That's the MY Camp Gala 2013
Millennium Youth Camp 2013 Gala brought the youth to the historic main building of University of Helsinki. Before the festivities, the campers were given a lecture by Professor Michael Grätzel, Millennium Awarded inventor of dye-sensitized solar cells, aka Grätzel cells.
Abhi from Material team with his guide Anni. Photo: Jussi Nygren.
Professor Michael Grätzel, the inventor of the Millennium-awarded dye-sensitized solar cells, told the audience of young and inspired listeners about his innovation, which can provide one solution to the energy needs of tomorrow.
The cheap to manufacture cells that mimic the photosynthesis can, according to Grätzel, help in solving the biggest problem the humankind is facing at the moment: energy, and the need to find new solutions to replace the traditional energy resources.
To solve the challenges of tomorrow, Grätzel encouraged the youth not to disregard even their craziest ideas, even the ones that do not seem rational at all. “Sometimes being naïve helps, too,” he added.
To go even further, he encouraged the youth to follow their passion as doing research can be tiring sometimes.
Grätzel himself had made a decision between piano playing and science when he was the same age as the Campers. Finally, he decided on physical chemistry.
“The most important thing is to motivate young people into natural sciences and solve problems,” he said. For that they need creativity
The 59 MY Campers have been creative in doing their project work during this spring and summer.
At MY Camp Gala, the Campers were congratulated for their thirst for knowledge, openness and unchained flow of thought. “Don’t grow up so much that you don’t ask seemingly stupid questions anymore,” said the bioteam coach Kirmo Wartiovaara at the gala. “We can always suggest an alternative, don’t be afraid of failure.”
Here are the posters for the projects the campers have been working on before and during the camp.
Biosciences and biotechnology
Download: Nobel Prize Winning Idea: Redesigned (pdf)
Download: Using Genetic Engineering to put Fertilizers in the Past (pdf)
Energy
Download: Building Integreated Photovoltaics: Where Beauty Meets Efficiency (pdf)
Food Science and Food Technology
Download Proteinous Future (pdf)
ICT
Download Water Rover (pdf)
Material Sciences and technology
Download Charging Up – An Efficient Thermoelectric Device (pdf)
Applied Mathematics
Download Public Key Cryptography: The Diffie-Hellman Key Exchenge Protocol (pdf)
Renewable Natural Resources
Download Turning Waste into Gold (pdf)
Water
Download Mars Mission – Water Balance for Four Astronauts for a 2-year Long Trip (pdf)
Climate Change
Download Climate Change (pdf)
Urban Planning
Download Otaniemi 2020: Towards a More Amazing Aalto (pdf)
The main organisers of Millennium Youth Camp are Finland’s Science Education Centre LUMA and Technology Academy Finland.
Who are the MY Campers? Read the group introductions from MY Camp profiles. Read also the Camp news, look at photos in Flickr, and watch videos in Vimeo.
Elisa Lautala works as web editor for University of Helsinki's Faculty of Science. Elisa likes all kinds of cultural events, good books, warm weather, and aqua-jogging.