When research is a party
The 2nd UB Science Festival, which took place on Friday, gathered around 500 people in the Historical Building of the University of Barcelona. They were people of all ages and were interested in the research and could experience and learn in a fun way about the research done in the university. The visitors participated in lots of different activities such as researchersʼ presentations, games and workshops. Among other activities, they could see a fossil archaeological site or make a Iuris test; participate in a literary workshop about historical novel and join in a physic particles activity; they could also get in touch with the robotics world, nanotechnology and virtual reality, and they saw the show Flebotín, un mosquit del Cretaci (from the project Pintaʼm un conte).
The 2nd UB Science Festival, which took place on Friday, gathered around 500 people in the Historical Building of the University of Barcelona. They were people of all ages and were interested in the research and could experience and learn in a fun way about the research done in the university. The visitors participated in lots of different activities such as researchersʼ presentations, games and workshops. Among other activities, they could see a fossil archaeological site or make a Iuris test; participate in a literary workshop about historical novel and join in a physic particles activity; they could also get in touch with the robotics world, nanotechnology and virtual reality, and they saw the show Flebotín, un mosquit del Cretaci (from the project Pintaʼm un conte).
The activities ranged from different themes and knowledge topics and the participants could choose their workshops among very diverse themes such as the chemistry periodic table, stem cells, optic perceptions, chemistry and colour, different types of sand and characteristics of the brain. “What I find particularly interesting is that in the Festival we bring scientific factors closer to anyone —not specialized— and these things seemed very far from us, nanotechnology for example, but now we see they are an everyday thing”- said Eva Membrilla, who came with her son Pablo— who went home having participated in lots of workshops and was fascinated by robotics and virtual reality.
For the researchers, the festival is an important opportunity because, as Jaume Granell —professor of the Department of Inorganic Chemistry— said, “everyone understands that teaching and research are important and necessary but we sometimes forget the third aim of the University, which is knowledge transfer to society. The Science Festival has this informative function”. Regarding this, the Vice-Rector of Scientific Policy, Enric I. Canela, says that “there are researches which contribute directly to societyʼs well-being and now more than before, people want to know where their “research” money go”.
From La UB divulga, the results were positive: “The Festival contributes to make people conscious about the research done in the University of Barcelona, as well as promoting scientific vocations among children and youngsters who attend the event”, says Marga Becerra, organized of the event and responsible of UCC and UB. “Initiatives like this one are always positive not only for the students but also for the teachers, who discover workshops and scientific informative activities which are really interesting” says Òscar Àngel, teacher of IES Fort Pius de Barcelona, who came with his students.
In addition, there have been presentations of phone apps created by researchers of the University of Barcelona, such as RIU.net (by the research group FEM), Floodup (by the research group GAMA) and BCNRocks (Faculty of Geology).
Also, there has been a child lecture corner and a stand with microscopes and magnifying glasses for the public to try out; Flebotín, un mosquit del Cretaci show (from the project Pintaʼm un Conte), and people could see a fossil archaeological site and watch the sun with a telescope, among other things.
The Scientific Culture and Innovation Area (UCC+i) of the UB is the responsible of the event, which has been supported by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology, the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Obra Social la Caixa, and SABA.
More information can be read in the festivalʼs website.