Science Rendezvous

UBC is proud to host Science Rendezvous, a free family festival that takes science out of the lab and on to the street. Join us on Saturday, May 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for a day of hands-on, family friendly science activities! 

Festival-goers of all ages will get a chance to meet world-class researchers and innovators, participate in hands-on experiments, and see amazing scientific demonstrations on UBC's Vancouver campus. There is a Google map with all venues at the bottom of this page. The event is evolving as we add more presentations so please check back.

Download a Science Rendezvous brochure

The amazing world of bacteria
Earth Sciences Building, 2207 Main Mall
The Tropini Lab shares some of the exciting research they do on the gut microbiome, featuring hands-on activities like a microbiome personality quiz—answer a few fun questions to discover which gut microbe matches your style—and a GI tract colouring station where kids can learn while getting creative. They’re excited to meet you and chat about the incredible microbes that live in our digestive system and help keep us healthy every day!

Computer science fun and games
Earth Sciences Building, 2207 Main Mall
All ages

Vancouver spring fungi 
Earth Sciences Building, 2207 Main Mall
Bring your own mushrooms, lichens, molds to add to our display of some of Vancouver's crazy spring fungi! Learn how to recognize the poisonous death cap mushroom and to appreciate the ecological roles of fungi.
All ages 

TRIUMF - Canada’s particle accelerator centre   
Earth Sciences Building, 2207 Main Mall
Demonstrations include a Geiger counter and active radiation sour materials, and microwave plasma. See a superconductor levitating over a magnetic track after being cooled to a low temperature using liquid nitrogen.  
Ages: High school students, but younger students may enjoy watching too.

Geering Up 
Engineering Student Centre, 2335 Engineering Road Main
UBC Geering Up hosts an engineering hub with a variety of interactive demonstrations of the team's innovative design projects.
All ages 

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Action
Michael Smith Laboratories, 2185 East Mall
Create the colours of the rainbow and learn about how cabbage can be used to determine pH. Use science techniques to test which colour dye moves the fastest! See yourself as a scientist, complete with lab coat and beakers in our photo both. Take in experiments learn how to isolate your own DNA using ingredients from your kitchen!
These demonstrations are free but you must register separately for each show on Eventbrite so we can prevent overcrowding. Click on the times below to register for a specific experiment.
Ages: All ages for the booths, six to adult for the demonstrations

Beaty Biodiversity Museum 
Earth Sciences Building, 2207 Main Mall
Learn about biodiversity through staff-led activities and real museum specimens. Bring your biodiversity questions and curiosity! Want to dive in deeper? Visit the Beaty Biodiversity Museum (see below under MUSEUMS) and receive 25% off general admission rates on Saturday, May 10.
All ages

Hands-on chemistry activities
Chemistry Building, 2036 Main Mall, Rooms D211 and D213
A space for kids to grab chemistry by the hand in a safe environment where they’ll learn while doing simple yet fascinating chemistry experiments. See and play with non-newtonian fluids, make your own slime, take home a lava lamp! 
Times: 10:30 - 2:30
Ages: Kindergarten to Grade 7

Chemistry demonstrations
Watch chemists bring the stage to life with quantum dots and liquid fireworks. Learn about cool materials, their unexpected properties, and where you find them in your everyday life. Experience the energy of different types of fuels on stage. Did you know that gummy bears can growl when they oxidize? 
Tickets are required for Fun with Colours and Fun with Fuels. These demonstrations are free but you must register separately for each show on Eventbrite so we can prevent overcrowding. Click on the times below to register for a specific experiment.
All ages 

Liquid nitrogen ice cream shows
Chemistry Building, 2036 Main Mall, Room D200
A people pleaser and long-time favourite in the Chemistry Department! See liquid nitrogen flash freeze a delicious mixture of ingredients to make ice cream in seconds. It’s the best type of edible chemistry! 
All ages 
Times: 10:30, 11:15, noon, 12:45, 1:30, 2:15

Math Mania
Math Mania presents a variety of interactive demonstrations, games and art such as the penny game, the Set Game, the 'Game of 24', kaleidoscopes and hexaflexagons, Nim, Tower of Hanoi, and other mathematical puzzles and paradoxes. These activities demonstrate to children—and their parents—fun ways of learning math and computer science concepts.

SCIENCE TALKS

Fantastic fractals, and where to find them
Earth Sciences Building,2207 Main Mall,RM 1013
Do you know what a tree, a snowflake, and a lightning bolt have in common? Explore the world of fractals: shapes that keep repeating when you zoom in. Play around with different types of fractals, find out where they come from, and look into the endless surprises that they can give us. No math experience needed—just bring your imagination!
11:00

Hexaflexagons – hard to pronounce but fun to explore
Earth Sciences Building,2207 Main Mall, RM 1012
Discover the surprising world of flexagons in this hands-on workshop! Flexagons are fascinating paper shapes that can be flexed and folded to reveal hidden sides, patterns, and colours. Learn about the mathematics hidden inside flexagons then build some of your own using nothing more than paper, scissors and a little glue! No special math background is needed, just a willingness to cut, fold, glue, learn and explore!
11:00 and 11:30

Life on another planet! Are aliens out there?
Earth Sciences Building,2207 Main Mall,RM 1013
The possibility of life on another planet has been in the news lately with the recent discovery of biosignature gases on planet K2-18b. However, this has created controversy in the scientific community as some feel the results were overstated. We'll expand on the discovery and discuss the process of how scientists constantly evaluate evidence and their conclusions.
1:00

Rust never sleeps: exploring the world of corrosion engineering
Earth Sciences Building,2207 Main Mall,RM 1012
Ever wondered why bridges rust, statues turn green, or ships need constant repairs? Take an exciting journey into the hidden world of corrosion! From towering skyscrapers to tiny screws, you’ll discover how corrosion affects everything around us. Learn the basics of how metals like steel "fight" to survive, what happens when they lose, and how corrosion engineering helps protect the things we rely on every day. Find out why corrosion might just be the biggest (and most exciting!) science problem you never knew about — and how it’s key to building a greener, safer future!
1:00

Quantum Science on the Fast Track: Exploring the Universe with Particle Accelerators
Earth Sciences Building, 2207 Main Mall, RM 1013
This presentation will help connect the study of the smallest things found using particle accelerators to the biggest thing we know, our universe. 
2:00 

MUSEUMS

Beaty Biodiversity Museum
(25% off admission) 2212 Main Mall
Explore the university’s spectacular biological collections, with 20,000 square feet of exhibits, from insects to birds! Among our two million treasured specimens is a 26-metre-long blue whale skeleton, dinosaur trackways from B.C.’s early Cretaceous period, and myriad fossils, mammals, reptiles, and plants from around the planet.
All ages, children must be accompanied at all times.

Nitobe Memorial Garden
1895 Lower Mall
Free entrance for Science Rendezvous visitors with wristband – pick up at the Earth Sciences Building. Nitobe Memorial Garden is considered one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan. The garden was designed to create a reverence for and sense of harmony with nature. A visit to Nitobe Memorial Garden is a window into Japanese culture and brings to light an important aspect of Japanese-Canadian history.

Venue map

The locations are close together.