Saturday 22 March 2025, 13:00-17:00

The IfM opens its doors for the Cambridge Festival on 22 March 2025. Come along to discover more about the exciting things that go on here! 

 

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TALKS:

 

Your life is manufactured: How we make things; why it matters, and how we can do it better

 

 
From clothing to furniture, phones to food, Professor Tim Minshall will take you on a journey through the world of manufacturing and its transformational influence on our lives.

 

We live in a manufactured world. Unless you are currently floating naked in space, you are right now in direct contact with, or using or consuming manufactured products – from clothing to furniture, phones to food. And yet the process by which these things appear in our lives is virtually invisible. How often do we stop to think: where do all the things we buy and use actually come from? This talk will take you on a journey through the world of manufacturing and its transformational influence on our lives – and the world around us.

 

Age group: 7 upwards

 

Booking required 

14:00-15:00, Lecture Theatres, Institute for Manufacturing

 

Book your place here

 

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Re-Volting Batteries
 

Join researchers from the Institute for Manufacturing to perform many of the tasks required for battery fabrication, but in the form of fun activities using lemons and pasta rollers instead!

The Re-Volting workshop will feature three interactive, hands-on segments:

 

1. Building a Zn-Cu Battery:

In this first segment, participants will learn how to create a small zinc-copper (Zn-Cu) battery using everyday fruits and vegetables, such as lemons, and measure its electrical potential.

 

2. Coin Cell Assembly:

The second segment invites participants to assemble their own coin cell battery. Using materials like copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), a separator, an electrolyte, and coin cell components, they will fabricate a working battery.

 

3. Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing:
The final segment uses a pasta roller to demonstrate roll-to-roll manufacturing techniques, similar to those used in the battery industry. This segment is especially designed to engage young children and introduce them to industrial battery production methods in a fun, hands-on way.

13:00-17:00 

Age group: 3-18

 

No need to book - Drop in welcome.

 

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What would you use THAT for?
 

See some of the latest science-based products from local companies and win a prize for thinking of the most original ways to use them!

 

13:00-17:00

All ages

 

No need to book - Drop in welcome.

 

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Versius
 

 

Introducing Versius®, the only small and modular surgical robot powered by a digitally native ecosystem (Atrium) Versius, a next-generation surgical robot by CMR Surgical, challenges the perception of surgical robotics through its innovative design, and was built with data and insights in mind.

 

By helping surgeons to overcome the barriers to performing minimal access surgery, Versius helps more patients gain access to the highest quality of surgical care. We’d be delighted for you to join us, where you can meet Versius for a hands-on experience at the controls and try out some of our VR powered training modules.

 

13:00-17:00

All ages

 

No need to book - Drop in welcome.

 

 

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Paper airplanes and how to make them fly (better)

 

Learn about the aerodynamics of airplanes, as well as take part in a fun competition where participants must make paper airplanes, competing in categories such as longest flight, maximum flight time, accuracy, and payload capacity.

Age group: 8-12 years old

 

13:00-17:00

All ages

 

No need to book - Drop in welcome.