TRANSNET members engage with the public at the Royal Institution

TRANSNET members recently participated in an exhibit as part of an interactive careers' event organised by the Royal Institution.

The Royal Institution, together with the University of Portsmouth, hosted an interactive careers event for young people aged 13+ on 21 October 2022, exploring the world of energy and electronic engineering.

The event featured talks from established scientists and young researchers, followed by a science fair with interactive exhibits from companies and research groups working in the sector. One of the exhibits was organised by TRANSNET members,  Dr Anastasiia Vasylchenkova and Dr Eric Sillekens, together with their colleagues at the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, UCL.

Speaking on her experience at the exhibition, Dr Anastasiia Vasylchenkova recalls:

“We were very warmly greeted in the Royal Institution; it is the loveliest historical venue with a vibe of the most important breakthroughs of British science in 19th century. Despite the terrible rain, a good party of kids, teenagers and their parents came to the lecture and the following shows about future energy and other core urban infrastructure.

We were showing a demo with Lissajous curves - moving figures reflected on the screen from the mirror driven by sound. If you change the pitch - the curve changes. It was incredibly rewarding to meet eager children, some of them were asking smart and deep questions about the operation of the demo. Nonetheless they were interested in the teaching programmes and research at the UCL. I really hope our demo inspired them about further educational and career steps and left a hint of thought-provoking aftertaste about light and oscillation interaction.”

The Royal Institution is a science education charity founded in 1799 with the purpose of introducing new technologies and teaching science to the public through lectures and demonstrations. Many famous scientists have worked there, including Michael Faraday who invented the electric generator and electric motor. One of their longest running traditions is the series of Christmas Lectures, broadcast on the BBC every year.

The event was aimed at showing young people the diverse ways researchers and companies are working in the field of energy and electronic engineering, and the different jobs and career routes they could find in the future. Some of the other exhibits included demonstrations on how batteries are made, how nuclear energy works and how we can use electrical circuits to communicate with the brain.

It overall proved to be a great success as the event was attended by over 250 local students!