CANTO-POP IDOL Patrick Tang Kin-weng may have been an art student at college, but he was interested in practical inventions. According to the singer-actor, who was a 'star of the event' at this year's 36th Joint School Science Exhibition (JSSE), one of his childhood fancies was to create an instrument that could pick up dog waste on the streets. 'When I was small, there were a lot of dogs on the street where I lived. So I always thought about inventing such a device,' Tang said. The 'fancy' instrument turned out to be a shovel installed on the top of the shoes and connected with a button. 'Then you could pick up the excrements with the device instead of your hands,' Tang quipped. The theme of this year's JSSE is City Charm, which aims to encourage students to pay more attention to their surroundings. Currently being held at the Hong Kong Science Museum, the event is sponsored by Philips. After touring the exhibition, Tang said that he was impressed by the students' inventions. 'Their inventions are amazing. They often think of something that others have never thought of before,' said Tang. 'For example, the principle behind the Energy-Transformation Railway System [by Salesian English School], which transforms wasted energy into useful electrical energy, is a pretty good idea.' Besides, Tang pointed out that being creative not only helps us to contribute to society, but also brings happiness to the people around us. The science exhibition ends on August 20. Admission is free