KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — Returning for the sixth year, the Cooler Lumpur Festival this time around centres on rebooting the world through its line-up of panel discussions, workshops and screenings.

The annual festival of ideas will take place at Publika, Solaris Dutamas till this Sunday and other than selected events, the one-time entry will cost you just RM10.

The Cooler Lumpur Festival is a multidisciplinary festival curated by PopDigital that adopts specific themes each year with the aim to expand the city’s cultural horizons, build stronger communities and cultivate the creativity and imagination of people.

Now if you’ve missed the chance to get your copy of the Billion Dollar Whale you might want to take note Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist Tom Wright will be at the Cooler Lumpur Festival. Scheduled for a session on Sunday from 10am till 12pm, Wright will give an in-depth look at his — and Bradley Hope’s — epic expose on the secret life of Jho Low.

The one-hour talk will be followed by a one-hour book signing session and special order of the books will also be available at the event. This is a ticketed event with entry fees priced at RM10 per person and it will feature Wright in conversation with Umapagan Ampikaipakan. Do take note that entrance to the event will not be allowed if your name is not in the registration list, so you might want to book your tickets online first.

Among the other highlights at the event this week that you might want to take note of are:

Saving Stripes: The Plight of the Malayan Tigers 

Latest numbers show that there are only 250 Malayan tigers left in the wild, despite continuous efforts in saving the species. How did we allow the situation to come to this, and what really happened? In this special presentation by Tiger Landscape Lead at WWF-Malaysia Dr Mark Rayan Darmaraj, we explore the possibility of hitting the reset button on a species dangerously close to extinction. This 40-minute presentation by Dr Mark will be followed by a Q&A session led by The New York Times correspondent Rick Paddock. Don’t miss this session which will be held on Saturday from 3pm to 4pm.

Woodwork Jamming Workshop 

Suitable for ages 12 and up, this class will introduce you to different types of wood and tools. Learn how to use the tools effectively for basic woodworking projects. You will be measuring and marking and then cutting the wood with various power tools such as the jigsaw, circular saw, mitre saw and table saw before learning basic assembly between the wood pieces. This workshop will be held on Saturday from 3pm to 5pm and passes will cost RM50 if bought online or RM55 at the door. 

Smartphone Microscope Workshop

An interesting project for both adults and children, this workshop will show you how to turn your smartphone into a powerful microscope instantly with a simple set-up. This workshop will be held on Sunday and passes will cost RM50 if bought online or RM55 at the door. 

Digital Ethics: Regaining Control of The Internet 

Within this workshop, facilitator Matteo Riatti will introduce participants to the concept of Digital Ethics. In a narrative approach, current developments of the digital landscape will be discussed in order to understand how commercial and social interests collide and how the individual can claim responsibility for a better future. Passes to this workshop will cost RM50 if bought online or RM55 at the door. It will be held on Sunday from 3pm-4pm at Me.Reka Makerspace.

For more details and to check out the full itinerary, visit https://www.coolerlumpur.com/reboot/.