I am still trying to get caught up with the photos that I took at Science Rendezvous last weekend. There was so much happening! Lots of people were involved and engaged in the various activities that were available both at Yonge Dundas Square and on St. George street.
below: On the stage at Yonge Dundas square: Start with three identical piles of building blocks and three teams, put ten minutes on the clock and see what towers result. The challenge was to
build the strongest, tallest, or most awesome tower.
below: Teamwork!
below: How do you test the strength of a tower?
By giving one exuberant girl a big orange ball of course!
below: At the end of the competition, all three teams came together to build the tallest tower that they could. It didn’t quite reach the stage roof, but it was close!
… more great activities…..
below: Question: How long does it take the light from the Sun to travel to the Earth?
Answer: sunlight travels at the speed of light (rounded to 300,000 km/s) and it has to cover a distance of 150 million km on average to reach Earth. With a bit of math, the answer is 500 seconds, or 8 minutes and 18 seconds.
below: making paper
below: robots
below: How unique are you? Test yourself for various phenotypes (the product of your genes)… Can you curl your tongue? Can you smell freesias? Is your thumb bent? From answers to these and five other questions you can determine if you are 1/10 (you share similarities to many people) or 1/1000 (you are more unique)… or something in between. Apparently I’m 1/45 and if you’re curious, my thumb is straight, I can’t curl my tongue and I can smell freesias.
below: St. George street.
below: A demonstration using acids, bases, and pH indicators. Technically, pH is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions. In practice, it indicates how acidic or basic a substance is. Water, with a pH of 7 is neutral. Acids have a pH less than 7 while bases have a pH greater than 7. A pH indicator is a chemical that changes colour depending on the pH.
below: How much energy is a gummi bear? Find out by heating a little bit of of potassium chlorate in a test tube. Once it is liquid, add a gummi bear. Smoke and flames ensue. When the potassium chlorate is heated, it produces oxygen gas which ignites if there is combustible material, such as sugar, available.
below: Design and construction with K’nex
below: Tetris players
below: programmable Lego vehicles
below: Watch out! Scientists on the loose!
below: The little boxes used in this activity have a marble inside them. When placed on an inclined surface, the boxes tumble to the bottom. Sandpaper prevents the boxes from slipping.
below: Corn starch and water makes a wonderful substance. It’s not liquid and it’s not solid. If you are fast enough you run on top of it but if you stop moving, you sink into it!
as I walk Toronto 