Science Fair opens

Press, 29 June 1983, Page 2

Science Fair opens

If you want to find out if a bee is colour blind, the dangers of glue sniffing, or how to use lichens, take a trip to the 1983 CanterburyWestland Science Fair at the Horticultural Hall. The annual fair will be open to the public at 10.30 a.m. today after the Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay, officially opens it and prizewinners are presented with their awards. More than 300 displays, posters, and working models prepared by form 1 to form 7 school pupils in the district are on display and cover a wide range of subjects from the mysteries of

mould to hydro-electricity and “the nastiest of nasties, head lice.” Reflecting tbe boom in home computers, a number of displays feature these and their uses. One sixth form pupil has programmed his computer to feature a fifth form science course and another pupil has come up with a display called "compu vet.” You tell the computer what symptoms your animal has and it will give you an indication of what is wrong with it. For the price of 50c for adults and 30c for children visitors can also see a water-powered pepper-

grinder, a dissected rat, a moon buggy that apparently did not work to start with, and even a “crazy invention” which works on stored energy. The chairman of the fair’s organising committee, Mr J. A. Houliston, said the judges looked for originality and scientific inventiveness, presentation, effort, and technical skill. The fair will be open to the public from 10.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. today, 9 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. tomorrow, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday.