the 2005 festival, Mr Stanhope said that over the past 12 years the festival had become one of the premier events in the national capital and an important means of engaging the community in scientific issues.

â€œLast year, 110,000 people participated in one or more of the festivalâ€™s events, including 14,000 students who came from beyond the ACTâ€™s borders,â€ Mr Stanhope said.

â€œThe festivalâ€™s economic impact was about $8.8 million. But its real impact is incalculable. Who knows how many of the sparks it ignites in Canberraâ€™s young people will deliver the innovations that tomorrow might prolong our lives or improve its quality, feed the worldâ€™s hungry, help us reach the stars or cure disease? And who knows how many who have been captivated by something they saw at thefestival will one day become the science teachers of the future, themselves lighting sparks in the students in their care?â€

Mr Stanhope said this yearâ€™s program was a reminder of the extent to which science can illuminate our everyday lives.

Among the highlights will be:

â€¢ an exploration by ABC Radio Nationalâ€™s Julie McCrossin, and a panel of experts, including Dr Rick Kausman, of how physical activity affects fitness, weight and mood;

â€¢ a look at water resources by Associate Professor Martin Thomas from the University of Canberra; and

â€¢ a forum, featuring a NASA expert, which will look at space-related industries in Australia.