Orchestra of Gourds

The humble gourd, used worldwide for bowls and containers until the age of manufactured goods, is now finding new life as a material for musical instruments. Using uniquely designed instruments made from different shaped gourds, an 110member orchestra explores the evocative sounds that can be created from this organic material.

All in the Mind

Flash Anzan is a new method of training the ability to perform mental calculations. Children who have studied the soroban (abacus) can develop visualization skills allowing them to calculate without an instrument. They then use the Flash Anzan method to further develop useful visualization and memory abilities.

Identify Yourself

The development of highly secure personal identification methods based on individual body characteristics is leading to a safer world where we can eliminate keys and locks. New techniques allow computers to securely identify us from our voices and handwriting or from the unique patterns in the irises of our eyes.

Child Illusionists

Two brothers, six and eight years old, are in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's youngest professional magicians. Trained at home by their magician father, who also makes their specially small props, they made their professional debut last year and are already experienced performed with a growing repertoire of illusions.