One of the partners and organizers of the event is also Mendel University in Brno (MENDELU) that prepared for those interested in science a broad agenda on the university grounds in Černá Pole.
“The Night of Scientists is an annual meeting of public with science and scientists; it is a programme that shows at hundreds of places all over the EU the fascinating world of particularly natural-scientific and technical phenomena”, explains Ing. Kateřina L. Brettschneiderová from the PR department of MENDELU.
In one evening at all locations science and its laureates (scientists, explorers, inventors, technicians and communicators of science) will introduce themselves in a rather popular way.
Programme at MENDELU
All the activities will take place on the university grounds in Brno-Černá Pole, entrance from Zemědělská Street
Health in our kitchen
The role of the quality of food used in one’s kitchen becomes nowadays more and more important in the lives of people. Experts from the Faculty of Horticulture concentrate on plant food resources, such as vegetables, or medicinal and spice plants. They test not only their quality and the representation of certain substances, but they are also concerned with increasing their biodiversity and genetic sources. Come to taste your health!
Underwater life
Underwater life is incredibly rich and colourful; so, don’t hesitate and take a look into the floral and animal kingdom! In the building M on the premises of the Department of Fishery and Hydrobiology , the visitors will be able to take a look into the laboratories in which they will get acquainted with water plants and animals. There will be prepared some exhibitions of organisms usually invisible to the naked eye. In other rooms of the building, the visitors can get acquainted with the common representatives of the freshwater fish that can be found in our rivers and ponds. They will also learn something about the journey of the fish from the pond to the plate, and will also have the possibility to catch a fish. Children can learn something about the life journey of the carp Boris. Your guides in the water life are looking forward to seeing you.
Radioecology in science, studies and practice
The presentation of radioecological and radiobiological disciplines taught at AF MENDELU, and also the presentation of the important results of a research implemented at its host department (department of radiobiology at the Department of molecular biology and radiobiology), including also the radioecological issues.
Discover your cells for science!
The announced topic of the event for 2014 is the cells. Therefore, there will be prepared five thematic areas at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry: one with basic chemical experiments, three guided tours (research laboratories, apparatus, technologies), and one tour for children (with popular chemical and biological topics).
Do you know what you eat?
In the night of mysteries, you will try the taste of teas.
Pouring tea will make us glad, you can try some oil with that.
Passing test will make you able eat some pesto at the table.
You will find at our station what a fun is distillation.
If you face a huge pest power, find a doctor for your flower
who will heal their every tumour – just don’t leave your perfect humour.
Colourful wheat
Coulourful wheat is such a kind that creates in its caryopsis natural colours, particularly anthocyanins and caroteinoids. Therefore, we don’t speak here about any genetic modifications or artificial colours. The substances have for the consumer several health benefits (such as against cardiovascular diseases, cancer etc.). You will get both theoretical and practical information about the placement of the colours (by using a microscope), and you will have the possibility to taste some pastries from colourful wheat.
Plants from a test tube
You will see the possibility of reproduction and choosing a plant (a tree) by means of the technology of plant tissue cultures. How it is possible to get from one part of the plant several doyens of plants, if not the whole forest.
Food under a microscope
In the entrance hall on the yellow floor, the visitors can test their senses, and in the dairy semi-shop they can play the role of a milkman.
At 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 pm there will take place guided tours in the semi-shops of the Department of Food Technology.
Robotics – In building Q, IT specialists will show to the visitors how one of the most popular toys (Lego) can change, by means of a clever programme, into a functional robot that is able to move and distinguish various objects. The visit to the robotic laboratory of intelligent systems is also supplemented with some thematic demonstrations from the field of robotics and manipulation techniques (for example, a robotic hand playing chess).
Virtual reality – For those interested, in building Q, there will be prepared a laboratory of virtual reality which is used for modeling objects in 3D space (for example, when modeling landscape in connection to the changing housing development). There will also be a demonstration of working with augmented reality.
Network laboratory – Last laboratory accessible in the building Q is the so called network laboratory where the visitors will learn something about the operation of integrated network technologies. They can watch the demonstration of providing the quality of transmission of multimedia services in practice (such as Video on Demand, or VoIP calls) on a typical internet connection at home.
Rail laboratory
In the laboratory of rail vehicle control there are installed two model railways, one in an H0 scale, and the other in a TT scale. Both railways are controlled by a computer – it is possible to perform the operations of a train dispatcher (divert the switches and observe the train movement) and an engine-driver (control the drive of the engine). The demonstration of the eletronics that control the railway will be displayed, and the visitors will be able to try to control the railway and the drive with the prepared trains.
The mysterious world of the reproduction of plants
Do you know that it is possible to distinguish plants according to their seeds? Come to see the enlarged seeds of plants and you will be fascinated by their beauty.
Virtual forest exploitation
Come to try some logging in a virtual forest.
The entrance to the events in all the places is for free.
The national coordinator of the Night of Scientists in the Czech Republic is for the sixth time Science Center Techmania from Pilsen. The event in 2014 is again taking place under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports ČR and the Representation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic.