Get ready to unleash your inner scientist at one of Canada’s largest science festivals, hitting the streets of Burnaby this weekend.
Canada’s national Science Rendezvous festival is back in person across the country on Saturday, May 13, when 25 universities and colleges across Canada — including Simon Fraser University in Burnaby — will open their doors to the curious Curies, Einsteins and Edisons.
The festival aims to take science out of the lab and onto the streets; it is free and invites curious minds of all ages to come, ignite their curiosity and indulge in one-of-a-kind hands-on science experiments.
Run and designed by Canada’s leading research scientists, it will also allow festivalgoers to interact with researchers and participate in live demonstrations and shows.
The day-long science festival will take place at SFU on Saturday, May 13 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 in celebration of International Astronomy Day at the science theatre in the Shrum science centre. The theme surrounding this year’s festival is CREATE, a celebration of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math), and it will explore the intersection of science and art.
“This year’s theme, CREATE, invites everyone to explore STEAM in new ways, create memories and learn something new. We want you to have fun with STEAM and have an opportunity to experience the joy of curiosity and discovery,” said Science Rendezvous executive director Kathleen Miller in a news release.
The festival will involve activities that revolve around food, climate, reconciliation and home.
Participants can discover how food ingredients can create all types of chemical reactions, learn about natural disasters, climate change and the environment, explore Indigenous star stories, and learn about traditional stories of the night sky. It is aimed at highlighting diverse disciplines, such as robotics and art conservation.
Although the magic show at the science theatre is fully booked, drop-in tours at the Trottier Observatory are open for the stargazers and astrophiles who want to meet the astronomers and get their hands on their telescope.
For those more inclined to put their Earth-superhero cape on, the festival will give visitors the chance to become a junior earth scientist. Through games and activities, you get to explore the worlds of volcanoes and landslides and learn how to reduce the risks of natural disasters.
Interested in human anatomy? You will be able to take a closer look at body systems and organs, assemble a skeleton using real human bones and learn about the systems of the body using plastic models and preserved organs, and perform digital human dissecting at SFU’s anatomage table.
Or you could enjoy fundamental physics with a superconducting train, bicycle generator, Bernoulli principle, Theremin, Van de Graaff generator, Eddy current ramp, jumping rings and more.
Science Rendezvous is a free event, and no registration is required. It’s also a partner of Science Odyssey, Canada’s two-week celebration of discovery and innovation put on by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Science Rendezvous Burnaby
- When: Saturday, May 13; 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Where: Simon Fraser University – Burnaby campus; 8888 University Dr.; visit website for more information
- Cost: Free; drop in
