Annual open day February 29th, 2020

Wading through crowds and lines, we made our way to the iconic main building. I, personally, was surprised. The building was like those magnificent castles you’d see in movies. The aesthetics were not limited only to this wonderful structure. The whole campus had an antique touch to it and greenery all around. There were open stretches of grass where people could be seen having a picnic and we came across wonderful arrays of flowers.

If it wasn’t for the scientific paraphernalia on display, one could have thought that they ended up in Cubbon Park.

(online image)

Interested in tech, I spent the majority of my time in the computers and electrical department. We saw a computer run on nitrogen and gazed at the phenomenal supercomputers. The step by step evolution of the computer, all the way from vacuum tubes to modern-day microprocessors, was illustrated with real equipment. The buildings were massive and each room pulled me towards it. Honestly, I could have spent the entire day in this section and still have things left out. Apart from this joy of gaping at cool things, there was a great amount of learning involved. The techies showed us how they amplified videos and converted text to speech for language translators. We also learned about the inner working of smart devices like Alexa and Google home and how they are taught to ignore irrelevant sounds.

This really felt like the place to be. I felt a strong desire to study here in the future.

Mind-blowing isn’t it?

After visiting the chemistry section, one would really think twice before saying “I hate Organic!”. No matter how much you liked or even understood chemistry, there was always something for you to go “wow!”. All these years we have come across reactions that gave out the light, but for the first time, we actually got to experience that beautiful glow.  By trying out different solutions we saw the color-changing properties of magnesium and the mind-boggling reason behind it. You may have heard of quicksand- A murky liquid associated with near-death experiences in cartoons. We had the wonderful opportunity not only to feel it but also to run and dance over it.

The Physics department was no less exciting. From gigantic airplane models to nanoparticles there were groundbreaking inventions all in one place.  We come across the three states of matter every day, but what about the fourth one?  We saw plasma!

Despite spending the entire day, we barely scratched the surface of the exhibits.

 I was pretty disappointed to see the gates closing and all setups being taken down as we made our way to the biological section. The center of disease cure and the rare flora and fauna was something I was really looking forward to.

There were alumni talks, presentations, quizz, hackathons – basically something for everyone.  So many things yet so little time!

There were plenty of nice spots to eat and relax.  After a long walk throughout the morning, we spent our noon on the grass eating burgers and slurping down ice-creams. My friends and I had a delightful time together.

Hats off to the organizers for their effort and time. Accommodating 38,000 people is no cakewalk. The volunteers showed enthusiasm and were well versed in their fields of study. Moreover, you could feel their true intent- Expressing their love for science and spreading knowledge in a practical way. Everybody was given access and no fee was charged.

People of all ages could be seen engaging in activities and having a great time. A pleasant vibe permeated the campus, making it suitable for learning. This experience brought our books to life and instilled a feeling of appreciation for the world around us.

I would love to visit again and I urge you to do as well.

– Aryaman Kumar ( IIB)

Posted by anithai

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