Students to solve common chemistry myths

Around 170 students aged above 12 years from various schools in Chennai are going to participate and test their science abilities at the Russian Center of Science and Culture that has announced the much awaited “Open Lab Project”— an International test for school students, conducted jointly with Study Abroad Educational Consultants and Knowledge Foundation on February 9.

The Open Lab Work is a test about the world through the prism of physical, chemical and biological knowledge and has been dedicated to the year of periodic table as the United Nations has designated 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements or the “Year of Mendeleev” (IYPT 2019).

There are 25 difficult but interesting questions about the world including the “anniversary” chapter, which is devoted not only to the “three-dimensional” periodic table of chemical elements, but also to the most common myths about chemistry-- who invented the recipe for “Mendeleev’s” vodka? What is the accuracy of the modern devices, and whether the nerve cells can regenerate? Where will you get if you follow the direction the compass needle points to? And so on.

30 minutes are given to answer all the questions in the “lab work”, after which the participants go through each task in detail together with “lab assistants” —thus, everybody not only learn their result immediately but also get a lot of useful and interesting information that corrects misconceptions about the world.

Gennady Rogalev, Vice Consul and Director of Russian Center of Science and Culture will award the Winners and Mr Ramesh Santhanam, Chief Innovation Officer, IIT Madras Research Park will be the Guest of Honour for the occasion, Mr Justin Antony, Director of Knowledge Foundation will be the chief supervisor for this event.The Open Lab Work project will be held in 30 countries all over the world.