Researchers' Night offered science for all the senses

Held at the Linnanmaa campus and the Botanical Garden, the event attracted science enthusiasts of all ages. "It’s great to see how widely science interests visitors of different ages. The event is already familiar to families with young children, but this time, there were also more schoolchildren and older attendees than before. The public's engagement and curiosity about the researchers' work were clearly visible. We estimate that there were around 3,000 participants in total," says the event’s project manager, communications specialist Meri Rova.

Researchers' Night, which spans across Europe, is the largest science event of the year at the University of Oulu, with a large group of university members involved in its organization. This year, a record 200 researchers and dozens of students participated, enabling a diverse and comprehensive program.

Science was showcased in workshops, laboratory tours, and general presentations. Visitors got to explore topics such as artificial intelligence, the wonders of the plant and animal world, cosmic radiation, and the latest innovations in steel production. One of the most popular workshops of the evening was the sensory room, organized by special education students, where participants could test the importance of senses in everyday life and learning. Another hit was the workshop on virtual reality and animated videos, hosted by international students of learning and education technology, which attracted an impressive 600 participants over the evening.

Researchers from various fields were available at the “Ask a Researcher” station, where the public could discuss and inquire about researchers' work and a range of research topics, including for example microplastics, nuclear energy, and Finnish food heritage. A lecture on astronomy by university lecturer Aku Venhola drew in a crowd, particularly among young adults and older participants.

Researchers' Night was also celebrated traditionally at the Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory with its own science program.