Explosive action at Abu Dhabi Science Festival

ABU DHABI // Crowds of all nationalities and ages flocked to the Abu Dhabi Science Festival on the Corniche last night.

A big hit was Davide thanks to his explosive experiments.

"That is not a bad explosion, but I can do an even better one. I can do a volcano," he told the thrilled crowd. Davide, dressed as a mad scientist, had just poured some liquid nitrogen into a see-through container and attached a balloon at the end. As the gas expanded, the balloon burst. The volcano was produced using hot water, detergent and liquid nitrogen.

Among those watching were Bipin and Shavita Srivastava, whose 10-year-old son, Utkarsh, was in the front row. "He wanted to come since morning," said Mr Srivastava, 45, an employee at an oil company. "It is fantastic."

Running until October 20 at the Corniche and the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the festival aims to get children interested in science through games and interactive displays. As far as Lara Khalil was concerned, the mission was accomplished. "It is full of information and fun," she said.

The same sentiment was felt by Hasan Ali Mubarak, a government employee, who was building an ultraviolet torch with his three sons.

"It is really good," said the eldest, Said, 12, while flashing his light to show it worked.

The lights also kept the attention of Oliver and Sharlotte Crawley, 10 and 9, while their brother Oliver, 6, was playing with a board game.

"Because it is so hands-on, they are really getting involved," said their mother, Dominique. "I find it fascinating how they are thinking and how they can work things out."

vtodorova@thenational.ae