Science Rendezvous
The Atrium at SickKids filled with visitors on Saturday May 9, 2009 for Science Rendezvous, a Toronto-wide celebration of science. The event engaged the public in scientific discovery and raised awareness of the city’s large, active and leading-edge scientific community.
SickKids Research Institute prepared an exciting variety of displays and demonstrations, including diagnostic imaging that showed how much brain activity is required to blink your eyes, 3D-surgery videos, a demonstration of how easily germs are spread using special “glo germ powder,” and anatomically correct brain replicas made of Jell-o. Visitors met with researchers and talked about the role that cells play in the disease process, they tested their skills on a surgical robot prototype, looked at DNA strands suspended in gel and learned how science helps to solve criminal cases and provide information about diseases; and they saw a visual demonstration of how the digestion process works.
Ilya Mukovozov, a trainee in the Cell Biology Program at the Research Institute and at U of T’s Institute of Medical Science, volunteered his services as a facilitator, and was stationed at the table where visitors performed experiments with dry ice.
Science Rendezvous was a blast, he says. “It was great to see so many fun bright young minds participating. I think that anyone who attended was intellectually challenged by the great displays and hands-on activities that were available. This was a great and innovative way to promote science and scientific research. I look forward to Science Rendezvous 2010.”