UPEI and PEI Public Library Service

Public lectures on Science, Creativity and Innovation featuring:

 

September 22nd, 7 pm at Summerside Rotary Library

Cancer cells make sounds: who is listening?

Dr. Bill Whelan

Detecting cancer at its earliest stage is a significant challenge. A new approach to cancer imaging involves a great deal of listening. When you shine pulsed laser light on cancer cells, they can emit a symphony of sounds. The pitch or frequency of the sound created depends on the size and shape of the cell and the sound volume depends on its color. By listening to and studying the sounds, one can differentiate between normal and cancerous tissues. This is a breakthrough in medical imaging that is positioned to improve cancer management.

 

September 23rd, 7 pm at Confederation Centre Public Library

Embedded Systems Design: Smart Everything

Professor Christopher Vessey

Small programmable prototyping devices have become inexpensive and readily available to people; no longer do we require expensively-equipped laboratories to produce real-world designs. With these systems, people are free to express creative ideas in ways they never thought possible. Today's explosion of automated systems development is a direct result of these abilities, and the move towards the "Internet of Things" where common objects become Internet accessible in an interactive way is a major new direction of development.

 

September 24th, 6:30 pm at Montague Rotary Library

Creativity in the Engineering Design Process

Professor Elizabeth Osgood

A presentation on the role of the mentor, how to encourage creativity, as well as having participants to do a quick hands-on design so they can experience what we're talking about. Discussion will include some of the more creative engineering projects (walking on water, Rube Goldberg, and this year's project to get an athletic ball through obstacles in a life size maze on the beach without touching the ball).