ScienceHit Final

27 February 2017

On February 24 2017, the HTP business incubator hosted the final of ScinceHit, the first contest in Belarus in the form of science slam when scientists explain the essence of their research in an engaging and clear way to a non-expert audience.

Speakers have just 10 minutes to demonstrate their projects avoiding traditional presentations, but using any means at hand instead, and then answer questions from the audience. Masters of public performance Olga Baeva and Aliaksej Burnosenka helped the scientists improve their presentations.

The finalists were chosen during the first two rounds of ScienceHit. To learn the details, see reports here and here.

Aliaksandr Biahliak, Lecturer at the Power Engineering Faculty of the Belarusian National Technical University and Senior Process Engineer at Energopro, opened the performance. He spoke about capabilities of alternative energy sources for Belarus – "Money From Thin Air and Building an Optimal Energy Balance."

Aliaksandra Skarabahatava, PhD, Research Fellow at the Institute of Medical Biophysics Laboratory of Biophysics and Cell Engineering of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Belarus, described opportunities for diagnosing diseases at a deeper level – "Microelementology and "the deadly quartet."

Alexey Sapotnitski, PhD, neonatologist, assistant at the Belarus State Medical University, presented "Healing Nutrition for Preemies."

Alexander Zaitsev, research fellow at Research and Development Center "Mining machinery" of the Joint Institute of Mechanical Engineering of NAS of Belarus, explained and showed how to avoid defects in casting machine elements – "Problems in the Detail: How to Control Recrystallization in Metals."

Maxim Rodzkin, Junior Researcher at the Laboratory of Cytoplasmic Inheritance of the Institute of Genetics and Cytology of NAS of Belarus, disclosed how scientists decipher DNA – "Find and Neutralize: Professional Agent Against Dangerous Virus."

Denis Efimov, surgeon at the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Organ and Tissue Transplantation, revealed what inventions Belarusian scientists have to treat postoperational complications after liver transplantation and how to prolong the life of a liver transplant – "Life for Two: Reducing Risks of Liver Transplantation."

Eugene Bagashov, theoretical physicist, PhD student, Junior Researcher at the Joint Institute for Power and Nuclear Research – Sosny of NAS of Belarus, spoke about one of the most interesting phenomenon in quantum mechanics – quantum entanglement, and some paradoxical effects studied by scientists in his presentation "Quarks in the Entangled World of Quantum Mechanics".

Finally, Andrei Beloveshkin, doctor, PhD, author of educational courses on healthcare, explained how genetics influence our behavior in stressful situations, and why the same motivation produce different effects on different people – "DNA and Behavior Models of "Fighter" and "Professor."

This time not only audience but also judges voted for the best performance. Among those who were entrusted to select winners, there were co-founder of EPAM Leo Lozner, director of the Central Scientific Library of NAS of Belarus Alexander Grusha, chairman of the Council of Young Scientists of NAS of Belarus Andrei Ivanets, co-founder of MAPS.ME and VibroBox Alexander Zolotarev, solution architect at EPAM Systems (EPAM Garage) Aleh Arol, and deputy head of the HTP business incubator Mikhail Khazan.

All the performances were bright and entertaining, and the choice was really hard. Still, the decision was made. Alexander Zaitsev was named the winner of ScienceHit. Andrei Beloveshkin received the second prize, Eugene Bagashov was announced the third, and Maxim Rodzkin became the fourth. The winners and participants received prizes from ScienceHit partners.

Science Hackathon will be the next event within the ScienceHit project to be held in the HTP business incubator June 2-3, 2017.

For reference:

ScienceHit was organized with the support of the Hi-Tech Park, the Council of Young Scientists of NAS of Belarus, the Central Scientific Library of NAS of Belarus, EPAM Systems, and EPAM Garage.