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Technology talk, the Internet and computers
at Sasol Scifest 2002
From debates on "hacking, hot babes and hate-speak", to the
Cyberden to Cyberhunts...its all there at the Sasol Scifest.
 Science is synonymous with constant discovery and invention and has evolved
to include engineering and technology. Sasol SciFest 2002 promotes the awareness
of science, engineering and technology and gives recognition to the fields of
computer science and information technology. The
Festival wishes to make these fields accessible to everyone, including geeks,
trained professionals and those of us who still fear the video machine, never
mind terminology such as modem, port, fire walls and UNIX.
The impact and undeniable role of technology in the future of the modern
world, often leads to contention. In the discussion Hacking, hot babes and hate
speak, Professor Peter Clayton will put a panel of leading experts on the spot
about the impact on traditional societal values of information
technology and fast communications. The panel consists of Professor Igor
Aleksander, Professor of Neural Systems Engineering at Imperial College, London;
Dr Bob Day, Executive Director of Information and Communication Technology at
UNISA; Mr Matthew Charlesworth, postgraduate scholar of Information Systems
Ethics at Rhodes University; Professor Dave Swingler, Principal Psychiatrist and
Clinical Head of Fort England Hospital and Assoc iate Professor of Psychiatry in
the Department of Psychology, Rhodes University; and Francis Williamson, Rhodes
University Lecturer in Philosophy, and scholar of Philosophy of the Mind,
Religion and Science.
The Mecer CyberDen is an exciting Internet and games venue, where Festival
goers can challenge others at games, cruise the Internet or add graffiti to the
walls. The CyberDen will boast top of the range hardware sponsored by Mecer.
The Festival will also host numerous Talkshops, one of which is presented by
Department of Computer Science and Information Systems at UPE. The Talkshop will
offer participants the opportunity to find out more about modern information
technology trends.
The various Fringe Events at Sasol SciFest 2002 will also provide the
Festival goer with a proper introduction to Computer Science and Information
Technology. St. Andrew's Preparatory has devised an exciting workshop for
teachers entitled Computer Science - computers in education,
which will introduce them to computer skills that can be used in the classroom.
Rhodes University will present several workshops of which titles include
Creating "Cyberhunts", Introduction to the Internet, Making your own
webpage, Searching Cyberspace, and Unix Unleashed. Within these workshops,
participants will be introduced to word processing skills, searching for
information on the Internet, and the history and future of this incredible
resource.
Nothing epitomizes modern life more accurately than the computer. For better
or worse, computers have infiltrated every aspect of our society, and to fully
understand and appreciate the impact computers have on our lives and promises
they hold for the future, it is important to understand their
functioning and abilities.
- Anja Fourie, Sasol Scifest Media
For more information please contact Anja Fourie on (046) 603-1106 or email
scimedia@foundation.org.za. Or contact Eve Cambray at (046) 603-1106 or email
eve.cambray@foundation.org.za. Alternatively visit our web site at http://www.scifest.org.za
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