Long Night of Sciences 2023: Highlights at FAU

On Saturday October 21 in Nuremberg, Fürth and Erlangen

Spend a night with us and discover what the Metropolitan Region has to offer in the way of science. The Long Night of Sciences is being held for the 11th time in Erlangen, Nuremberg and Fürth on Saturday, October 21. As the largest program partner, FAU will be opening its doors to visitors at a number of different locations. With more than 370 items on the program, FAU shows how science is shaping the future.

Audimax: All about star dust, black holes and zero gravity

This year, the Audimax in Erlangen focuses on the universe. From 4 pm, visitors will be able to take part in hands-on stands in the Audimax foyer: find out about astrophotography using your cell phone, look at maps of the Milky Way, go on a VR expedition into a black hole or listen to an audiobook.

The first lecture in the Audimax starts at 4pm, followed by the next on the hour every hour. Questions will be answered such as: How do the Big Bang and the story of creation match up? What does the universe smell like? How is research carried out into dying stars? What happens with the human body on the way to Mars? Or how is technology from Erlangen helping in the search for extraterrestrial life?

One highlight of the evening will be the presentation by Prof. Dr. Günther Hasinger. The leading world expert in x-ray astronomy and designated founding director of the German Center for Astrophysics in Görlitz will speak at 8 pm on dark matter and how this is related to black holes.

Erlangen city center: All about old books, referees’ whistles and the magic of the theater

In the University Library, tours invite you to search for clues in the historic stacks: Can the books that originate from the Altdorf University library and were brought to Erlangen in 1818 still be recognized from their cover or other characteristics? How did the citizens of Nuremberg support their university and which literature was important for trade and commerce?

Anyone who is interested in current affairs, in particular legal issues, should head for the School of Law, where various questions will be discussed, such as Should climate activists be punished? What consequences can a referee’s whistle have under criminal and civil law? Legal protection for nature – should rivers be allowed to sue for their rights? How can rules of international law be implemented in Ukraine?

Several events will be held in the Kochstraße focusing on artificial intelligence. The picture of the Pope in a white puffer coat went around the world. The ethicists Prof. Dr. Peter Dabrock and Prof. Dr. Florian Höhne discuss who is responsible. Humboldt professor Vincent Müller will discuss the question of why AI frightens us and whether it is justified.

Anyone who wants to try their hand themselves should make their way to the experimental theater. There the green screen is used to make magic and you can go on an interactive tour of the theater. As a souvenir, you can even get a video of your virtual globetrotting trip. The Antique Collection invites visitors to come and make their own plaster casts.

An extensive hands-on program is available for visitors to Universitätsklinikum Erlangen. They can look through the surgical microscope in the Department of Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, where the needle and thread are so tiny they can hardly be seen by the naked eye, and try their hand at the 3D learning models. Or they can find out interesting facts about the tricks used by infectious agents such as bacteria, single-cell organisms, fungi and worms.

FAU Campus Erlangen (South): Chemistry experiments, autonomous cars and crash films

The south of Erlangen is where to go to experience the exciting world of science at first hand. Guests can expect a wide range of hands-on activities, tours and lectures with experiments. Presentations and discussion panels on pioneering energy systems and current climate issues round off the program.

Anyone who wants to go to the experimental lecture in chemistry should be sure to be there in good time. The lecture in the Chemikum building always draws a crowd, and places are limited.

Visitors who want to be driven through the night should stop at the Faculty of Engineering and go for a spin in the partially autonomous test vehicle or steer it themselves like a remote controlled car.

One of the exciting questions is, how do self-driving cars see the world, how do they recognize pedestrians, obstacles or see if the coast is clear? Another highlight is the dynamic laboratory, where visitors can discover how robots move in an optimal way and gain insights into how high-speed cameras are used in digital engineering, where lightweight components are destroyed within a fraction of a second and thus tested for their crash safety.

Nuremberg: Climate policy, science games and a pub quiz

The School of Business, Economics and Society in Lange Gasse also has a varied and interesting program for guests. A member of the German Council of Economic Experts, Prof. Dr. Veronika Grimm, will talk about climate policy in the face of current geopolitical events.

In a hands-on activity, visitors can gamble for science and gain an insight into gamification research. If you fancy testing your knowledge about impact start-ups that aim to solve problems facing society using creative entrepreneurial ideas, then the pub quiz is the place for you.

And if you want to take a short break, then make your way to the inner courtyard, where students will be offering warm and cold drinks and a DJ will set the mood for the evening.