The Ministry of Education (MOE) held a press conference on October 24^th to announce the launch of the 5th Taiwan Science Festival. The event was attended by Administrative Deputy Minister Lin Teng-chiao, Chief Secretary Lin Kuang-hung of the National Science and Technology Council, directors of five major science museums, and representatives from 23 popular science bases. They jointly announced that the Taiwan Science Festival will take place from November 2nd to November 10th, featuring over 1,800 popular science events that promise to be spectacular and engaging.

Administrative Deputy Minister Lin Teng-chiao stated that in response to UNESCO's World Science Day for Peace and Development with the theme of "Building Trust in Science," the 2024 5th Taiwan Science Festival has adopted the theme "Trust Science, Proceed to Sustainability." To address the ever-changing global challenges, we need science-based policy-making to balance environmental protection, economic growth, and social progress. Understanding and trust in science will enhance science-based decision-making and implementation efficiency. Therefore, trust in science is crucial for achieving the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This year's festival aims to help the public understand science through diverse popular science activities, enabling them to engage with scientific concepts and enhance their scientific literacy, thereby building trust in science and moving towards sustainable development.

This year's festival combines popular science and performances from five MOE-affiliated science museums and continues collaboration with the National Science and Technology Council and 23 popular science bases. The highlights include:

1. Five Major Science Museums under MOE

• The National Museum of Marine Science & Technology in Keelung will offer an ROV Underwater Robot Maker Workshop, allowing hands-on operation of ROV Underwater Robots to reflect on human-ocean relationships.
• The Taiwan Science Education Center in Taipei will present The Monumental Scientific Creations - Revolving the Sciences and Responding to the World, a project combining acoustics, dynamics, chemistry, electricity, and optics. This large-scale collaborative project with public participation will be set in motion around World Science Day.
• The National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung will feature Hypertime Tracking: Dinosaur in the Future, an extended reality (XR) mixed reality experience showcasing scientific knowledge.
• The National Science and Technology Museum in Kaohsiung will perform Brave Through the Black Forest Again, a large-scale popular science drama that uses the forest as its starting point to highlight environmental sustainability.
• The National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium in Pingtung will debut a large-scale theatrical event Promise with the Ocean, incorporating marine culture and knowledge from traditional beliefs into the drama, allowing the public to experience the mysteries of traditional marine culture and science.

2. Popular Science Bases

The MOE continues to invite public and private research institutions that have long been enthusiastically organizing popular science activities to serve as popular science bases. These 23 institutions include the Taiwan Space Agency and Chunghwa Telecom’s 5G demo site in northern Taiwan, the National Health Research Institutes and the Taichung Branch, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, the Ministry of Agriculture in central Taiwan, and the Southern Region Weather Center and Taiwan CAR Lab in southern Taiwan. During the festival period, these institutions will host science education activities throughout Taiwan, allowing the public to participate in nearby events.

3. Popular Science Micro Movie

Produced by the Mathematical Society of the Republic of China and the Physical Society of Taiwan, the popular science micro movie Game On follows a group

of students on campus as they use mathematics and physics to overcome various challenges. The film will be screened at the five major science museums during the Taiwan Science Festival.

This year's Taiwan Science Festival will feature a total of 1,835 events, including 14 forums and conferences, 34 theatrical dramas, 167 science demonstrations, 592 film festivals and exhibitions, 48 science competitions, 507 workshops, 80 science bazaars and 393 other popular science activities. The festival has been carefully designed to be Taiwan's most entertaining popular science event. To promote the Taiwan Science Festival internationally, the MOE has requested assistance from overseas offices to introduce the event to global audiences.

Additionally, all five major science museums are offering several special festival-exclusive promotions. The official Taiwan Science Festival Facebook page has launched an online puzzle-solving activity. Participants who complete the puzzles can redeem prizes at any of the five science museums during the festival period. Visitors who complete designated tasks at the museums can also receive science-themed scratch cards, making science learning both rewarding and fun.