New season of RUG & Co. kicks off with podcast on stress, science, and festivals

Dancing, singing, and partying festivalgoers may not seem like an obvious match for science, but nothing could be further from the truth. In the latest episode of RUG & Co., science festivals take centre stage. This new season of the podcast continues to explore the unique collaborations between the University of Groningen (UG) and the world around us.

Guests include researcher Bertus Jeronimus, better known as the ‘happiness professor’, and PhD candidate Ellen Stroemer. Both are affiliated with the UG and discuss Stress in Action, a collaborative project in which various Dutch universities conduct long-term research into stress.

Recently, Stroemer took to the stage at Lowlands Science. During this well-known event, festivalgoers participated in the Stress Roulette experiment: they delivered a short presentation on stage while researchers from Stress in Action studied the stress levels this induced. The audience could even watch live as participants’ heart rates spiked – or, in the case of the cool customers, stayed perfectly calm.

Also joining the conversation is Maaike Muller, programme manager of Public Engagement at the Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health (AJSPH). She discusses how to engage the general public with science. At Aletta, this is done through interactive installations and citizen science projects (CurioUs). In the podcast, she also highlights Eureka, Groningen’s science festival, which will take place on 25 September at Forum Groningen.

Muller shares her perspective on the importance of science festivals: where better for researchers to connect with a broad audience? As a bonus, Bertus Jeronimus will be one of the scientists presenting Stress in Action at Eureka. In short, this episode has all the ingredients for a packed podcast – and an invitation to attend the vibrant science festival in Groningen.

Listen to the new episode on stress, science, and festivals from Wednesday, 16 September.

About RUG & Co.

In the RUG & Co. podcast, science journalist Jelle Posthuma and programme maker Floor Kuiper showcase the societal impact of the University of Groningen. Each episode focuses on a collaboration involving the university, such as partnerships with governments, businesses, and residents of the Northern Netherlands. Previous episodes have covered collaborations with, among others, care organization ‘s Heeren Loo, Philips, and the music festival Eurosonic/Noorderslag.