1 June, 2017, on the International Children's Day, in the square by Meshcheryakov monument, a traditional scientific quest was held.
It was organized and conducted by the Club of Future Scientists of the JINR History of Science and Technology Museum together with the Physics and Mathematics Open Classroom of the JINR University Centre.
As is well known, physics (ancient Greek – phύσις – nature) is a science about the laws of nature. Definitely it is better to explore the nature in the fresh air! So our quest was held under the slogan "Let’s protect children against computers and stuffy rooms".
On this day, in the square, there were 9 stations (Leaf shatters, OXOXO, Bonds of friendship, Orbits, etc.). More than 50 children aged 4 to 15 years, grouped in 15 teams, took part in the quest. Constant mentors of the Club (JINR staff - Viktoria Tokareva, Dmitry Tsirkov, Vadim Skoy, Mikhail Zhabitsky, Dmitry Dryablov, Kirill Kozubsky, Anastasia Zlotnikova, as well as a young member of the Club Nikita Zhabitsky) came up with simple and entertaining contests and experiments for children.
The children faced several challenges: to build an ellipse with a rope and two sticks; to tune up an optical telegraph using table tennis bats; to launch a "circular accelerator" made with plastic pipes; to play "advanced" tick-tack-toe; to build the tallest tower of wooden bars; to find 5 leaves from 5 different trees in the park; to determine the age of a tree by a saw cat. Great interest was expressed in the competition for the speed of water transfusion in two connected bottles. The younger researchers found a non-standard solution, having set a new record for the contest!
Meanwhile, in the Concert Hall Mir, high school students of the Physics and Mathematics Open Classroom, supervised by I.A. Lomachenkov, demonstrated a number of spectacular physical experiments prepared by the students themselves.
With genuine sports enthusiasm, the children were absorbed by an exciting game, developing logic and dexterity, visual estimation and wit, teaching to gaze thoroughly at the world around them. Unpredictable weather did not disturb the event. All participants were awarded with soap bubbles and sweets.
The quest was closed with a demonstration of fantastic experiments with liquid nitrogen, presented at the Concert Hall Mir’s entrance.
