Research Up Close and Personal

The Science and Nature Festival is geared towards an inquisitive audience. The event offers activities for all age groups: educational content, experiments, tours, workshops and lectures. The Faculty of Science will be in the spotlight at the festival, showcasing its wide-ranging research that spans behavioral science, botany, chemistry and mathematics. All departments within the Faculty of Science will be present with their own booth. “We want to encourage people to talk to each other and hope that they go home satisfied and with the feeling that they’ve learned something,” says Reiko Akiyama, who is part of the organizing committee. This year’s festival marks the second edition of the event following its launch in 2022.

Researchers and staff from the faculty’s academic departments have put together a wide-ranging educational “obstacle course” that gives visitors unique insights into topics such as the social lives of meerkats. Anyone who’s interested can sign up for a tour of the enclosure that houses these fascinating mammals. Native to southern Africa, meerkats are known for their highly developed social and cooperative behaviors. The tour is guided by behavioral biologist Britta Walkenhorst, who will share facts about her research as well as insights into the animals’ behavior.

The exhibition on soap bubbles and mathematics is both playful and educational, with Sandra Müller from the Department of Mathematics on site to explain the mathematical principles that determine the bubbles’ round shape. The aim is to educate people about mathematical topics in a playful way and to show how mathematics is linked to everyday phenomena.  

The Department of Quantitative Biomedicine will also be present, offering a guided Life Science Lab Tour of the world of microorganisms, nerve cells and cell tissues. Doctoral student Ruchi Manglunia and her colleagues are ready to introduce visitors to the microscopic diversity of fluorescent cells in the body. The tour is designed to provide a peek behind the scenes of a real-life lab where numerous UZH scientists conduct their research.

In addition to guided tours and information, the Science and Nature Festival also offers toe-tapping music as well as refreshments at several food trucks. At the end of the afternoon, the winners of the Faculty of Science photo competition will be announced. Students and staff at UZH were invited to submit their photography until 27 May in different categories such as research or campus life.