2017 National Science and Technology Week

Submitted by : Mr. Stantz // 

The exhibit runs from July 11 ~ 15, 2017 at The World Trade Center at Buendia Ave. I went to DOST about 3pm, got lost in riding the jeep. I thought the World Trade is at EDSA but it was at Gil Puyat( Buendia). As I arrived there, I didn't know that the exhibit will be up to 5pm only. So I just mingled with some of the student exhibitors that explain their experiment or maybe their science projects in application. I choose booths that interests me, usually any that will benefit me in many ways.

Here are some of the photos from the exhibit

World Trade Center Manila

First encountered booth 

Harnessing electrical energy from wastewater which is pretty abundant in our country, since most of our waterways are heavily polluted. The student uses freshwater wastewater which according to him composed of mud, animal feces, trash and basically everything. But after sieving the big trash, what was left was murky dirty water. Together in conjuction with potassium dichromate and with some electrical positive and negative wires and connection will produce a measly 26 miliVolt of elecricity. Yes, you may say its very small, but if you connect it in series you will produce a higher voltage.

It works in the principle of the bacteria in the dirty water, which when dipped with a graphite rod will produce electrons. While the other liquid with graphite rod the potassium dichromate is what they call electron acceptor. Thus when connected to a load makes a close circuit, or electrons circulate which means there is electricity.

The purpose of this project is to introduce or show that there is electricity in wastewater. But further studies was not made anymore.

Second booth

Alternate antibiotic against a virus that causes cystic fibrosis through accurate targeting of these virus through the use of infrared light. The student explains that applying this alternative antibiotic targets only this virus. While the infrared light will target this alternative antibiotic thus killing the virus. This alternate antibiotic is man-made or sunthesized by man.

The purpose of this project is the alternate drug against the traditional antibiotic which in their experiment they use ciprofloxacin ( known as a very powerful antibiotic )  as comparison.

Third booth

There are a lot of products in this booth, like a drone with a camera but with propriety apps capable of videoing ( I think ) with the purpose of studying a plantation or a field for research and development. But I what caught up my attention is utilizing palm or coconut tree leaves and converting them into planks of wood. For years, it was one of those things that how can we get a substitute for wood. Man has taken advantage of the forests and their trees - denuding them, polluting them ( chemicals from mining). The only plywood alternative I see is the fiberboard or cement reinforced board and harnessing the sawdust from woodworks we produce particle board. But they are far from the properties of true wood which are machinability, pliability and strength. But this wood plank from leaves is a breakthrough.    

De Lasalle booth

Fourth booth

My fourth encounter made me ask for more. The booth is De Lasalle's, there is one that demontrates a nanocoating applied to a glass for heat deflection. Another is the propagation of algae in large quantities for food supplements production. But the third one where I used up almost all of my remaining time there. A professor is explaining how they discovered a special insect ( can't remember the name, its scientific, sorry prof. ) that targets only the "cocolisap" a kind of pest that destroyed 85% of the coconut trees of southern Luzon. I've heard it on the radio where coconut tress are devastated by this pests in a matter of months sometimes weeks. And the government did not solve this problem. A coconut tree when planted will takes 7 years to see them fruiting. That's why I was saddened when I heard the news on the radio. But according to this professor from La Salle from Laguna, the pest are now almost gone, except to some part of the province like Basilan where travelling there is questionable. As the professor is explaining in detail the process of how this insect kills the pests, I felt a sense of relief and happiness. And followed-up some more questions in a blissful excitement.

I guess this exhibit is presenting what they have achieved in the field of destructive pest control. Kudos to the prof. ( sorry again, did not got his name ) but he knows who I am talking about.

Credits : others images credits to the owners.