China Science Festival hosts “1001 Inventions: Journeys from Alchemy to Chemistry”
Beijing, 3 August 2019 — The 6th China Science Festival guest of honour is the 8th-century pioneering polymath Jabir ibn Hayyan. Celebrating the proclaimed International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (IYPT2019), the theme for the 2019 edition is chemistry and its applications.
At the anchor “1001 Inventions: Journeys from Alchemy to Chemistry” zone of the festival, children join an exciting learning experience into the foundations of modern chemistry by ancient cultures and civilisations, in particular the remarkable work of the pioneering polymath Jabir ibn Hayyan in the 8th century.
Children watch the short animated video by Professor Jim Al-Khalili, renowned scientist, author and broadcaster introducing the Periodic Table and the fascinating journey from alchemy to chemistry, across ages, by remarkable pioneers from different backgrounds and cultures.
Following the video, children enjoy fun and educational on-stage experiments and hands-on workshops including making natural soap based on ancient recipes, understanding the properties of solids, liquids and gases, discovering the difference between acids and alkalis and many more activities illustrating important principles of chemistry and its applications relevant to their daily lives.
Opening Times and Location
The China Science Festival will be open daily until the 11th August, at the China Soong Ching Ling Science & Culture Center for Young People from 9:00am to 5:00pm.
1001 Inventions launched “Journeys from Alchemy to Chemistry” in January 2019 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris as part of the opening ceremony of IYPT2019. The educational programme aims to engage young people around the world to inspire a future generation of chemists and scientists while promoting diversity and cross-cultural understanding. Learn more on: www.1001inventions.com/chemistry
About the China Science Festival
China Science Festival is an annual public science communication event organised in Beijing. The festival aims at strengthening international co-operation & exchanges in science popularization, raising the scientific literacy to build science and technology China. The China Science Festival includes Interactive & Experiential Presentation; Forums on Public Science Communication; Science Movie Show; Scientist Lectures, Saloons; Youth Sci-tech Competitions; Science Stage Shows, and much more.
About Jabir ibn Hayyan (722 to ca 815)
Jabir ibn Hayyan spent most of his life in Kufa, Iraq, where he devised and perfected sublimation, liquefaction, crystallization, distillation, purification, amalgamation, oxidation, evaporation, and filtration. He developed precise measuring equipment, and discovered sulfuric, nitric, and nitromuriatic acids, all now vitally important in the chemical industry. His research and publications, including the Great Book of Chemical Properties, The Weights and Measures, The Chemical Combination, and The Dyes, opened the way for modern chemistry and guided scientists during the following centuries.
Source: “1001 Inventions: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Civilization” (Reference 4th Edition, Published by FSTC Limited UK, 2017), [Chapter 3, Section 8: Chemistry].
About the 2019 International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (IYPT2019)
On 20 December 2017, the United Nations General Assembly during its 74th Plenary Meeting proclaimed 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements. Based on the 202 EX/Decision 43, the IYPT2019 was adopted by the UNESCO General Conference at its 39th Session (39 C/decision 60) to highlight the contributions of chemistry and other basic sciences to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The IYPT2019 is an IUPAC initiative and administered by a Management Committee consisting of representatives of the initiating organizations, UNESCO and a number of other supporting international organizations.
About 1001 Inventions
1001 Inventions is an award-winning, British based organisation that creates international educational campaigns and engaging transmedia productions aiming to raise awareness of the contributions to science, technology and culture from the Golden Age of Muslim Civilisation.
1001 Inventions has engaged with over 400 million people across the globe working with a network of international partners, including UNESCO, National Geographic and leading academics to produce interactive exhibits, short films, live shows, books and classroom learning materials that are being used by hundreds of thousands of educators around the world.