University students will be taking science out of their laboratories and onto the main street of the capital during the Science in the City festival on September 25 from 6pm onwards in Republic Street, Valletta.

During the event, engineering, ICT, psychology, health, medicine, pharmaceutical and science students at over 20 stands will be vying to attract visitors’ attention with hands-on activities, experiments, health checks, 3D printing and robot demonstrations.

Among the attractions at the University Engineering Students’ Association stand is an airplane, a Global Positioning System tracker, a universal counter, a sound amplifier and a mechanical lifter.

Students from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) will be displaying the robot Drobika and other fun electromagnetic games and motors at their stand.

‘Science meets health’ is this year’s theme at the Malta Health Students Association stand. Students there will be offering visitors foot screenings by podiatrists, health checks, such as of blood glucose and blood pressure, and nutritionists will be measuring people’s body mass index.

Radiographers will also give advice on the signs and symptoms of various cancers.

Visitors will also be able to participate in a DNA spooling experiment and occupational therapists will provide children with an opportunity to enjoy sensory box activity.

S-Cubed, which represents students of physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics and statistics, will invite the public to discover science facts and learn about current research at the University. Their innovative activities will feature colourful chemical reactions, magnets, insects, and many fun interactive experiments for all ages.

S-cubed will also be present on the main stage opposite the law courts to give vibrant, explosive science displays, ranging from fireworks to combustion.

Innovative activities will feature colourful chemical reactions, magnets, insects and fun experiments for all ages

Psychology students from Betapsi will be focusing on synaesthesia, a perceptual condition where people perceive words as colours or time as an actual ticker tape hanging in mid air. At their stand there will also be a section entitled ‘My experience with synaesthesia’, set up by a student who experiences these phenomena.

Student doctors from the Malta Medical Student Association (MMSA) will be bringing sex health games, glucose testing, teddy bear hospital and ‘beat the burn’ outreach to the festival. At the MMSA stand, visitors will also be able to take snapshots in a photo booth to share with friends through the Science in the City Facebook page.

A bear hospital run by medical students during Science in the City.

From the computing world, the ICT Student Association will display robots and assistive devices. Apps through a Lens, set up by the Faculty of ICT, will offer wine tasting for adults and digital hopscotch for children.

The wine tasting is a clever analogy on computer monitoring, and children will be able to play digital hopscotch using a raspberry pi hooked to pressure sensors. Ascent Software will also be showcasing their robot while Thought3D will demonstrate 3D printing.

Science in the City and European Researchers Night is funded by the EU’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action of the Horizon 2020 programme, and organised by the University of Malta, its research trust, and the Malta Chamber of Scientists.

www.scienceinthecity.org.mt

www.facebook.com/ScienceInTheCityMalta