Weekend of Science at Campus Fryslân
It’s time for Science Weekend again! Come to the Beurs at Campus Fryslân on Saturday, October 3, to discover some amazing science! We’re not going to give away everything there will be to see just yet, but we can give you a little sneak peek:
Mátyás Bittenbinder -
Poison in the Animal Kingdom
Time: 11.00 a.m. - 11.45 a.m.
Poisonous animals are amazing. Do you know why? They don’t have to roar menacingly like a lion or a tiger. They don’t have to be big or strong to protect themselves from attackers. No. Poisonous animals have come up with a different, clever solution: poison. Because imagine if someone broke into your house, tried to steal your candy, or attacked you to eat you. What would you do? Wouldn’t that make you poisonous, too?
About Mátyás Bittenbinder
Mátyás Bittenbinder is a biologist, writer, and a true animal lover. When he was just seven years old, he fell in love with snakes while on vacation. Ever since then, he has been fascinated by nature and loves to share the most exciting stories about animals and plants.
You may know Mátyás from shows like Het Klokhuis and Zin in Zappelin, among others. He wrote the children’s books Poison in the Animal Kingdom and Danger in the Plant Kingdom, in which you discover just how extraordinary and surprising nature is. He also conducts research on snake venom and is committed to protecting nature.
Dr. Maarten Loonen talks about Inuit clothing
Time: 12.00 - 4:00 p.m. (ongoing)
When you’re cold, you put on an extra sweater, and when you go outside, you slip on your gloves. Maybe you even picked them out yourself at the store. What kind of clothes do the Inuit in Greenland and Canada wear when they go hunting? Maarten Loonen knows all about it. He has been traveling to the cold Arctic region for research for 36 years.
Maarten encountered polar bears and arctic foxes, and he conducted research on barnacle geese, among other things. He observes the effects of climate change on their habitat, the Arctic. Maarten often talks about this when he returns to the Netherlands.
Today, Maarten will tell us about how the Inuit dress and make use of the properties of the fur of local animals, such as the arctic fox. You can feel the differences using the materials he has brought along.
Would you like to feel the pelts too? Then come on in to Campus Fryslân and learn all about the clever use of hides and their properties.
Join us on an expedition and discover the North Pole with VR -Arctic Experience
Time: 10.30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (ongoing)
The Earth is slowly warming up. We call this climate change. It’s a major problem that’s nowhere more visible than at the North Pole. That’s why a group of scientists is going on an expedition to find out how we can save the North Pole. There’s still room for a few more expedition members… We’ll take you on a VR journey to the far north, 3,000 kilometers from the Netherlands. You’ll see with your own eyes what’s happening right now to the ice, the glaciers, and the animals. And you’ll discover what we can do to save this beautiful region.
Step into the world of smart computers!
Matilde Ficozzi and dr. Dario Rodighiero (RUG/Campus Fryslân)
Time: 12.00 - 4:00 p.m. (ongoing)
Discover Grounding AI, a unique interactive activity where you can walk across a giant floor map that shows how scientists around the world explore artificial intelligence (AI).
As you move through this walkable landscape of ideas, you will discover how smart computer systems connect different topics and uncover surprising links between them. Along the way, you can ask questions to special AI assistants built into the map, helping you learn more as you explore.
You do not need any previous knowledge about AI. By walking, looking, and discovering for yourself, you will learn how algorithms organise information and help scientists make sense of huge amounts of research.
This interactive installation was created by researchers from University of Groningen and Aalborg University, and has already been presented at the Danish Museum of Science and Technology and Forum Groningen.
Taste, look, smell, and feel: discover what you’re eating! (RUG/Campus Fryslân)
Time: 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. (ongoing)
What are french fries and bread made of? Which crop makes you cry? What is made from sugar beets? Do you know what you’re eating? Did you know that popcorn is made from corn?
Discover and taste it for yourself today at the University of Groningen’s Center for Sustainable Agricultural Transition in the Beurs.
Experience firsthand what agricultural products look, feel, smell, and taste like! Learn more about farms, the countryside, and the origins of your daily food.
Omrin VR Waste Experience - The journey of a plastic bottle
Tijd: 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. (ongoing)
From soda bottle to new raw material — discover what happens after you hand in your bottle! With a VR headset on your head, you literally step *into* the adventure and follow every step of the recycling process as if you were there yourself. You see how your bottle is sorted, processed, and transformed into a new product.
Join us on this interactive mini-adventure, especially for children who are curious about what happens behind the scenes. It feels like you are standing in the factory yourself, watching the machines run, and experiencing up close how waste gets a second life. Learning, playing, and experiencing come together here!
Once upon a forest. The past, present and future of forest in the Netherlands
Lecture by Carol Garzon Lopez (RUG/Campus Fryslân)
Time: 2.00 p.m. - 2.30 p.m.
