how robots learn? Let's play with robots and see how they learn!
Hands on

Let's Make Sticky Slime! 

Did you know you can make slime with ordinary ingredients? Let's make sticky slime with our friends!
Each Session<Capacity 15/ 20 minutes>
Tickets will be available at 10:00 for ① 10:30 ②11:30
Tickets will be available at 11:30 for ③ 13:30
Tickets will be available at 13:00 for ④ 14:30 ⑤15:30
Hands on
Tickets

Human Robot Interaction 

Let’s see how brain-inspired robots play with humans.
Hands on

The Unseen Life of the Ocean 

Join our researchers on a voyage of discovery in Ocean Science. The ocean is full of mysteries that we cannot even see. We will show you the creatures that are too small or too strange to see. We will show you ocean processes that are normally invisible to the naked eye.
Hands on
Display

Neuroscience with Papercraft 

Come and join us to make papercraft, learn neuroscience, and HAVE FUN!
Hands on

Geology Rocks! 

Every rock tells a story.  What happened here a million years ago?  100 million? Learn to identify rocks and figure out where they came from. 
Hands on

Catch Me if You Can 

Cephalopods are masters of camouflage. How do they manage to hide from hungry predators? How does camouflage work and what other animals also use it? Optical illusions. How you can fool your senses.
Hands on

Programming with Neko-chan 

Learn to make games and animations with cats, fish, dragons and knights with Scratch!
Each Session<Capacity 16/ 30 minutes>
Tickets will be available at 10:00 for ① 10:30 ②11:15
12:00 - 13:00 Open Session/ No Tickets Required
Tickets will be available at 11:30 for ③ 13:00 ④13:45
Tickets will be available at 13:00 for ④ 14:30 ⑤15:15
Hands on
Tickets
 

Let’s do Chemistry Magic! 

Do you want to see how bright chemistry can be? Do you want to make toothpaste for elephants? Come to our booth and find out about the many sides of chemistry and do some chemistry magic!
Hands on

Fun with Light! 

How does a telescope work? What is light? Can you really make things invisible? Let’s find out by exploring the world of light!
Hands on

Research Equipment and Research Support at OIST <Introduction>
Presentation about the state-of-the-art research equipment and research support structure at OIST.

OIST Wonders Quiz Game! <Introduction>
How much do you know about OIST research and education? Come participate in a fun quiz game with other OIST fans!

Colorful Dancing Flames

Do you think that you know what fire is? Then tell me what color is it? Is it yellow or orange? Well, how about green, blue, red, and pink? YES!! It can be all of them! Come to discover with me the Colorful World of Fire!!!
Hands on

Observation of C. Elegans. 

Observation of C. elegans. Do you know what it is? Let’s observe it with a microscope!
Hands on

OIST PhD Program <Introduction>
Want to study at OIST? Come and talk to us to find out more about our amazing PhD program!

Jobs at OIST <Introduction>
There are many job opportunities at OIST. Want to be a part of OIST? Please visit our booth!

Safety and Ethics at OIST 

OIST promotes Safe and Ethical research activities within the university through training sessions, seminars, lab inspections and review of research plans by the Technical Committee. Posters will be displayed to demonstrate and introduce OHS activities and efforts being made on research safety and ethics.
Display

DNA: the Life Code Molecule 

There is a molecule that has a code for everything about your body – your eye colour, your skin, even if you are a boy or a girl! Also, every plant, animal, or microbe has this molecule – DNA. Do you want to do an experiment and see for yourself what DNA looks like?
Hands on

Wonders of Ants & OKEON CHUra-mori Project

Come and see wonders of the ant world and learn about OIST’s broader efforts to measure and monitor Okinawa’s biodiversity and environment as part of the OKEON Chira-mori project.
Display
Hands on

Artificial Intelligence Art and Aesthetics Exhibition 

The way that artificial intelligence and art intertwine becomes more and more complicated day by day. Keywords such as deep learning and IoT will become increasingly conscious in the future. As a response to the latest trend in research and art, and to discuss the self-consciousness of artificial intelligence and the beauty resulting from  this, we will exhibit artificial intelligence works by artists, composers, poets and researchers from Japan and overseas.
Display

Food

You will get to taste variety of international foods.

Food Vendors

  • MANTICAN
  • GOZZA
  • Café Bar GoMe
  • Okinawan Food Shimabutaya
  • Delica Uotetsu
  • H&S
  • Umi Monogatari
  • Lekkernijen
  • Marusei Bento
  • Kukuru no Yado
  • Indian Food SHIVA
  • Agu no Kakurega
  • Taco-rice Café Kijimunaa
  • PEACE KITCHEN
  • coco bagel
  • Old Spices
  • Grano

Free Shuttle Service from/to Naha

(Registration Required)
※Registration will start on Mon. 30th Oct. at 10am

From Okinawa Prefectural Government Office in Naha to OIST
  Dep Pref Office Arr OIST Reserve
A:  From Pref Govt Office 8:30 9:30 Reserve Bus A Departing at 8:30
B:  From Pref Govt Office 9:00 10:00 Reserve Bus B Departing at 9:00
C:  From Pref Govt Office 11:00 12:00 Reserve Bus C Departing at 11:00

From OIST to Okinawa Prefectural Government Office in Naha
  Dep OIST Arr Pref Office Reserve
D:  To Pref Govt Office 14:00 15:00 Reserve Bus D Departing at 14:00
E:  To Pref Govt Office 16:00 17:00 Reserve Bus E Departing at 16:00
F:  To Pref Govt Office 16:30 17:30 Reserve Bus F Departing at 16:30

Conatact

Community Relations Section