IMDEA Energy | On the road to a circular economy

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Once again this year, IMDEA Energy is participating in the European Researchers' Night, with a series of activities aimed at families and children between 5 and 10 years old, which will take place on September 30 from 6:00 pm onwards. After having carried out the workshops in online format in the last two years due to the pandemic by COVID, the meeting is resumed in person, with a set of activities aimed at families and children between 5 and 10 years old under the title 'On the way to a circular economy'. The aim is to raise awareness among children about the importance of the efficient use of resources to build a circular and sustainable world, to try to explain how energy and the different ways in which we use it can change the world and its habitability. To this end, participants will be guided on a journey through various interactive workshops, in a fun and educational event, in which almost fifty researchers from the center will participate. The four workshops are detailed below: Pedal-powered races Push the pedals hard to win the race! Using dynamos, participants will pedal bicycles to generate the electrical energy needed to drive several racing cars around a circuit. Sustainability, life cycle and CO2 Do you dare to 'capture' CO2 and enclose it in soap bubbles? Take our interactive quiz and puzzle solving to learn about concepts such as the life cycle and the research of new products as an action to improve the environment. Magic looks like, yeasts and pores are Did you know that everyday materials that can be found in our kitchens can generate enough energy to inflate one or more balloons? Participants will carry out a "mini-fermentation" by mixing fresh yeast with hot water and sugar. In addition, several samples of yeast and microalgae will be available for viewing under a microscope. Solar heat, chocolate and conductive materials We will show the concept of "concentration of sunlight" by melting chocolate, using solar concentrators designed by researchers and manufactured with a 3D printer. We will have different designs to analyze how geometries and colors favor more or less the concentration and the absorption and reflection of light. In addition, in this workshop participants will discover how conductive materials work, such as a paper clip or pencil graphite, and will understand what electrochemical conductivity is by using salt to operate various electrical circuits, such as cars, boats and/or windmills. At the end, an 'energizing snack' will be served for all participants. We look forward to seeing you!