Have you checked out the Love Lab over at Science Gallery? Participated in the survey and tests? Contributed your face for the construction of the reputedly most beautiful average face? Or attended either the speed dating or scientific blind date event? If so, what’s your verdict?

Anyone who hasn’t yet drop by should do it now. The exhibition is winding down, with many of the once-off associated events over now – but there’s still the Kiss and Make Up body casting event tomorrow, which will be interesting to attend.

Love Lab ends next week, on Friday 12 March 2010. So go on, measure your love temperature there.

So a couple of days ago, I voiced my opinion of what I thought about Science Gallery M+ scheme. Seems like I’m not the only current member to react to it, as I see this little snippet in the newsletter I received today from Dublin Event Guide for Free Events.

Joerg opined it as “this is odd”.

SCIENCE GALLERY NOW WANTS YOUR MONEY

My beloved and often highly praised Science Gallery dropped dramatically in my estimation. It is not that they are showing awful exhibitions (“What if” was not as great as others, but nevertheless interesting.), instead they decided to downgrade all their loyal members by raising the bar. Membership in the Science Gallery was always free and it included a few perks. As a member you got a 10% discount on tickets for non-free events, and on purchases in the shop and café and you got access to some events that were only available to the members.

We are now told that they need to raise money and therefore are introducing the wonderful Membership PLUS programme. Only problem is that the “PLUS” Members don’t get anything extra. Instead they get for EUR 30 per year (temporarily discounted to EUR 20 if you “upgrade” before 10 Feb) the perks that the non-Plus members previously got for free. And even worse: all normal members will not get ANY perks anymore. BAD move, dear Science Gallery! Kicking the 8500 people in the backside that felt passionate enough about the Science Gallery to join up, is not smart marketing.

By the way, I am not complaining about the fact that the Science Gallery needs to make money. Sure, it is a pity, but THEY need to decide what is needed to keep the “show” running. However, I wonder if it wouldn’t have been a better idea to charge an admission charge of just 1 Euro (not more!) from every visitor. With 500,000 visitors since the Science Gallery was opened 2 years ago, this might be a much better approach. http://www.sciencegallery.com/membership_plus

I can certainly understand Joerg’s point of view. He has, over the last couple of years, regularly promotes Science Gallery to thousand of subscribers to his newsletter, your truly included, because he genuinely cares about what’s going on in Science Gallery. His stand and mine is not at all too different – we both found it perplexing to have nearly everything taken away from the loyal regular members.

Do you know the Science Gallery?

If you don’t, you should check it out sometimes – they have some pretty amazing exhibitions and since its launch nearly two years ago, they’ve brought us, among others, Lightwave, Lab in the Gallery: Pay Attention, Bubble and most recently, What If.

The exhibitions are free to enter, but participations in certain events and experiments are fee-paying. Visitors of the Science Gallery may apply for a free membership, which perks include free wi-fi at the Science Gallery, a 10% discount from Flux Café, discounted event tickets, advanced invitations to events at the Science Gallery, etc.

But in the times of funding cuts, sustaining the level of activities while maintaining the high standard means Science Gallery is now looking for an alternative mean to raise some money.

Introducing Science Gallery Membership Plus.

Its cost is €30 annually, €20 for students. For anyone who sign up before 10 February, the price is discounted to €20 and they’ll also throw in a free invitation to the LOVELAB preview party and a behind the scenes tour of the show.

With this introduction, they’re taking away most of the perks that basic members have been able to enjoy so far and shift those privileges only to paying members. Yup, from the transition date of 10 February onwards, no more free wi-fi, no more 10% discount at Flux Café, no more discounted event tickets. Basic members will retain access to the Science Gallery website and event ticket bookings only.

What bugs me a little is that this whole thing is akin to scamming trade promotions, when you’re promised certain perks until they decided they’re going to raise the bar in order to enjoy more or less the same perks again. Why can’t they just add new perks for the fee-paying members? Or take away only some, not all, of the practical perks that most members use?

Moreover, how is this bringing the membership to the next level (quoting the e-mail I received)? No matter the spin, this looks like paying to get the membership to the same previous level, except now my profile will have a nice little badge that says “Member Plus”. I’d rather they come out and say directly that membership is no longer free. I would have understand the need to introduce the fee, and happily paid for it.

