Science Bazaar at 61st LIYSF

Bringing Minds Together

The LIYSF Science Bazaar students had the opportunity to present their own scientific research projects to other participants at the forum this year. Their projects at this event were judged by a panel of distinguished scientists, who are experts in various fields. This year LIYSF was overwhelmed with talent with over 150 projects being presented by our students.

The LIYSF Science Bazaar is primarily a non-competitive event; the focus is to unite young creative minds and provide a platform for the mixing of knowledge and catalyzing new ideas.

The evening is designed to facilitate collaboration between the brightest young scientists from around the world – and you could feel the energy and excitement as you walked through the building. The participants expressed so much enthusiasm as they exchanged ideas and knowledge with one another, learning about each other’s projects and scientific research from all over the world.

Discussion and Feedback

In addition to presenting their work, the students were also privileged to get feedback from our range of experts judging the projects: Professor Colin Blakemore (School of Advanced Study Director), Gabriele Butkute (Royal Society of Biology and the Biochemical Society Policy Assistant), Elizabeth Chambers (The Royal Society Education Outreach Officer), Dr Shaun Holmes (British Council, Science Advisor Research and Partnerships), Professor David Phillips (Imperial College London), Richard Myhill (LIYSF Director), Annette Smith (Association for Science Education Immediate Past-CEO), and Clare Thomson (Gender and Education Consultant).

Each student prepared a poster to assist their explanation of their scientific projects to the judges, and they were scored and given feedback on several vital academic dimensions including their scientific rigour, the project’s merit, and the clarity of their communication.

Making Life Better

Some of the standout projects included:

• A blueprint for a 2000-person (and 125 billion dollars) space settlement
• A model for revolutionizing quantum computing via the quantum Hall effect (without an external magnetic field)
• A cheap, simple and accessible cancer diagnostic method (for use in developing countries)
• A study on transmission of bacteria in public spaces (and a self-cleaning door handle)
• A cheap, novel water pollution detector (a test strip that works in minutes)

The participants scoring in the Top Ten were awarded an invitation to present their work at the LIYSF FameLab-style presentations the following evening.

Our participants took their turn to inspire us here at LIYSF. Their immense amount of talent was portrayed with such energy and enthusiasm throughout the entire evening. Displayed in all of our participants’ projects was their sheer passion for their topics as they delved deeper into science, technology, engineering and maths. The event really captured the importance of making life better as the projects presented really focused on improving specific aspects in their countries.