Experiences at the Researcher's Night

Researchers' Night is an annual event of JYU where everyone could have a look at and play with the university's research. This year more than 14,500 visitors came to the campus to celebrate with us!

photo by Nordic Art Network

In Agora, IT faculty provided entertaining and learning programs for all ages. From 80s game machine to VR games, everyone could find something to participate in.

In Liikunta  the sports faculty provided several interesting experiences from adapted physical activity, like wheel chair parcours, over jumping test and body composition measurements.

One of the biggest, if not the biggest, attractions of the Researcher’s night was Ylistö campus area, where faculties of mathematics and natural sciences reside. During the night, visitors had a unique chance to access “the dungeon” of physics department and whiteness a complex machinery of particle accelerator lab and learn how matter and energy can be studied at the deepest level of human understanding. For entertainment purposes students had prepared an interesting exhibition of various natural phenomena, where visitors could see and even touch (under supervision, of course) the physics itself.

Department of biology, had focused on a very important topic of environmental awareness. Visitors could see and learn how human activity changes the nature what consequences those changes bring and what are the possible solutions. As a fun part, visitors could look into the objective of the microscope and see tiny cells swimming, dividing and having the time of their life. 

Nanoscience center opened its doors to all facilities. Visitors could take a look at cleanroom and laser-lab laboratories where researchers manipulate matter at the smallest, almost atomic scale. You could also taste cryo-marshmallow and see the “miracle” of magnetic levitation. In the lobby, a rock band called “Tiny Nanoband” led by 3 proffesorss from departments of chemistry, physics and biology were entertaining visitors with some modern and not-so-modern rock hits. 

Researcher’s night is truly one-of-a-kind even here in Jyväskylä. It was heartwarming to see children faces full of curiosity as they were experiencing the science and natural phenomena at its basics. This event brings a remarkable contribution to popularisation of science among children as well as adults. 

If you didn't come this time, hope we can see you for the next year!