'Mission Earthling - Discover the Human Body' is Scitech's new exhibition

22/10/99

Youth Minister Mike Board has launched Scitech's latest exhibition with a big bang - exploding a giant balloon filled with tiny toy aliens and other party favours to mark the official opening.
Opening the "Mission Earthling - Discover the Human Body" exhibition last night (Thursday), the Minister hailed the Scitech Discovery Centre as an extremely important influence on the future of Western Australia's youth.
Mr Board said a passion for science would brighten not only the individual futures of young Western Australians but also the future of the entire State.
"As we approach the change of Millennium, the world is changing faster than ever before," Mr Board said. "To give themselves the best possible chance of carving successful careers at these new technological frontiers, young people will need sound understanding of science.
"That is why the State Government so proudly supports the work done by Scitech to interest young people in the future possibilities offered by science and to foster enthusiasm for scientific pursuits in general."
The "Mission Earthling - Discover the Human Body" exhibition has been 18 months in the making and has drawn on the expert input of biology and medical experts from some of the State's leading institutions.
The exhibition provides an interactive journey through the human body - sensory, reproductive, digestive, circulatory and immunological systems included.
The exhibition will be open in West Perth until April 25, 2000, at which point it is expected to follow in the footsteps of previous successful exhibitions and tour to the Eastern States.
The Minister said science was sometimes viewed as being difficult to understand, interesting only to scientists and remote from the general public's daily lives.
"That is why the positive image of science engendered by Scitech's innovative promotions is so very important," Mr Board said. "Scitech brings science alive, showing how it can be interesting, relevant to our daily lives and fun to explore."
The Minister said that, as part of the State Government's MillenniumWEST program, it was asking people to envisage a shared future and science would play a crucial role in making that future possible.
"We are asking the community to reflect on the past, celebrate our present and visualize the future - science should be given significant recognition in that exercise," Mr Board said.
"Our other millennium challenge is for people to ask themselves how they can contribute individually to the community. Any life dedicated to the pursuit of science would almost certainly make a significant contribution to the good of the community."
The Minister praised the contribution already made to the Western Australian community by the departing CEO of the Scitech Discovery Centre, Dr Ann Ghisalberti, who is moving to Canberra to take up a post at Questacon, Australia's National Science Centre.
Mr Board said Dr Ghisalberti's contribution over the past 11 years had been enormous. He said she had played a crucial role in making Scitech one of Australia's leading science discovery centres.
Media contact: Jody Robb 9222 9211