Yash Dixit

Day 0 - arrival at Melbourne

Itinerary -

Arrival

Registration

Tour @ Chadstone

Lunch @ Food Trucks

Major Learning points -

People in Melbourne are very friendly

houses, malls & buildings are pretty spaced out, big and not very tall unlike in Singapore where everything is compact and stacked on top of one another due to the difference in area of the countries.

Day 1 Reflections

Itinerary -

Opening Ceremony

Science Communication Challenge @ JMSS

Synchrotron

3D metal printing

Nano Fabrication Labs

Major Learning points -

We learnt to communicate data to people in an interesting and creative way such that people will be able to understand our data easily.

We learnt that the Synchrotron accelerates electrons to near the speed of light to produce all sorts of light in the electromagnetic spectrum ranging from low-energy infrared light to high-energy x-rays.

We learnt how 3D metal equipment is printed.

We learnt how clean the nano fabrication labs had to be kept and how nano fabrication is done.

Day 2 Reflections

Itinerary -

ISSF City Challange

Poster Presentation Session

Beach

Major Learning points -

We toured the city and visited the famous landmarks and buildings.

We learnt about the history and culture of Australia and its founding fathers.

We learnt that 5% of the city had to be dedicated to art.

We had our poster presentation in which we explained our project to audiences from all around the world.

We went to the beach where we experienced the coldest sea breezes of our lives and went into the freezing water for a minute before we were chased out by the life guards.

We played lots of fun games at the beach like frisbee, nerf throwing thing and tug of war.

We watched the sun set over the horizon before we headed back.

Day 3 Reflections

Itinerary -

Quantum Victoria (3D Printing)

Project Presentation

Major Learning points -

We learnt how to create, design and print 3D objects using Autodesk Inventor, Cura and 3D Printers.

Day 4 Reflections

Itinerary -

Healesville

Cultural Presentation

Major Learning points -

We visited the Healesville Sanctuary where we got a chance to see the bird show + training session.

We learnt about the native bird and animal species of Australia.

We also learnt how the natives hunted for food 18 years ago.

We learnt to tell the difference between the berries that were safe to eat and the ones that were not.

We then had some really funny and innovative cultural presentations where we got to learn about different countries' contributions to advancements in science.

Day 5 Reflections

Itinerary -

Artificial Intelligence/Creative Machines
Closing Ceremony
Mosaic and Reflection
Disco Party

Major Learning points -
I got to learn about the emergence of artificial intelligence and how we had no way of defining what was intelligent and what was not.
I learnt how to code in Javascript.
We got 2nd place for the ISSF City Challenge.
We designed a tile which would be used to create a mosaic.
At first most people were reluctant to join the disco but after a while realised that nobody there could really dance well so they had nothing to be embarrassed about.
So we had a really great disco with people just jumping up and down.
Then after the disco there was a lot of contact exchange and we added all our new friends on facebook and took selfies with them.
We then promised to keep in touch and to to meet up again if we ever visited each other's countries.

Final Reflections
Major Learning points for this camp-

I not only got to learn a lot more about science and the different projects done by other delegates but I also got to learn about their schooling systems, their ways of life and their cultures. Learning about how expensive machines are being used in the frontiers of science was cool but making friends with the soon to be creators of these kinds of machines in the future was even more cooler. Making friends with people from all over the world was surely the most fun part.  I am definitely gonna miss all the friends I made especially Michaela, Michelle, Sam, Carl, Amy, Gabe & Leo. I am confident, that due to our common goals to help humanity with our researches and the love for science that we share, our paths will cross in the future. Did I bade goodbye? Nope. I said see you soon to my friends as our ways parted. Why? Because I am certain our paths will converge once again in the future. I quote one of the aboriginal elder who I met at the Healesville sanctuary: "We never say goodbye because that means that going away, we say see you soon because that implies that we will be meet again."