The third annual Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) Day took place on Friday, February 20, 2009 at the University of Manitoba.  Over the past two years, more than 250 high school students and teachers have participated in SET Day. The day gives students an opportunity to see what the future may hold for them in the many life-changing fields of research conducted at the University of Manitoba. They will get a fast forward look at what they (our future scientists and engineers) might be doing in areas of science and engineering 25 years into the future.

Mathemagic…the amazing power of math to help us understand life, health and the universe
Dr. Patricia Martens, Professor
Director Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine

This session will give examples of how mathematics permeates life, from art to music to engineering and health. Math is both an art and a science. Math helps us understand the micro and the macro, and even helps us anticipate the future. As Albert Einstein stated, “Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.”

Wall-E’s Mission
Dr. Feiyue Wang, Professor
Environment & Geography, and Chemistry, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of the Environment, Earth and Resources

Never before had human societies faced global-scale climate change and environmental degradation to the extent we are facing today. Evidence is mounting that these two phenomena are increasingly intertwined. This presentation  explored the existing and emerging global environmental issues under a changing climate. Will WALL-E be able to achieve his mission to save the Planet? The answer might well lie in the Arctic Ocean!

R2D2 and Friends: The Future of Intelligent Robots
Shane Yanke, Graduate Student
Computer Sciences, Faculty of Science

The current state and future development of robotics and artificial intelligence will be reviewed.  We will explore the challenges and complexities of robotic systems including localization, computer vision, and control.  We will also explore some of the tools available to ease system development and testing.  This will be followed by a demonstration of some of the currently available consumer robots and their applications. Presentation unavailable.

Origins of Remembering and Forgetting
Dr. Jason Leboe-Mcgowan, Professor
Psychology, Faculty of Arts

What you remember today you might forget tomorrow or in 25 years. What can you do to prevent this? Well, first you need to know what causes you to forget. This will help in minimizing the impact of these causes. The other big factor related to memory is accuracy. This comes in handy when recalling information for tests, but also for recalling circumstances when testifying in a court case. If you know, or can predict, what the errors in your memory might be, can you reduce the misremembering? Jason Leboe is going to give you the low-down on your memory—why it is the way it is today and focus on how knowledge gained from memory research will influence society in 25 years.

Biofuels of Today and Tomorrow
Dr. Nazim Cicek, Professor
Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering

The presentation will provide an introduction to biofuels including historical background. The variety of feedstock that can be used to make biofuels including the potential use a number of waste materials will be discussed. Some examples of worldwide biofuel trends and biofuel research opportunities will be presented. Ongoing research projects at the University of Manitoba on biofuel production and waste utilization will be outlined. And finally, future research projects as well as a long-term vision of biofuels implementation will be suggested.