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Department of Engineering

Join us at the 2019 Cambridge Science Festival

Join us at the 2019 Cambridge Science Festival

Reverend Professor John Stevens Henslow (1796-1861), Geological map of Anglesey 1822.

Engaging talks and hands-on activities aim to lift the lid on the world of science, engineering and technology at the 2019 Cambridge Science Festival.

As part of the Festival, the Department of Engineering will open its doors to the public on Saturday 16 March, 10am-4pm, for a bumper day of interactive activities and informative talks:

  • 10am-11am – Join us for a brief introduction to superconductivity, one of the most intriguing and exciting topics in physics. 
  • 10.30am-11.15am | 11.15am-12noon | 12noon-12.45pm – Build an electronic sensor with an Arduino micro-controller. 
  • 11.45am-12.45am | 1.15pm-2.15pm – Investigate the science of ice cream
  • 1pm-2pm – Dr Claire Barlow looks at the big picture around the environmental consequences of using plastics for packaging and examines the alternatives. 
  • 1pm-4.30pm – Join researchers from the Cambridge Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction (CSIC) and the Laing O’Rourke Centre for Construction, Engineering and Technology for hands-on demonstrations, including Microsoft HoloLens, acoustic sensing and fibre optic sensing. Discover how they use technology to make our infrastructure smart.
  • 2.15pm-3.15pm – Dr Hugh Hunt brings engineering to life with blocks, balls, bikes and boomerangs. 
  • All day – Learn civil engineering concepts the fun way with four themed games.
  • All day – Join Cambridge engineers in designing, making, testing and modifying battery-powered toy hovercrafts and explore the science that makes them work. 
  • All day – Join nuclear researchers from the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London and The Open University to have all your curiosities answered.

Admissions gurus from the Department of Engineering will be available to answer questions from prospective students throughout the day, and TTP Full Blue Racing, the University's Formula Student team – who design, build and race single seater internal combustion cars – have created a racing simulator in the chassis of one of their race cars for you to enjoy. 

There will also be an open day at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), part of the Department of Engineering, on Saturday 23 March, 1pm-5pm:

  • 1pm-5pm – Get a glimpse of the latest laser technologies and find out how they are used in industry with the laser lab tours.
  • 1pm-5pm – Fire your laser at the IfM’s tin can alley to see who can knock down the most tin cans.
  • 1pm-5pm – Have your group selfie etched onto steel using one of the IfM's high-powered laser markers.
  • 1.30pm-2.30pm | 3.30pm-4.30pm – Professor Tim Minshall explores how engineers are merging the physical and the digital worlds to change the way we make, buy and use everything from cars to planes, foods to medicines, phones to furniture.
  • 2pm-4pm – Graduate students enrolled for a PhD in Engineering will take on the challenge of sharing their research with you in just 6 minutes 40 seconds, using the Pecha Kucha presentation method of 20 slides each lasting 20 seconds.

On Tuesday 12 March, 7.30pm-9pm at Jesus College, Tim Wilkinson, Professor of Photonic Engineering, will introduce the real world of holographic projection displays and demonstrate that many types of image generation are now possible from full parallax three dimensional displays to Augmented Reality.

Through stories of firefighting, beer and micromorts, Professor P John Clarkson explores the engineer’s world of systems design and risk, and relates this to the development of a systems approach to service design and improvement in health and care. Wednesday 20 March, 6pm-7pm at Cambridge Academy for Science and Technology. Booking required.

And on 21-22 March, the Department of Engineering will host a two-day interdisciplinary scientific meeting organised by Professor Simon Conway Morris FRS, covering the Futures of Sciences, their different aspects and varied applications. For times and programme details, click here.

On 23 March, 11am-4pm, stop by the Whittle Laboratory for a tour and engine experiments, wind tunnels and a series of hands-on activities to demonstrate how turbo-machines work. There will be a range of activities suitable for children (aged 12+) and adults alike.

To find out more, visit www.sciencefestival.cam.ac.uk. Bookings open on Monday 11 February at 11am.

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