Flanders’ Science Day attracts more than 34,000
The annual Science Day, which takes place across Flanders and Brussels, brought more than 34,000 people to science and tech-related workshops and activities last Sunday
Nearly 500 activities
The Flemish universities, colleges, scientific institutions, companies and hands-on centres, like Technopolis in Mechelen, opened their doors to share their scientific and technological knowhow with the public. Visitors could enjoy workshops, lectures, demonstrations and guided tours.
An “online mass experiment” developed by professor Johan Wagemans of the University of Leuven, examined short-term memory through a series of images and words. More than 14,000 people took part in the test. “The results demonstrate that the Fleming, with an average score of 86%, has a good memory,” the university said in a statement. The test also showed that people can more easily memorise images than words.
“I am glad that Science Day has again brought thousands of youngsters into contact with the sometimes unexpectedly practical applications of all this science in our daily lives,” said Flemish innovation minister Philippe Muyters. “No doubt the curiosity of many has been stimulated.”
Muyters himself visited the Felix Archive in Antwerp and participated in a palaeography workshop. Science Day is an initiative of the government of Flanders and co-ordinated by Technopolis.
Photo courtesy Science Day