Even I admit that €30 per annum is not too much, but it would be nice to think that the Science Gallery hasn’t just gone all elitist suddenly… and that’s how I felt when they try to sugarcoat the intent behind this initiative.

TEDxDublin meets Science Gallery’s What If… next Thursday, 12th November, at 7.30pm with a series of talks by Kate Coleman, Mark Leslie, Tom Hadfield and Simon Dennehy. (Note: another speaker is due to be added to the list too, and line-up is still being finalised at the time this article is being typed up.)

Who are they, you ask? Here’s the information from Science Gallery’s TEDx page:

Kate Coleman, Founder of Right to Sight

Kate Coleman is the founder of Right to Sight – a unique collection of world experts from corporate, eye care and government sectors with the specific goal to eliminate preventable blindness in the world. The next phase of this project is to roll out a training simulator built on Microsoft games software and using two Wiimotes, that will help student surgeons practice the surgical techniques used during cataract operations by performing virtual surgery on a computer-generated eye.

Mark Leslie, Managing Director of Martello Media

You’re probably more familiar with the work of Mark Leslie and his team at Martello Media than you might think. This team of architects, writers, museum experts, exhibition designers, graphic artists, filmmakers and computer programmers, work together to design unique interactive experiences are most recently responsible for the award winning designs at Guinness Storehouse, Cliffs of Moher Centre and the WB Yeats Exhibition at the National Library.

Tom Hadfield, Creator of Soccer.net and heading up the Le Whif Project

Tom Hadfield created Soccernet, a sports Internet company that was sold to ESPN for $40 million when he was 17 years old. Two years later, he and his father were able to raise millions of dollars to launch the education website Schoolsnet.com. Tom is currently working for The Labo Group in Paris where he heads up Le Whif. Le Whif is a revolutionary new way of eating chocolate – by breathing it! Imagine, chocolate without the calories.

Simon Dennehy from Perch.ie, Ergonomic Furniture for Primary Schools

Simon Dennehy’s work on ergonomic furniture for primary schools is aimed at rectifying the fundamental problems associated with the current selection of school furniture being used in primary schools in both Ireland, and globally. Currently, very few credible design solutions exist.

The number of tickets available to the event is very limited and they’re available exclusively to members of Science Gallery. They will go on sale today (5th November) from 12noon (Irish time) at this link – you’ll need to be signed in as member to access the page, and ticket costs €7.50 each (a departure from the previous and inaugural TEDxDublin which was free of charge).

If you’re not already a member of Science Gallery, it’s not too late to sign up for it and it’s free, so why not? Besides, do you know that with this free membership, you can get a discount when you drop by the Flux Cafe for some food and coffee? Not to mention free wifi connection when you’re at the Science Gallery as well. They’re perks you should take advantage of!

There’s a new exhibition in the Science Gallery and it’s full of bubbly fun. No, not quite champagne bubbly, but more of sud and soap variety. Just bigger (enough to have you enclosed in it!), more colourful (have you seen the art works produced using bubbles as the medium of work?), and detailed (use laser to view the microscopic structure of a bubble’s surface).

There are several special by Sam Sam, Steve Allman and others, of which pre-booking is required and the ticket varies betwee €5 and €7.50 each (10% discount for members of Science Gallery). On 29 August show by Steve Allman at 5pm, he will even attempt to break the Guinness World Record for creating the longest bubble chain!

For more exhibition information, check out the Science Gallery’s Bubble page, whereas for ticket information and booking, check the event page.

Image Courtesy: TED.com

TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is probably one of the best sources of great, innovative, entertaining, inpiring talks by well respected, talented, thinkers, n individuals covering various themes, held every year in California, US (and also local chapters in UK n Africa) and am sure most of you have seen one or more of these talks, all available for free online at TEDtalks. Recently they also started, something called TEDx (independently organized TED event), where individuals or groups can organize their own local TED like events at home, work etc..

