A blog by Tamara Webb As we celebrate World Mental Health Day, I wanted to take a moment to share some reflections on my personal journey toward prioritising mental well-being. In the hustle and bustle of life, it’s easy to get caught up in the chaos and forget about the importance of maintaining a healthy […]
In a world that is constantly evolving, so too should our awareness and understanding of the diverse needs of individuals around us. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower has emerged as a powerful symbol of support for individuals with non-visible disabilities and, at Esplora, we proudly stand behind this initiative. With this informative blog, we would like […]
In 2015, the United Nations introduced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a blueprint for a better and more sustainable future for all. These 17 interconnected global goals address a wide range of challenges – from poverty and inequality to climate change and environmental degradation. At ESPLORA, we are proud to contribute to several of […]
Beneath the surface of our seas, a mesmerising creature floats gracefully, captivating our eyes with its beauty – the jellyfish. Adorned with delicate, transparent bodies, vibrant colours and hypnotic movements, jellyfish have enchanted many a beachgoer. However, beneath this captivating exterior lies a hidden danger – their stinging tentacles. These tentacles can deliver a nasty, […]
Hello Summer! It’s time to go to the beach and enjoy the sunsets. With the arrival of summer, it is natural that to you would want to make the most of the nice weather. However, before you spend a full day in the sun, you also need to consider the potential dangers of excessive exposure […]
The Tour de France is an exhilarating annual event which captivates millions of spectators worldwide with its high-speed action, thrilling challenges, striking scenery, and legendary bike rides. But did you know that behind the scenes, this prestigious race intertwines with the wonders of science? Let’s explore how. This year, the Tour de France starts on […]
Bees have a crucial role in maintaining ecological diversity, as they are major pollinators of the food we consume. Bee pollination is responsible for approximately 80% of our food, making it a vital component of our ecosystem. The Maltese honeybee, also known as Apis Mellifera Ruttneri, plays a crucial role in pollinating crops and wildflowers, […]
One Hour that could make a big difference! Every year, millions of people around the world come together to switch off the lights for one hour. The aim of this symbolic gesture is to act on current environmental issues that are affecting Earth, as well as to raise awareness on the importance of planet conservation. […]
Colours! The world around us is full of them and although different people might prefer a certain hue of colour to others, we all appreciate that a world in black and white would not be as beautiful as one that offers a multitude of shades and tonalities. For as long as art and design have […]
Reducing our carbon footprint is vital for our environment as well as our well-being. The world is full of engineers, chemists, product designers, artists and scientists who are looking into the future of resources and trying to find ways to reduce or replace harmful materials. Another way in which we can reduce the total amount […]
Rusting Resources needed: 4 iron nails 4 plastic or glass cups Sandpaper Sunflower/Vegetable/Olive Oil Water Salt Permanent marker 1 tablespoon Tweezers Let’s experiment: Label the 4 cups with a permanent marker with the words AIR, OIL, TAP WATER and SALT WATER respectively. Use a piece of sandpaper to brush the nails until a shiny […]
Resources needed: Tray Empty glass or small empty plastic bottle Teaspoon 3% Hydrogen Peroxide Soap Yeast Food Colouring (Any colour) Adult supervision is recommended when pouring the hydrogen peroxide. Let’s experiment: Place the empty glass or small plastic bottle on the tray. Carefully add some 3% Hydrogen Peroxide to the glass/plastic bottle. Add […]
Have you watched Ġina learn about inventions of the past yet? Today you can join the team and experiment at home to rediscover the invention of the motor. This invention, like many others, has shaped the world that we know and live in, and it has enabled us to reach further than ever before. It […]
The first anaglyph images were created in the 1800s. Anaglyph art consists of a picture with two slightly offset and identical superimposed drawings in contrasting colours, usually red and cyan. This creates a three-dimensional effect when viewed through glasses with matching colour filters. This is one of the oldest forms of 3D image technology. […]
Thaumatropes are popular optical toys from the 1800s. They work using the concept of persistence of vision. Thaumatropes provided animated entertainment until the development of modern cinema. Cut a piece of cardstock into a circular shape. Punch a hole on the two opposite sides of the circle. Thread an elastic band through one of […]
Do you want to create a machine just like Ġina and Katrina did? If you’re watching the new episodes of the second season of Ġina u l-Esploraturi, every Wednesday at 15.10 on TVM, during the 7th and 8th episode Ġina and Katrina talked about the valuable work of an engineer. Together, they also created a […]
