Australia's `Visions for the Future' an eye-opener

By Samsudin Berlian

JAKARTA (JP): Name one scientist from Australia!

Um...um....

Go ahead, take your time. Maybe it would help to know that so far, six Australian research scientists have won the Nobel Prize.

What, indeed, do we non-Australians know about the scientific achievements of the Southern Cross? Kangaroos and koalas we know, but what of science from the continent sometimes called the Sprawling Pancake?

For those who think of Australia only as a worldwide wool producer, the "Visions for the Future" exhibition -- a part of the Australia Today campaign -- held at the Jakarta Fairgrounds in Kemayoran until July 16, will probably be an eye-opener.

The exhibit's main objective is to convey the image of a scientifically and technologically advanced nation, rather than to sell Australia-made products. It is also introducing several inexpensive new technologies that are potentially applicable in Indonesia.

One of the most interesting features shows the use of coconut oil to replace diesel fuel.

Australia's largest research center CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) and Australian National University have found that coconut oil can replace diesel fuel in powering trucks, generators and outboard motors with minor modifications to the existing machinery.

Initially, the coconut oil, dubbed CNO, was refined to be used in tropical island communities poor in oil but rich in copra. Trials have been conducted on the Solomon Islands.

The development of CNO, a "smart" rather than "high" technology, is basically the same as making coconut cooking oil -- which can be extracted traditionally using simple and inexpensive pressing tools and filters -- only in the former, the process is more refined to yield purer fuel-grade oils.

This feature, together with dozens of others, is on display in an exhibit room at the annual month-long Jakarta Fair, commemorating the city's anniversary which falls on June 22.

The interior of the exhibit room is like the set of a science- fiction movie, complete with conical towers and monitor screens.

Exhibit displays accompanied by concise explanation boards in English and Indonesian are arranged in eight categories ranging from environment technology to aerospace technology. Unfortunately, the Indonesian translations are poor at best.

Correctly assuming that Indonesians are not eager to examine reading materials, the organizers set up eight interactive multimedia units containing complete information on each exhibit. Several other units house information on more specific items.

The exhibits on display are from the fields where Australian scientific achievement is considered the best in the world and deemed applicable to conditions in Indonesia.

The categories include energy technology, aerospace technology, resource management, information technology, environmental technology, engineering and new material, medicine and biotechnology, and research and training.

Interesting features include smart plastic money, which is promoted as forgery proof. (Indonesia is one of several countries that have their smart money produced in Australia.)

A cure for the common flu -- incurable until now -- is also offered. The CSIRO is developing a new drug which acts as a blocking agent that binds itself to the influenza virus, thus disabling it from invading the body cells.

Indonesians who find their contact lenses uncomfortable may find answers here too. An Australian research center has developed a contact lens taking into consideration the variations between Asian and Caucasian optic anthropometry.

Many of the items on display are on the edge of scientific achievement and are not yet mass produced or still need further improvements.

The interactive multimedia program used to inform visitors about the displays is certainly very helpful to those familiar with the technology or those who can quickly learn to master the program -- which is indeed quite simple.

Since this is certainly not the first time the user-friendly audiovisual medium has been introduced to an Indonesian audience, and since it provides commentaries in both English and Indonesian -- here the translation is good -- the organizers might have assumed that no difficulty would hinder its use by visitors. Besides, half a dozen friendly promoters are ready to assist them.

`Touch Me'

But apparently that's not always the case. Some visitors, especially teenagers, readily absorbed themselves in the sophisticated interactive instruments, but many guests have been seen just staring at the words 'Touch Me' displayed on the screens.

"The promoters should encourage visitors to use the screens when they enter the room," said Prayitno, an entrepreneur who thought the exhibit was a bit boring and only realized what the interactive multimedia program contained when asked of his opinion about it.

Another weakness is that there is no detailed list of contents to enable visitors to quickly choose and activate video clips interesting to them. Visitors will find it a bit exhausting to view all the exhibit contents on the screens.

Maybe only scientists -- or students and reporters assigned to the task -- will spend one or two hours viewing each and every item.