Science in white coats and a sterile lab? That's the stereotype, but we are doing things a little differently this summer. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is showing the ropes of science on the grass at Lowlands, in T-shirts and shorts, to the pulsating beats of Turnstile, Major Lazer, and Viagra Boys.
At this year’s Lowlands Festival (August 21–23), you’ll have a good chance of running into Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. There will be no fewer than four occurences of VU scientists featuring their research. This is more than just a gimmick, as they’ll actually be collecting data from festivalgoers.
In addition to collecting data, Lowlands is also a great opportunity to introduce the public to groundbreaking research and the people behind it. “We show how science contributes to a better society.”
Stress roulette
“A festival is a unique setting for research on stress,” says biological psychologist Martin Gevonden. He has participants in his experiment give a presentation on stage in front of a real (and large) audience, and then measures their stress levels. “We now suddenly have the opportunity to conduct experiments in front of a huge audience.”
ClueBots
In the adventure game ClueBots, VU Amsterdam puts visitors in charge of finding a mysterious lost code. Their only help: nine different social robots. “Social robots are rapidly gaining ground,” says Elly Konijn, professor of Media Psychology & Social Robotics. “But before such applications can be widely deployed—for example, in healthcare—we need to understand how people react to robots.”
Digital Dementia Experiment
The next VU event where visitors actually contribute to science themselves is the Digital Dementia Experiment. Scientist Sietske Sikkes explains: “In a living room setting, we expose four groups of participants to major and minor distractions to observe how it affects their memory.” With this they provide valuable data. “We also hope to reduce the stigma regarding dementia by connecting people with it.”
AInterview with Felienne Hermans
During the festival, Felienne Hermans will take the stage at New Scientist Live to talk with AMi, 'the most advanced humanoid robot.' “I think it will be a nice interview. I have a few questions for her, and I’m really curious to hear how AMi herself sees the future of her ‘species.’ That’s going to be super interesting,” says Felienne. After the conversation, visitors can have their own meet-and-greet with AMi.
Help the VU scientists with their research by visiting the Lowlands Science Alpha on one of the festival days, or come meet AMi at Echo on Sunday at 4:50 p.m.