Day 4:
Sanraj's and Xuan Wei's experience (week 1 batteries):
Today, we were pretty excited to go down to the lab to observe how bendable batteries were being made. This lab was located at the MSE building. However, our mentor got a call from one of his graduate students which informed him that there was a mishap in one of the labs at MSE. Coincidentally, it was the lab in which we were supposed to observe how the bendable batteries were being made. Hence, we couldn't enter the lab due to safety reasons and our observation of how flexible batteries were being made was postponed to the following day :(
Jun Yang and Ying Li's experience (week 1 drug coating):
Today we got to meet one of the students who was also attached under our mentor and she was very nice and friendly. Together, we went to observe the rheometer in action with our mentor. The rheometer was a very cool piece of machinery which can be used to measure the way in which a liquid, suspension or slurry flows in response to applied forces (e.g. Shear force). Whilst observing our mentor using the machine, we saw how precise the users had to be as he adjusted the sample back and forth until the positioning of everything was just right.
Rheometer
Our mentor also showed us his work which he had to DIY himself and he shared with us how engineering involves a lot of handicraft work and obtaining cheap prototype materials on our own at bookshops such as popular and what not. We learnt that even though engineers may perceived to be scientists with large equipment and facilities, they all had to start with prototypes that are made with simple materials that all of us can have access to. Perhaps even children can be introduced to science in this method with easy to make prototypes to encourage learning in children, and instill a habit of loving science from a young age.
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