The Science 0+ Festival at INRTU: at the Interactive Platform Visitors Were Able to Catch Lightning, Freeze Fruit With Liquid Nitrogen, and Generate Electricity
Under the event, in the INRTU lobby there was launched an interactive platform "Touch Science". Everyone had a chance to have a real scientist experience, take part in interesting experiments, chemical tests, and dive into virtual reality.
On October 19, the opening of the SCIENCE 0+ Festival in INRTU started with a lecture by Sergey Zubkov - General Director of VIZARD (resident of Moscow State University-based Science Park). The Festival program included master classes in IT technologies, tasting analysis, ecology, 3D-modeling, sports and others.
The project was organized by the Department for Development of Research and Entrepreneurial Activity of Students headed by Daria Ruleva. The INRTU community members, the Irkutsk Region schoolchildren and kindergartners took part in the interactive platform.
The Tesla Coil location got in the spotlight. The device represents a high-voltage source, energy in which is transmitted by means of an alternating magnetic field of high frequency. One could put on a special metal glove, bring one's palm to the coil, after which the lightning was "ignited".
The "Unfreezing" interactive event gave the university hall the feeling of New Year's atmosphere. At the location tangerines and other fruits were frozen with the help of liquid nitrogen. Besides, the students also prepared "toothpaste for an elephant" from hydrogen peroxide, liquid soap and yeast. The mixing of the ingredients caused a spectacular chemical reaction to observe.
INRTU students of School of Architecture, Construction and Design offered the participants to build the university campus 3D model. An unusual appliance was presented by students of School of Subsurface Resource Management students. They developed a device that can draw a picture of varying complexity under given parameters.
Moreover, at the interactive platform one could plunge into virtual reality, paint stencils with a 3D pen, assemble a Rubik's cube, play chess and Jenga, make a three-dimensional mosaic using a screwdriver.
Schoolchildren and students were particularly interested in the renewable energy sources location. At one of the stands they got to turn the knobs to fill the energy indicator. At that moment, a special pump would pump water into the reservoir, rotating the engine turbine. The device introduced the participants to the principles of a hydroelectric power plant operation. The location clearly showed the importance of electricity for industry.
The Kvantum student scientific association developed several interactive events for the Festival. The INRTU members offered everyone to learn the peculiarities of 3D printing and catch a running ball on a LED strip. Furthermore, the Quantum participants created a game console with five exciting games. The device allowed young engineers to master the techniques of connecting various electronic components.
At Science-bar within the interactive platform everyone was treated to bright non-alcoholic cocktails.
At the INRTU Science 0+ Festival Dmitry Danchikov, a ninth-grader from Shelekhov Lyceum, and ice hockey enthusiast, got his first participant-experience. Most of all, the schoolboy was impressed by the Tesla's Coil interactive and the "toothpaste for an elephant" making.
"I decided to attend the Festival events to get better acquainted with the University. My father, as well as my brother Stepan Danchikov, a former hockey player of the "Irkutsky Polytech" team, graduated from the University. Just like them, I'd like to enroll INRTU and learn a highly sought-after profession of an engineer," says Dmitry.
Semyon Shalaginov, a freshman and future programmer, shared his impressions of the Festival:
"I attended the events of the SCIENCE 0+ project as a participant of the Network Lyceum career guidance program. However, this year’s project is organized on a larger scale. I was eager to visit locations related to virtual reality and renewable energy sources".
Photo by Arseniy Chekmaryov