The relation between societies and forests has evolved, from those diverse forests portrayed in famous dutch landscape paintings, to the small patches of nonnative forest we see today. More and more, we are starting to recognize its importance for climate and for our wellbeing and, starting to revive our connection to them in cities like Leeuwarden, through its parks and monumental trees. During this talk, we will rediscover the past, learn about the present and imagine the future of our connections with forests in The Netherlands.
Monastic Script Workshop—How Do You Write with a Quill Pen?
This workshop is led by Jacob Roep (Tresoar).
Time: 12:00–12:45, 12:45–1:30, 1:30–2:15, 2:15–3:00, and 3:00–3:45 p.m.
How were ancient manuscripts created in the Middle Ages? Who was able to write during that time? You’ll discover all of this at Tresoar’s workshop on monastic script. Write with a quill just as the monks did in the Middle Ages.
We’ll be writing in the Carolingian script, which originated around the year 800. Discover how parchment feels and compare it to paper. The goal of this workshop is to show how Tresoar’s oldest manuscripts were created and preserved. Tresoar’s oldest manuscript is also written in Carolingian script and dates back to the year 836!
Open to everyone ages 8 and up!
The power of color: how the food industry uses our instincts against us
Workshop by Tim van Zutphen, University of Groningen/Campus Fryslân
Time: 12:00 - 01.00 p.m.
More and more people are struggling with being overweight—now half of all adults. Unfortunately, this leads to many chronic diseases and increasing pressure on the healthcare system. Our environment contributes to this by encouraging a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits. For example, the vast majority of products in the supermarket are unhealthy. Good advice is also buried under a deluge of slick marketing that encourages us all day long to consume sweet or fatty products. Whereas the red color of meat or the orange of fruit once helped us in prehistoric times to find nutritious food, those instincts are now being used against us. In this workshop, Tim van Zutphen will discuss the tactics used to influence our food choices, and we’ll test whether our brains can resist them.
Invisible energy! Discover how light, heat and air move
By Sarah Feron (RUG, Campus Fryslân)
Time: 13:00 – 16:00 10 minutes (ongoing)
You’ll investigate how materials such as sand, soil and water heat up and cool down again. Using a heat lamp, you’ll see which materials heat up quickly and which retain heat for longer. You’ll also discover why some surfaces reflect a lot of light whilst others absorb heat. This will help you better understand why it can sometimes get particularly hot in a city.
Afterwards, you’ll get to work as an inventor yourself. You’ll build a simple structure and test how heat can make air move. Using temperature sensors, you’ll see what happens. This way, you’ll discover how heat can set energy in motion!
For curious children aged 8–14; younger children must be accompanied by an adult. Are you older? Take part in the challenge.
How do robotic fish work together, and can they really swim?
Time: 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. (ongoing)
How do fish actually know where to go? Fish swim together in a school without a leader. Can robots learn to do that too? During this activity, you’ll see robot fish from the University of Groningen swimming and “talking” to each other in the water. Scientists are learning from real fish to build smart robots that work together. Maybe these robot fish will one day help detect leaks or damage in dikes and water pipes. Discover how these remarkable underwater robots move and work!
You can even make them swim yourself! Want to join in? Read more about the research and the robots’ applications of the Jantina Tammes School of Digital Society, Technology and AI.
Datawash – How do you clear out your digital clutter?
Time: 12:00 – 16:00, 5–10 minutes (ongoing)
Photos, large files, cheerful posts on social media. We’re generating more and more data. The vast majority of that data is only used for a short time and then lies around unused. Did you know that storing this digital waste consumes an enormous amount of energy? With Datawash, you can help clear up our growing mountain of digital waste.
The washing brushes are spinning – will you choose your own wash programme?
Datawash is a joint initiative of the Jantina Tammes School of Digital Society, Technology and AI and the Wubbo Ockel School for Energy and Climate, which are collaborating on the topic of Twin Transition.
For ages 15 and over.
Come visit the water professor at Wetsus
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (ongoing; 10 children per session)
Come visit the water professor and explore water technology. Roll up your sleeves and join us in creating a water ballet. Discover the science behind the truly remarkable substance that is water—a substance that seems so ordinary at first glance, but appearances can be deceiving.
Get to know Wetsus!
Get your picture taken as a scientist (with a green screen)
Time: 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. (ongoing)
Have you always wanted to be a scientist? Today’s your chance! You might already have a rough idea—or even a preference—for a specific scientific topic. How fun would it be to top off the day by having your picture taken as a scientist in your field of interest!? Astronaut, political scientist, marine researcher, linguist, economist, philosopher, or something completely different? Get your picture taken and discover what you love!
About the Weekend of Science
Science Weekend is all about making science understandable and accessible to children. Through cool experiments, fun activities, and interesting speakers, we want to give you a fun and, above all, educational afternoon.
Our Partners
We collaborate with various partners to bring you Science Weekend. This year, we are partnering with:
