Researchers’ Night is an annual science event at which researchers across Europe welcome curious visitors of all ages. This year, researchers in Jyväskylä, Oulu, Helsinki, Hämeenlinna, Kuopio, Joensuu, Pori, Sodankylä and Tampere are inviting visitors behind the scenes in their laboratories on Friday 25 September.
The theme of this year’s Researchers’ Night is curiosity. Curiosity can help us discover new perspectives and gain a better understanding of the world around us. Researchers’ Night provides an excellent opportunity to let your curiosity run free and discover something new.
At the University of Jyväskylä, visitors can try their hand at producing news, examine their own muscles using ultrasound imaging and discover what makes music sound like music. In the laboratories, they can also find out what role microscopic bacteriophages play in our lives.
Jamk University of Applied Sciences offers unexpected experiments and exciting new experiences. Visitors can explore a range of gaming and XR technologies, learn about safe and ecological use of mobile technologies, and find out how to protect themselves against cyber criminals. You can also discover how AI can help people with back problems and learn about the use of drones in smart agriculture.
At the University of Helsinki, you can build your own seismometer and examine earthquakes. You can also use a microscope to make big discoveries in tiny worlds or learn a few words of Urdu and Swahili.
At Häme University of Applied Sciences, visitors can learn about applied research in fields including energy, foodstuff and circular economy. The food-related programme in Hämeenlinna examines dishes at risk of disappearing and new, more sustainable alternatives to them.
Pori Space Lab will open its doors at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences. At the event in Pori, visitors can delve into research on asteroids and comets. They can also find out how the Earth is protected from dangerous asteroids.
At the University of Oulu, you can learn where the materials used in mobile phones come from. And what does the Botanical Garden sound like when music, nature and science come together? You can explore these and many other questions at Researchers’ Night on the University of Oulu’s Linnanmaa campus and in its Botanical Garden.
At Tampere University, the faculties will put both their scientific expertise and their sense of humour to the test in a competition combining science with stand-up comedy. In addition, during the school day, there will be inspiring academic lectures for children, where they will hear about an artificial nose, satellites and climate change.
The programme at the University of Eastern Finland will take place on both the Joensuu and Kuopio campuses. This year, also Savonia University of Applied Sciences and Karelia University of Applied Sciences are involved in the event. In Joensuu, the evening will culminate in an interview with Openaali, who is known from social media. In Kuopio, visitors can step inside the Ursa Planetarium and marvel at constellations, planets and other celestial objects.
At the Sodankylä event, visitors can learn about the area’s history of space research, current research in Tähtelä, aurora borealis, and climate change and its impacts on Lapland.
Admission to all events is free. Everyone is welcome!