U of T takes science to the street with creepy crawlies and candy rockets at Science Rendezvous

May 17, 2017 by Romi Levine - U of T News

Within the first half-hour of arriving at this year’s Science Rendezvous at U of T’s downtown Toronto campus, U of T News reporter Romi Levine got her DNA extracted, ate worms and held a giant-sized cockroach.

While certain activities at the annual family-oriented science and engineering festival are not for the faint of heart, there is truly something for everyone.

Here’s a look at some of the fun activities from this year’s event.

A young girl looking at liquid in a syringe
See those white specks in the liquid? That’s my DNA. Volunteers at the Mount Sinai Hospital and SciHigh booth extracted it from a sample of Gatorade I gurgled. Photo: Romi Levine.

Members of the Blue Sky Solar Racing team with their solar powered vehicle
The Blue Sky Solar Racing team from U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering showed off the newly retired solar-powered vehicle. Ben Mucsi, an engineering student and member of the Blue Sky team, says a new model will be unveiled in August. Photo: Romi Levine.

A young girl holding a Madagascar hissing cockroach in her hand surrounded by other children
This Madagascar hissing cockroach may look nasty, but U of T’s department of ecology and evolutionary biology volunteers assured us they were harmless. Photo: Romi Levine.

A young boy looking at a container of mealworm granola
“It’s good!” said this brave kid after munching on some mealworm granola, made by the U of T Bug Bites entomophagy club. Photo: Romi Levine.

Two children playing in the pool with the mixture
What do you get when you mix water with corn starch? This gooey non-Newtonian fluid! It turns from liquid to solid when pressure is applied. U of T’s chemistry department filled a kiddie pool with the mixture, allowing people to feel what it’s like “to walk on water.” Photo: Romi Levine.

A young boy wearing a VR device on his head with a controller in his hand
The department of chemistry also brought virtual reality company VRPlayin to campus to showcase a space exploration game. Photo: Romi Levine.

A scientist pouring liquid nitrogen in a mug
All aboard the liquid nitrogen train! Scientists from U of T’s physics department used the smoky stuff to teach attendees about superconductivity. Photo: Romi Levine.

A man looking into a telescope
Attendees got to take a peek into the cosmos using the Astronomy & Space Exploration Society’s telescope. Photo: Romi Levine.

A man holding a sign that says "Take a photo with an astronaut"
Want a photo with an astronaut? Science Rendezvous has you covered. Photo: Romi Levine.

A young girl looking at a container with green jello with cell components in it
The department of cell and systems biology found a novel – and gooey – way of explaining the makeup of cells. Photo: Romi Levine.

A young girl building a Kinex structure
U of T’s Seismic Design Team tested out Kinex structures on their earthquake simulation “shake table.” Romi Levine.

A woman painting a young child's face
Face painters were on hand to transform kids into their favourite animal – or even their favourite element. Photo: Romi Levine.

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