Looking Back at 'Our Earth Our Home'!

Our first thematic program for 2013 was 'Our Earth Our Home' which was held from January until March 2013. The theme was celebrating science activities delivering a message to keepsafe our environment. It was celebrated in our main centre, Petrosains KLCC and also in our mini satellite centers in Playsmart Johor Bahru, Playsmart Kuantan and Playsmart Kota Kinabalu. All activities done by Petrosains for 'Our Earth Our Home' was aimed to create awareness among us on the importance of conserving & preserving our environment.

The highlight for this theme was our special iconic tree which was named the 'Pledge Tree'. It was made of recycled cardboard boxes and displayed on our science show stage with environmental messages written by visitors on small, colourful pieces of paper that later became the leaves of the tree. 

Some of the hands-on mini science activities conducted in the centre are as shown in the pictures below:-

Home Sweet Home - Understanding our earth structure by making a model using clay

Throughout the 3 months of having 'Our Earth Our Home' as our theme, we chose one weekend to hold a 'Weekend Special'. Usually during weekend specials, we have extra science activities on top of those held on a daily basis. We also had Aswara Dance Performing Arts Group performing 3 dances with choreography inspired by the animal kingdom! 

Playsmart Kuantan held 'Clean the Beaches' outdoor activity and Playsmart Johor Bahru did a program in Taman Negara Tanjung Piai where they planted mangrove trees and also held a trash collecting competition. 

Playsmart JB celebrating Festival Hijau at Taman Negara, Tanjung Piai

But surely initiatives to save our environment & keep it in pristine conditions should not just happen during those three months. It must be an on-going effort that continues everywhere on Earth. We should remind ourselves that it is our responsibility to take good care of our Earth as it is our only home!

Posted by Ayu
Learning Specialist, Petrosains

Plant-based hues for dyes!



After living for umpteen years, I have never thought of identifying what is it that creates the vibrant colors that I see and adore every day. Generally, I thought that colours for dyes are only made from mixtures of three primary colors which are cyan, magenta and yellow.  But little did I know until my mother told me, that plants which include the tree, leaves, flowers and roots have hues that function as a source in making dyes including food colouring. The first thing that came to mind was the thought of mans cruelty to use such beauty as a colouring source.

Hey pretty!

But after sourcing for some information, it seemed that plants have been used to make dyes for decades. Here are some examples:

  

Let’s start with the famously known Henna tree which is also known as Pokok Inai in Malay. Henna is a very unique plant where all you have to do is just pound the leaves and you can obtain its intense natural reddish-orange hue. Because of that, Henna has been widely used as a dye for hair, skin and fingernails. You would have probably seen hair dyes in black and brown, but that isn’t the original color of the Henna plant. The natural and original Henna plant only produces reddish-orange hues. 

Scientific name: Lawsonia inermis (Henna)

Other than Henna, turmeric or kunyit in Malay, which is known as a cooking spice also acts as food dye, as the turmeric rhizome has a limitless natural yellow pigment ranging from bright yellow to deep orange, depending on the variety. It can just turn everything yellow! Some Malaysian dishes that use turmeric are chicken turmeric, yellow glutinous rice and gulai lemak.



Scientific name: Curcuma longo (Turmeric)

The third example is the Butterfly Pea plant, also known as Bunga Telang. This plant also contributes a purplish-blue hue for food dye. Try to guess which Malaysian food uses this plant as food dye. It’s Nasi Kerabu! I was actually so excited when I heard that Nasi Kerabu got its colour from a plant because I literally love to see the colour of the Nasi Kerabu and it is also one of my favourite dishes.

Scientific name: Clitoria flower (Butterfly Pea Plant)

It’s amazing how plants can be a source for dyes. In fact, there are many other plants which could also be used for food colouring. Some other examples are roselles, blueberries, pandan leaves and red dragon fruits. Taking natural plant-based food colouring is much healthier than consuming artificial colouring even though the bright colours may be appealing to your eyes. Plant-based hues also produce softer and more natural tones compared to artificial colouring. So, perhaps next time you can use plant-based hues to add colour to your homemade food; but keep in mind that not all plants can be used as food dye! Get recommendations from people or source for information on the internet to ensure that it is edible.

Shared by Ruby, Intern at Petrosains

Travel Back in Time with Petrosains

I was astounded by the variety of exhibitions in Petrosains itself, however, I was particularly attracted to visit the Geotime Diorama. Having a great interest in rocks and nature as a whole, it is natural for me to spend more time in that particular exhibition. It presents prehistoric events in a unique approach. As I entered the exhibition, I was amused by the setting; it was definitely a new world. I was welcomed by the rapping T-Rex which was amusing and fun to listen to. The exhibition consists of many figurines of ancient animals and plants. The sound effects brought me into the ancient times when dinosaurs ruled the world.  I was lucky to have had the chance to explore it and had more opportunities to gain lots of knowledge without rushing through time.

There were so many things to cover although the exhibition hall itself does not seem to be big! I slowly walked down the path while going through each and every information board. It was not your typical museum with science facts all the way; the exhibition is actually interactive! I was able to learn about the texture of rocks which is essential to determine their respective types. Also, it took me back to the ancient times; to experience the smell of air during that period. But I must say that I am grateful with the air we breathe today because the smell of ancient air was so strong and pungent that I could never imagine myself living during that era. Through the facilities that they have, I gained much knowledge about the prehistoric era. Had I not known that the gap between each species existed was large, I would have thought that plants and animals coexist in a similar period of time. I was amused to know that animal and plant fossils actually aid geologists in establishing the age of a rock. What is interesting about this exhibition, other than interactive models, is the language used to explain the facts. It was explained in both Bahasa Melayu and English using common vocabulary to make sure all visitors including children can engage with the information they read. I could see many kids were actually learning through it with the help of their guardian.

I was happy to not only be able to learn but also to convey what I obtained as I had the chance to help visitors to understand some of the hands-on activities. It piqued their interest to learn more and created an environment to nurture curiosity in science. I was so engrossed in the diorama that I lost track of time. Without knowing, I had spent nearly an hour to fully experience that particular exhibition. The amount of knowledge I gained is ten times the size of the exhibition itself!

Although this was not my first time here, the difference is when I was a child, I would just walk pass through it and get excited while looking at the animal and plant figurines without bothering to read through the information boards. I must say that it was a big loss that I did not go through them earlier but I have found a new form of joy hidden in the exhibition today; this place is both educational and inspiring.  It is not only an exhibition on prehistoric creatures butalso a source of information on natural resources and their relations to our environment.  So take your time here and you will find yourself immersed in the unforgettable journey at Geotime Diorama.

Shared by Nadrah

Guest Student Blogger