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Science school for primary shcool students in a town

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REG_DATE : 2009.12.18
HIT : 1572

Surprised to see a microscope with a built-in computer! Amazed at electricity generation by means of microorganisms!   Such wonders were indeed witnessed on the 3rd floor of the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) on Nov. 3. The cramped space (15m²) was packed with 20 wide-eyed 8th – 12th graders (2nd grade middle school students – high school seniors).  All of them are aspiring to eventually become doctors. All eyes were fixated on the automated microscope located in the middle of the room. 

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 Struck with awe at the incredible, high-speed microscope! “Very different from the one you’ve seen in school, isn’t it? This microscope automatically analyzes how molecular proteins transform themselves.  Now, it takes only 15 minutes whereas before it would have taken days,” said group head Marc Bickle. “Wow!” many students exclaimed as they observed the speed of operation.  Ms. Lisatron (Ortrent Gymnasium, 9th grader) asked about the principles involved in the operation of the so-called ‘high-speed microscope.’ The reply, “it has an embedded program enabling users to take pictures for molecular analysis,” adding “like computers, this microscope has as many as 2,500 CPUs built into the system.”     Mr. Kirian Strasove (Kosbig Gymnasium, 9th grader) was astounded, commenting, “I learned that computers are also used to observe molecules, not just to play games.” The Junior Doctor Program kicked off after Dresden was chosen as the ‘City of Science’ by the Donors Association for Development of German Science.  Befitting its name, voluntary participation by well-trained scientists ensure the uniqueness and effectiveness of the program. Every year, 30 scientists from 25 universities and research institutes specializing in science and engineering, including Dresden University of Technology, CBG and University Hospital Carl Gustav, enthusiastically contribute towards program success.   After lectures, orators gave challenging pop quizzes, students being awarded stamps for correct answers. Moreover, students receiving 7 or more stamps earned a junior doctor degree at program’s end in July.  Impressively, half of the 200 participants receive such honors every year.  Florian Frisch, a staff in charge said, “Students take pride in becoming ‘doctors’ before entering college, making them more interested and enthusiastic about science.” A researcher at Max Planck Institute examines artificial mutations in drosophila for use in the Junior Doctor Program.  Dresden, by Tae-sub Byun, DongaScience   Three-hundred primary and secondary school students participate in the second annual ‘Science School’ launched by GIST last year.  After the lecture, students raise hands to ask questions.  Photograph provided by GIST   ○ Events such as ‘Science school’ helps to meet the needs of primary school students Like other countries, Korea is also increasing the number of activities in which scientists share knowledge of science and technology with the interested public. Accordingly, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) launched ‘Science School’ last year.   GIST professors and doctoral researchers give special lectures once a month to three-hundred children, ninety percent of the participants being primary school students. As is the case of the Junior Doctor Program, the lecturers themselves determine subject matter during the twelve-lecture science program.  In an October lecture delivered by In-sub Chang, professor of Environmental Engineering, on microorganisms, he addressed two children – a 3rd and 6th grader-- by commenting, “invisible to the eyes, young students marvel at the story of electricity-producing microorganisms.”

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