BEES… why are they so valuable? Bees are one of the most important pollinators and have a very important role in our lives. Thanks to the hard work of pollinators, we can enjoy fruits, vegetables, wheat, and other types of crops that we eat! More than one third of the food that people around the […]
Did you to make your own Rain Gauge last week? This week Des will show you how to make a Water Tornado in a Bottle. Check his method below and try it out at home. Materials needed 2 large empty plastic water bottles with caps Hot glue (or any other type of strong glue) […]
In the new season of Ġina u l-Esploraturi, Des is a new Esploratur who will help you explore science, the weather and everything that makes our world so phenomenal! In the 3rd Episode Des will show you how to create a Rain Gauge. Check out the instructions below and try it out at home! Materials […]
Did you try the recipe that Ġina and Katrina prepared for us last week. Would you like to try another one? Check the ingredients below. Salted Ice cream Ingredients 200ml whole milk 60ml fresh cream Tablespoon sugar One and a half teaspoons vanilla essence Quarter cup Cooking Salt Ice 2 Plastic bags (resealable): a […]
Esplora is super excited to present the second season of Ġina u l-Esploraturi, a programme for children which will be aired on TVM every Wednesday at 3.10 pm, starting from the 6th April 2022. The first episode of the new season will see our new Esploratur – Katrina discussing Science in the Kitchen with Ġina. […]
One Hour that could change decades to come Earth Hour is celebrated each year, on the last Saturday of March. The aim is to encourage people around the world to switch off their lights for just one hour and by doing so they would be helping in raising awareness on two urgent issues: nature loss […]
Colourful experiments to try out at home If you look at Carnival celebrations around the world you would see one characteristic that links them all – COLOURS! The vibrant colours used in costumes and floats are just as fascinating as the celebrations, parades, music, and dancing. From Saturday 26th February until Wednesday 2nd March 2022, […]
The spirit of giving is an integral part of Christmas. Sending Christmas cards is one of the most gratifying ways in which you can show loved ones that you’re thinking of them during the festive season. There’s nothing grandparents would love more than receiving handmade Christmas cards from their nieces and nephews! With this in […]
Pumpkins, witches, black cats… for many kids, Halloween is a much-anticipated holiday. From getting dressed up in the spookiest costume ever, to carving the scariest pumpkin and trolling around in search of treats, these Halloween activities are so much fun, that plenty of children start preparing for them since early October. This year, Esplora will […]
On the 9th of July 2021, Esplora Interactive Science Centre, on behalf of the Malta Council for Science and Technology and together with the STEM Engagement Working Group, which brings together professionals in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, celebrated the National STEM Awards ceremony, an event which was also live streamed to […]
In the last decade or so, STEM occupations (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) have experienced a rapid growth. Despite the fact that skills in these subjects are much sought-after, unfortunately women are still underrepresented in these sectors resulting in a large gender gap. Although this is not due to lack of capabilities on the female […]
Every year on the 11th of February, Esplora Science Centre, together with the rest of the world celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science to acknowledge the contribution girls and women make to science and to highlight the importance of gender equality. This is also an overarching aim of the Ministry for Research, Innovation and Post Covid-19 Strategy – “to promote Research & Innovation amongst […]
This time last year, we had only ever heard of COVID-19 from news articles all the way in China. Who would have known that only a few months later, we too would be the victims of this virus and would be watching the entire world go into lockdown? It’s safe to say that all of […]
If you had to go stargazing on the night of the 21st December, you’d be able to see something similar to what helped the Three Wise Men travel to Bethlehem. It’s not a shining star but actually two planets passing by really closely to each other when seen from Earth. This is called […]
Coding Unplugged: Explore coding without using a device! Since Esplora is participating in European Code Week 2020, we thought it would be fitting to celebrate the theme of coding throughout the whole month of October by offering a few coding and technology-related activities at the science centre, and coding-related activities online as well! In today’s […]
The sun’s shining, the sand is warm beneath your feet and the temperature is soaring. You decide to take a dip in the sea to cool off from the scorching heat. As you’re swimming and enjoying the cool ripples you suddenly hear a scream: Jellyfish! Jellyfish; Brainless, Bloodless, Boneless, Squishy but incredibly Beautiful. Over the […]
Did my body do that? Our bodies are fascinating machines, which work in both interesting and, at times weird ways. Do you want to know why our body sometimes produces burps, and why we occasionally get goosebumps all over our body? You cover your mouth with your hand, but it’s too late. Where did that […]
