Science Borealis

Science Borealis
Science Borealis

Thursday 31 January 2013

Science and Social Impact


 I love science (I said that before, and will say it again...)
But I also appreciate that there are a lot of people, children and adults alike, that get much less opportunities to enjoy science than others.

I am currently leading a team of Pueblo Science in a funding competition for students.
Our idea - provide FREE Science after school programs to children who cannot afford to.
And just to put a number in your head - there are more than 60,000 children bellow poverty line living in Toronto alone. So just think how much we can accomplish...

I'll keep you posted as the competition nears, since we have several workshops ahead before the final date (see bellow) when the idea is put to the challenge against 9 other teams.

Wish us luck 

SAVE THE DATE | March 21, 2013
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The ideas are amazing! And the stakes are high!
Witness the art of pitching…Network in the SI space…Get an early look at some promising social ventures….See some excellent examples of cross-sector partnerships working to address some of Ontario’s most pressing challenges.
You are invited to come and watch some of Ontario’s most promising young entrepreneurs pitch their social innovation ideas to a panel of esteemed judges.

From 37 competition entries, ten entrants have been given a chance to work directly with one of OCE’s experienced Business Development Managers in coordination with a MaRS Advisor, participate in a series of MaRS Entrepreneur's Toolkit Workshops and develop a business plan. On March 21, they will make their pitch. Up to four finalists will win up to  $20,000 each and, along with the other six semi-finalists, receive a one-year Community Membership with all of its perks and benefits to the Centre for Social Innovation.
This event will also showcase the 15 socially innovative projects funded under OCE’s Social Innovation Partnership Challenge in 2011/2012
Registration opens February 1, 2013.  Invitation to follow.
Seating is limited.


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Tuesday 29 January 2013

Science here, there and everywhere

I like science.
I really do.
Why? I don't know. It's like asking someone why they like the color red.
But thinking back, I always felt comfortable with science subject, like math, physics and chemistry.
It was always so neat that every question had a concise answer.
I always felt uneasy with the humanities subjects, history for example. It always baffled me why the teacher was not happy with a concise answer - straight to the point. She was looking for more elaborate arguments, more background, more stories, more important date, more names, more of everything.

But enough about the past.
This in the now.
And now I am literally immersed in science.

I'm still not done with my Ph.D.
But also, having children of my own, I enjoy interacting with children more. And working with Pueblo Science is an everyday pleasure.

I promise to tell much more about that, but for now, here's what happened today.
This past Sunday, we had a family drop-in science activity which was themed around nature and the environment. As such, we decided to do the "coloring flowers with food colors" activity.
(for those who are not familiar, you take white flowers, cut the stem, put in food colored water, and wait until the color is absorbed by the flower and reaches the petals. Sugar can be added to the water to lengthen the life of the flower.)


And we had leftover flowers. So we gave them to the kindergarten where my daughter attends.
Today she brought her flower home, bright red, but wilting. I mentioned that perhaps the flower needs some food (meaning we should put sugar in the water, as the flower used sugar as a source of energy). My daughter thought about it for a while, and then made the obvious logical conclusion, which puzzled her: "but rain doesn't have sugar in it"!

The first step of any science exploration is observation.
The second step which follows is to make an assumption (or hypothesis)

If only we could all think so sharply as we grow up!


Monday 28 January 2013

Setting the ground

I am a chatty guy. Ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you "Oh yeh. He's quite a talker...."
So you would think that with so much to say, I would have had my own blog ages ago. But no. Just starting. SO wish me luck.

So who am I?
Tough question. Let me break it down then:
A human being (by far the most important classification of my existance)
A man
A life partner
A father
A scientist

There are many more, but we'll stop here for now.

Yes. I am a scientist. What does that mean? I'm not sure, but still learning....