Science Games
Exhibitions, workshops and puzzle competitions • Impressive experiments • Experiential activities
• speeches • hiking and guided tours • artistic events and various other innovative activities…
All the pieces have now come together to form the big scientific puzzle called the Kastellorizo Puzzle Festival.
Kastellorizo, for yet another year, was flooded, literally, by visitors of all ages. It became the epicenter of scientific knowledge and culture, keeping undiminished the enthusiasm of the students of the island, the local community and the students/teachers from Rhodes, Symi, Kos and Athens, who lived a real science festival!
Their response was unexpected. Scientific activities with entertaining dimensions, focusing on puzzles but also many areas of mainly positive sciences, attracted and conquered the interest of young and old. They took part in all the events of a particularly demanding and arduous festival: Start at 6:30 in the morning with hiking on the trails and finish at 22:00 ́-23:00 ́ with stargazing, shadow theater inspired by the history of the island, traditional music and dances. So they played by learning and learned by playing.
They tried and solved many of the puzzles that Pantazis Houlis and all the participating puzzlers patiently guided them in solving them, highlighting the value of puzzles: sharpen the mind, strengthen observation, patience, perseverance and discernment while enhancing cooperation and resourcefulness.
An important role was played by the morning educational programs designed especially for the students of the island, and presented before the festival at their school. They learned about Posidonia Meadows, took first aid lessons and attended interactive physical and interdisciplinary training workshops. However, we were impressed by the way they participated, the high level of the children compared to previous years and their inclination to learn.
For obvious reasons, it is not possible to mention in detail all the original presentations that won and aroused the curiosity of the mainly young audience for further searches. It has already been mentioned in the previous press releases (there is a detailed description of them on the festival website).
However, we would like to briefly dwell on some special moments of the festival:
- In the exhortation of 80-year-old professor Ernő Rubik who connected online with us (perhaps the only time he accepted) to young people:
Set goals and vision, pursue them and you will surely achieve them.
- The exhortation of the internationally known in the world of puzzles Oskar Van Deventer that nothing is achieved without the cooperation “Collaboration”.
- And in the interesting speech of the Director of MIT Media Lab, Mr. Michalis Bletsas, who through the historical development of Artificial Intelligence stressed that under no circumstances will its application, valuable and decisive in many areas of our lives, replace the human factor.
The Puzzle Festival could not have taken place without the pro bono participation of more than 50 researchers, academics, educators from academic, research and educational institutions of the country that shared our vision and with their presence supported this great scientific event.
Surprise and honor for the festival was caused by the spontaneous movement on the part of Spyros Chrysikopoulos, long-distance swimmer and champion who swam around the island! There are no words…
The organization was carried out by Pantazis Houlis, mathematician and founder of the Megisti Puzzle Museum and the ENIGMA club (Union of Ideas, Puzzles, Mathematics) in collaboration with Eleni Grammatikopoulou, known for her long-term contribution to science communication. The Puzzle Festival was co-organized with the South Aegean Region and supported by the Municipality of Megisti.
Valuable helpers are the Ministries: Culture, Education, Religious Affairs & Sports, National Defence, Shipping & Island Policy/Gen. South Aegean Secretariat, the Greek National Tourism Organization, the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation and the Embassy of Australia in Athens who supported and placed the festival under their auspices.
Thanks from the bottom of my heart to the private sponsors, who supported this great voluntary effort for yet another year, showing their love and trust.
Similar support was provided by a large number of media/sponsors in Greece and abroad with a series of announcements, interviews, reports and screenings.
We thank the local authorities and volunteers for their warm support.
It would be a great omission if we did not point out the contribution of the teaching staff of all educational levels on the island. They appreciated our work and supported us with love and eagerness. We should emphasize here their own effort and anxiety to activate in any way the interest of their students by planning extracurricular activities. We hope they succeed.
And we continue with the same zeal for new creations, events and quests, while the Puzzle Bird spreads its wings and is already heading to Xanthi, the new destination of the Puzzle Festival on April 4-6, 2025!!