Esplora was designed from its start to house a number of endemic and indigenous plants that have grown on this island since before man. Over the past few months, we added new species of plants that are endemic or sub-endemic to add to the biodiversity that our soil patches can sustain. Together with Birdlife we […]
Do you love to explore, design and create? Then engineering is just the thing for you! We often hear about engineers and we imagine them as being people who build things- but they’re more than that – they’re inventors, designers and forward thinkers. It’s also true that science and mathematics are the building blocks for […]
Malta is an island surrounded by sea, but because of our steep cliffs some parts of the sea are difficult to reach from land. We do have a number of very beautiful beaches frequently visited by locals and tourists alike. These beaches can be rocky or sandy but they both offer beautiful places where we […]
Humans are extraordinary! They have evolved from knowing nothing into knowing quite a lot. First discovering the properties of fire to using fire to launch a space craft into space. However, humans can also do things that are not so great. Things like cutting down billions of trees to produce commercial products and disposing of […]
How a flick of a switch can help protect our health and our environment. One of the greatest inventions of all time. It guides us and helps keeps us safe. We cannot imagine our lives without it. However, its pollution is creating health problems, it is causing wildlife to change its behaviour, it is negatively […]
Travelling through time and space Curious goats in the streets of Wales, wild boars roaming freely in Haifa, endangered turtles returning to nest on deserted beaches in Brazil and dolphins swimming in Marsamxett Harbour. Wild animals that usually keep away from all the noise of busy cities and seas have been spotted exploring and experiencing […]
From food scraps to plant We have previously seen how we can grow a plant from seeds that you can easily find at home. We hope that your plants are doing well and that you’re watering them regularly. We would love to see your progress! Share photos of your plants on facebook or Instagram with […]
Make your own water filtration device. Ever been on a hiking trip and ran out of fresh water to drink? What do you do? You turn to natural water from a spring or a river (if you are not in Malta). The water can look dirty due to the presence of soil, dirt, and other […]
The World in Colours – Science through Art Activity 1: Create your Own! Celebrate your child’s creativity and invite them to draw their own unique animal. Children are naturally born artists and inventors so encourage them to draw from their imagination. To help them along ask them: What type of animal are you drawing? Is […]
Scientists are great at observing things that sometimes go unnoticed. Shadows are sometimes forgotten and not something we pay too much attention to. Shadows have played an important role in helping humans tell time using sundials over the years. They might also have inspired the first scientists that realised that light moves in straight lines. […]
Make your own sheets of paper using recycled paper Have you ever wondered where paper comes from and how it is produced? Paper comes from trees and one tree produces around 8000 sheets of paper. Despite the technological advances, people still use a lot of paper every day. Recycling a 1000Kg of paper will eventually […]
Seeing The World Through Different Eyes How and what do animals see? We may think that animals see the same things we do, and in the same way, but the world is more amazing than that. According to Tom Cronin, a biologist from the University of Maryland who specialises in animal vision, it is impossible […]
Experiment with different components to explore electricity and circuits in a fun way! Electricity is an essential part of our daily lives. We need it to: Heat up water to use for our showers Keep food cold in the fridge so it doesn’t go bad Charge our tablets and other electronic devices Electricity in Malta […]
A seed is a small structure produced by the plant, that has the potential to grow into a new plant under the right conditions. The seed is made up of three important parts: an embryo, a seed coating and food storage. The seed coating protects the embryo from damage. When the seed finds the right […]
Esplora has got you covered with these set of experiments for a Home Lab project. Some of them might be slightly messy but it’s fun and educational. All you need to do is to gather some basic kitchen equipment and simple ingredients and you’re good to go! You might need the help of an adult […]
Insects make up around 75% of all the animals that we know about on this planet. Scientists have documented more than a million different kinds of what we call species of insects from all around the world. Some think that there might be up to another 10 million different species for us to discover. Check […]
Problem-solving | Creativity | Communication | Teamwork Did you know? The ‘Chain Reaction’ is a hands-on activity inspired by Rube Goldberg’s cartoons. Rube Goldberg was an American inventor best known for his cartoon inventions, which illustrated how you can complete an extremely simple task using the most complicated way imaginable. He never actually built the […]
Weekly Nerve system New technology is being developed for visually impaired persons by the scientists of Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland and Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Italy. It skips around the eyeball and transfers messages in the brain so they could see visions of light of the real world. This new technology […]
