Not many of us aspire to be a scientist. Sure enough, we heard lots of common professions like lawyers, doctors, bankers, teachers, to name some. The last we heard of someone wanting to be a scientist was probably during our primary school days when we were asked to think of our ambitions. Sad to say, things tend to change when you grow older, and wiser, and realise that society is not what you deemed it to be. And it is tough luck to even be a scientist – a successful one that is.

Then again, there are indeed scientists working on the field. If you are keen to know what work scientists do on a day to day basis, then this is the chance for you to explore the amazing world of science and feel what it is like to be a scientist for a day.

The Scientific Method is a flexible process: some define it as a set of "principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses." It is, in a sense, a systematic means of pursuing a curiosity to its logical end, or, of engaging one’s senses (observations), seeing an intrigue or an enigma and using ingenuity and creativity to understand and resolve it – all in a carefully thought-out, analytical -logical manner.

Scientist for a Day is a highly interactive, thinking exhibition with a novel, open-to-all Discover-It-Yourself Laboratory or DIY Lab, staffed by the resident science facilitator and, when available, guest scientists. It is called Scientist For A Day for obvious reasons: you will learn the Scientific Method by interacting with the exhibits – sometimes, simply observing what happens – then noticing and defining problems based on what has been observed, and testing various explanations or hypotheses. You are then invited to the open-concept DIY Lab where a facilitator leads you through various experiments. This will not only let you pick up the scientific concepts expressed in the experiments, you will also become familiar with the scientific method as you go along.

While the Scientist For A Day exhibition can be enjoyed by families and individuals, it can also be used as a school class enrichment activity. With the Ministry of Education’s – and indeed the national – emphasis on the sciences, this exhibition offers the opportunity for students and the general public to see Science at work and be that “scientist” for a day.

The Scientist For A Day exhibition is open to all visitors during the Science Centre's regular operational hours.

Location:
Hall A

Typical time required:
20 minutes (minimum)