Geniuses

What do geniuses think when they see a science exhibition?

The Gyeonggi Seongnam Arts Center, where an exhibition by the San Francisco Exploratorium was held on December 28, buzzed with excitement thanks to the science geniuses of elementary schools in Yongin. The exhibition was highlighted by 31 scientific machines in the exhibition hall and ideas to create new toys, which were presented afterwards.

After looking around the exhibition for two hours, the students formed groups of three or four and started to express their opinions. Among the numerous displays, the most popular was the ‘fog donut’ that made a cloud of mist in a donut shape, and the ‘tornado’, which explains the principles of a storm by the tornado created by sucking the evaporation with a wind blower.

Heo Chang-yeop (Mabuk Elementary School, 3rd grade) said, “By creating a mask with the ‘tornado’ and wearing it on your face, you can look like a monster.” Hong Ji-eun (Shinwol Elementary School, 3rd grade) said, “By using the principles of the fog donut machine, I will make a levitating machine.”

Seo Ye-won, director of the Genium, an Dong-a Science education center for gifted children, who planned the event, said, “Going beyond simply looking and experiencing the exhibitions, we devised a program so that they can employ their imagination and create their own toys,” and “Play is effective in enhancing children’s innovation, sophistication, and problem-solving skills.”

This program for the gifted will open every Wednesday until February 25 next year. Genium also plans to hold educatory sessions for parents of the gifted every Thursday for the month of January. 031-713-3516

kunta@donga.com