Weekly Life Form: The Origins of Complex Life In 2010, a group of scientists ran DNA analysis on a sediment core that was taken from the floor of the Arctic Ocean. They found a previously unknown organism belonging to the strange domain of microbes called Archaea.Lokiarchaeota is the name given to their new discovery, after […]
Weekly Earths Inner Core: The hidden movements In the year 1971 and 1974, the Soviet Union organized two separate nuclear tests in northern Russia to examine and detect backscattered seismic waves. The pinging was so powerful that the signal waves bounced from the inner core and were transmitted 4,000 miles away in Montana. They were […]
Weekly Dark Energy: Mysterious Inner Force Dark Energy is a hypothetical form of energy, and it has been calculated to account for 72% of the universe. A new experiment was created to combine both atomic physics and cosmology, which has allowed us to discover many models that have enabled us to understand better the nature […]
S190814bv is the name of an event that was discovered by LIGO and Virgo at 21:11 UTC on the 14th of August.2019 Both LIGO and Virgo are large interferometer designed to detect gravitational waves predicted by the general theory of relativity. From the initial analysis, the percentage that a Black Hole and a Neutron Star […]
What makes someone a scientist? You might imagine someone working in a lab after years of studying and discoveries. your next visit at Esplora might inspire you to re-think this. Esplora is currently exhibiting Beyond the Lab: The DIY Science Revolution, a touring exhibition. This exhibition is part of the EU-funded Sparks project by Ecsite, the European network of science centres and museums. Beyond the Lab aims to engage members of the public with the concept of ‘Responsible Research and Innovation’ within the field of healthcare. Click the link to discover more.
So here we are, 2 weeks into operational mode – Esplora Malta’s Interactive Science Centre has given Malta a unique fun and educational destination.
Observing the reactions and feedback of young and old alike has been intriguing for our team, especially those of us, who have seen the building being transformed in front of our eyes into a visitor attraction we are so proud to be part of. “Thank you so much. We have been there yesterday and 3 hours were not enough. There is so much to explore and learn. Well done!!”
“Hi there we come over last Saturday…. well done it’s fabulous!!!”
“Just visited really enjoyed it, keep it up!”
“Was there yesterday and it was amazing!
Great ideas don’t sit—they splash. Breakthroughs shake the foundation of society and compel us to rethink our established practices. But revolutions rarely arrive as fully formed waves of innovation. Rather, they start as small ripples of curiosity that grow, evolve, collide, surprise and multiple as they spread around the world. This year at TEDxCERN we […]
This week the team was very happy to host a number of guests for a private preview of what Esplora is all about and show our appreciation for their collaboration and useful contributions.
The Esplora team were thrilled to show off the Esplora buildings and surrounding grounds to Malta’s US Ambassador G. Kathleen Hill.
Electricity crackles, rockets whoosh, and a flash of light captures your shadow. Every visit to Esplora, Malta’s new science centre, will be full of surprises.
Rebecca Mileham is a museum consultant and science writer based in the UK
The Science Popularisation Unit (SPU), at the Malta Council for Science and Technology, have planned and developed a world-class science centre for Malta. Esplora is inspired by the San Francisco Exploratorium, a concept by Frank Oppenheimer, which gave rise to
For a number of members in the Esplora team, this is a week of developing skills and witnessing best practice. Glasgow Science Centre’s front of house staff
This morning’s activities began a little earlier than usual on the San Salvatore Peninsula
The exhibition spaces are beginning to take shape.
It was a great week of events for children organised by……
The middle of July sees the celebration of the Kalkara festa of San Guzepp (St Joseph).
Last Friday 17th April the Esplora team took part in the Global College Malta in collaboration with MBR, Careers and Education Fair at Smart City Malta. It was exciting for Esplora to attend a careers fair
#iCanDoScience – A national camp designed to promote STEM subjects – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and related careers among members of the Malta Girl Guides (MGG). Around 100 girls coming from various village based Girl Guide groups,
Hurrah! Esplora is now a registered trademark.
“2015 is going to be a busy year” is what the team here started with saying on return from the Christmas break…. indeed we blinked and January has flown past! The Esplora content team have been thoroughly engaged in the final design and development phase of the exhibitions that will make Esplora unique in Malta.
With the Esplora project now officially in the public eye, the team have been enjoying the positive response both from stake holders, and the general public. The interest and kind words are a good note to end 2014 on,
Thursday 4th December saw Villa Bighi’s beautiful old chapel abuzz with activity.
The Bighi peninsula is seeing a restoration…