And, for the first time (n probably lot more in future), we have a TEDxDublin event being organized in Dublin on June 12, 2009 at the Science Gallery. It all started with conversations and exchanges between people on twitter and took shape very quickly that I didn’t even had time to inform about it earlier for the tickets. And its already been sold out :|. Thou’ the videos of the event will be available online.

It’s being organized by Dr. Aaron Quigley from CASL, University College Dublin and hosted by the Science Gallery. The 2 confirmed speakers are: 1) Blaise Aguera y Arcas – Microsoft Live Lab’s Photosynth technology and 2) Dr. Scott Rikard from UCD (founder of Roborugby and Sciencewithme); with more to be confirmed soon. You can get more update to date information on their facebook page or you also follow twitter feeds at DUBMetblogs [Dublin Metblogs] or ScienceGallery [The Science Gallery] for more up-2-date information for the event.

According to TEDx events page, there is one going to be in Galway also on 12/9/09. For more information, check TEDxEvents.

Zefrank (of the Zefrank Show) and Jonah Peretti (co-founder of  Huffington Post) are in Dublin giving talks as part of “GO VIRAL WORKSHOP” in Science Gallery (18/19 April), Trinity College about viral media and how they spread across the web. Tonight they organised, more or less, thru’ twitter and facebook a flash mob sorta event, where one needed to write an A or an O on their hand and meet up at Stag’s Head on dame street and follow more instructions from there on. Once people were there, they needed to write the first letter of their first name on a sheet of paper and then try to make up words or 2/3 words poems or if you being very v. creative, with more letters. Check out the video, it was short but great fun:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyZsIZarDQI[/youtube]
Will update when they post the official video.

Bah humbug to shopping craziness.

Bah humbug to miserable weather.

Bah humbug to all things Christmas.

OK, that last sentence is a bit harsh, but given “Christmas” started so early (early last month) it’s not surprising that some of us are feeling the fatigue already. And there’s still two weeks to Christmas!

Well, the good folks at Science Gallery have came up with some fun stuff for 12 Days of Workshops, running from 5 December to 19 December, where you can make some fun stuff and turn them into geeky cool presents. :D

There are a couple of long workshops that are free (except 18 December’s Minty Boost, at €5) but all are bookings required, namely:

11.12.08 – DrawBots : Combining a small motor a plastic cup and some markers you can make your very own autonomus drawing machine.

12.12.08 – CarPlanePlough : Using model wood and simple motors and pulleys you can build a CarPlanePlough that you can control and move.

18.12.08 – Minty Boost : Build a small but very powerful USB charger for your iPod or MP3 player or any USB charged gadget.

19.12.08 – Mini Zeppelin : Combining helium, mylar, wood and motors, you can make your own flying machine at this facilitated workshop

Cool, don’t you think? Book for your place now!

If you haven’t yet visited the Science Gallery then you should take a little time one day and pop in to have a look at the exhibits. Located near Pearse Dart Station end of Trinity College (access through the gate on Pearse St) the entry is free and its current exhibit of Technothreads is a colourful affair not to be missed. The gallery assistants are also very helpful and will take you through the exhibit should you want a personal guide. :-)

Within the gallery there is also a lovely Italian café, run by the same crowd over at Il Caffé di Napoli on Westland Row. They are busy and bustling during lunch time, and I suspect they are very likely to be the customers who normally grab sandwiches to go from Il Caffé di Napoli but now are taking advantage of the sit down area to enjoy their other food offerings.

There you go, some enticing photos from my last lunch visit to Flux Café. Yes, that is the name of the place. A tad unfortunate in my opinion, but forgiven since they do serve delicious grubs. ;-)

No harm having a look at their menu too. (PDF file)

Just for guide : the top left dish is the antipasto misto (I wish they have included mortadella too though), insalata di pera al formaggi (pear and gorgonzola cheese salad) on the top right, ciabatta on the bottom left (a selection of panino is available, either with ciabatta or focaccia) and on the bottom right, polpette e pasta (pasta with meatballs) which is a hot dish.

Flux Café also serves a variety of hot drinks, nutritional juices (including wheatgrass) and desserts. I once had a chocolate cake with caramel sauce in between the layers, and it is absolutely the thing for chocolate lovers.

Buon appetito!

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