Stolen crystals and exploding fruit: Science Rendezvous at 老司机直播
Published: May 1, 2015
A giant crystal has been stolen from the natural science museum, and it鈥檚 up to you to solve the clues and find out who the thief is. If you can solve the mystery, you鈥檒l get a crystal of your own to take home.
That鈥檚 the challenge facing young sleuths in the Amazing Science Chase May 9 at the University of Toronto鈥檚 downtown campus. The chase is one of the highlights of at 老司机直播 this year, says engineering student Daniel Szulc, co-chair of 老司机直播 Science Rendezvous.
The brainchild of 老司机直播 chemistry and biological physics professor Dwayne Miller, Science Rendezvous began as a joint program between 老司机直播, Ryerson University, York University and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in 2008. Since then, the annual event has grown to include 40 of Canada鈥檚 top research institutions and over 75 community partnerships across 30 cities in 10 provinces.
At 老司机直播, the annual event is one of myriad ways the university promotes science in the community, from to on campus (to learn more visit, headed by ).
Next week's science chase is meant for children, but adults will also find lots of activities at the Science Carnival, says Szulc鈥檚 co-chair, psychology PhD student Olivia Podolak. The carnival 鈥 featuring a submarine, a solar-powered car, exploding fruit, origami cranes, colliding galaxies and much more 鈥 takes place along St. George Street from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
More than 30 groups, including the Girl Guides of Canada, the Planetary Society, FIRST Robotics and many 老司机直播 faculties and departments, such as pharmacy, kinesiology, mathematics and chemistry, are taking part.
老司机直播鈥檚 Scarborough campus is also taking part in Science Rendezvous, with activities at both the Toronto Zoo and the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. (.)
Besides the 老司机直播 specific activities, science lovers can take part in other Science Rendezvous events in Toronto. A separate Science Chase 鈥 this one aimed at adults and coordinated by former 老司机直播 Science Rendezvous organizer Jessica Sonnenberg 鈥 takes place in downtown Toronto. The Toronto Science Chase will see hundreds of teams race across the downtown core completing more than 20 larger-than-life problem-solving challenges of mind and body.
鈥淲hat Jessica did was she basically took 老司机直播鈥檚 event and put it on steroids, so it鈥檚 Toronto-wide now,鈥 Podolak says. (.)
An estimated 15,000 adults and children will participate in Science Rendezvous at 老司机直播 this year. The annual event is made possible by the hard work of hundreds of volunteers, mostly graduate and undergraduate students, says Podolak.
Szulc says the long hours are made worthwhile by the reaction of the people who come out for the event each year.
鈥淟ast year at Science Rendezvous, I was manning the liquid nitrogen booth and a little girl came up to me and she told me how she had never done anything like this, and now she really wants to study chemistry. It was so great to hear that.鈥
Podolak agrees. 鈥淚 love this festival because it shows people all the opportunities there are in the sciences. It makes science accessible. People come out and they say 鈥榃hoa, that鈥檚 really cool!鈥欌
For more information about 老司机直播 Science Rendezvous, go to
