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.
The 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," Ilya Mukovozov said. “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.”