1 night, over 10 000 guests, 130 science celebration events, 12 hours of experiments, hundreds of laboratory reagents and countless curious questions.
We have just finished celebrating this year’s edition of the European Researchers’ Night in Olsztyn.
There is a reason why the European Researchers’ Night is called the longest night in the year – first guests started their scientific adventure as early as 10 AM. Within the first couple of hours the main venue, located at the premises of the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research PAS and Olsztyn School of Higher Education, was visited by over 4 000 pupils and students from local and regional schools.
This year’s edutaining events of ERN have been marked by a significant interactivity, following the rule of Confucius: Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I’ll remember. Let me do it and I’ll understand. Hence, both young and older participants of the Night, no matter if being science-addicts or science-reluctants, could explore the edutaining nature of research with their own hands by e.g. taking a test on celiac disease, building bacteria living in our digestive tract, designing a natural cream with freeze-dried fruit, checking the content of antioxidants in their favourite juice, and verifying the power of their hearing in a mobile center of hearing pathology. In addition, the attendees could enjoy meetings with interesting and inspiring nationally-recognized guests, e.g. journalist Łukasz Jakóbiak, dietitian Konrad Gaca and writer Tomasz Jastrun. One of the most mind-exciting events was the Science Roast – science stand-up comedy night – where researchers of different specialties presented their studies with a slight pinch of salt.
Plenty of attractions awaited the guests also in the University of Warmia Mazury, which invited everyone to the Kortowo campus. People regardless of age, social or educational background could take advantage of a number of science celebration events such as bioexperiments, workshops in a mobile planetarium, interactive exhibits of Copernicus Science Centre, theatre play, as well as meetings with popular Polish actors.
In the City Centre we could get an insight into the backstage of researchers’ work, admiring tissues ”locked” in stained glass prepared by one of Institute’s scientists engaged in the research on scarless skin wounding.
Last guests of the Night headed home after 1 AM.
The next European Researchers’ Night is coming soon! Don’t miss it on September 29th, 2017!
