Netherlands Science Weekend

 

For 48 hours, visitors to the Science Weekend will gain exclusive behind the scenes access to more than 350 participating companies, institutions, museums, universities and research institutes whose doors are normally closed to the public.

 

"We have to make young people enthusiastic about science and technology, that is the basis for our future," says André Kuipers, the famous Dutch ESA astronaut who is again joining the science weekend as ambassador. The other two ambassadors this year are artist and innovator Daan Roosegaarde and Eveline Crone, professor of Neurocognitive Developmental Psychology.

 

You'll find the three ambassadors at various locations during Science Week. For example, André Kuipers will be stationed at ESA / ESTEC in Noordwijk on the 7th of October. The event features lectures about space travel and visitors can also meet the celebrated Dutch astronaut.

 

Daan Roosegaarde can be found at the living laboratory Space Waste Lab at Kunstlinie Almere Flevoland (KAF) on October 6th. Daan will show visitors why space debris isn't only a threat, but also as a potential source of new creativity.

 

Eveline can be found in Leiden on Sunday, October 7th. Together with the Brain and Development Research Center at Leiden University and the NeuroLabNL Start Impulse project, she will discuss cutting edge scientific research into the developing adolescent brain.

 

 

These are couple of the highlights of the Science Weekend activities taking place in Rotterdam. Be sure to visit the official website for a complete overview.

 

Should a windmill have 3 or 6 blades to catch a lot of wind? Do they have to be very high in the air or a bit lower and closer to the water? And should the head of the windmill be able to turn? Wind energy is a clean and sustainable energy and we want to deal with it as effectively as possible. Windmills are also beautiful, fun or funny to see and they should not make too much noise. Show how you think you should.

 

When brewing beer, the residual product is left over. This contains a lot of proteins and fibers: it can be used well as animal feed. Bakers also use it to make bread. But what else can happen? Think about the future of beer brewing and how breweries can deal with this waste!

 

In the Tax & Customs museum there is a lot to discover during Weekend of Science. See a detection dog at work and learn everything about this special canine. You can also learn how to distinguish counterfeiting of real items.

 

Curator Klaas Post gives an exciting lecture about the expeditions he has undertaken for the Natural History Museum Rotterdam. During these trips fossils were discovered that are 5 to 8.8 million years old. Many of these finds are also new species that are unique to science. After the lecture, Klaas Post will provide an explanation of the exhibit.

 

 

Event details

Science Weekend 2018 Place: All across the Netherlands, including Rotterdam Date(s) & Time(s):  Saturday, 6 October 2018 Sunday, 7 October 2018 Entrance/Tickets: Some locations are free, some are paid. Check the Science Weekend schedule to be sure.

Find out more about 'Weekend van de Wetenschap' at the official website.