Chemistry shows, engineering, and meditation. Experts from Brno University of Technology brought science closer to all generations.

Another edition of the Festival of Science and Technology took place at the Brno Exhibition Centre over the weekend, attracting over 15 thousand of visitors and showing that science is not just theory but above all practice and fun. Experts from Brno University of Technology also took part, showcasing their top projects and inventions.

VUT inspired enthusiasm for science at the Science and Technology Festival. | Author: Václav Koníček

At the popular Festival of Science and Technology, organized annually by the Brno Observatory and Planetarium, six faculties and units of BUT and six student teams were presented. Friday was mainly dedicated to school classes and children’s groups, while the weekend saw families with children. But all participants had one thing in common – they were drawn into the fascinating world of science and eagerly tried various activities and experiments.

Science Everywhere You Look

“That’s a weird feeling,” commented a schoolgirl as she shook hands with a humanoid robot. At the Buddhist monk’s stand, energetic children tried to calm themselves through meditation to lower their heart rate. On the contrary, the slot car track was buzzing with life. Young visitors raced hand-powered cars against each other, accompanied by loud shouts of: “Go, go, go!”

Science and Technology Festival 2025. | Author: Václav Koníček

Noise and unexpected bangs also accompanied the area where young builders competed to see who could build the tallest Jenga tower. Older visitors tried out a special scanner to see how building scanning works. “There are about three such devices in the country. They are mainly used outdoors, for example when repairing highways, and their great advantage is that they eliminate human error,” explained a student.

Smart technologies were also featured in a special chessboard that helped players come up with the best moves, and in a robot with which visitors could play blackjack.

“Here it’s about recognizing what is an artificial dye,” said the chemists. In addition to colorful indicators, children made slime or examined the surface of cheese under a microscope. Everyone had fun at the legendary Chemistry Show, accompanied by the traditional motto: “If we start running, you’d better run too!”

Researchers from the research center revealed what gel beads are used for and how skin conducts electricity when reacting to emotions. With their help, children mixed a refreshing bubble lemonade with fruit beads they made themselves.

At the mechatronics lab stand, the biggest attraction was the task of switching off LED lights. “Some kids really approach it logically, but others try all sorts of combinations and get more tangled up instead of finding the solution,” described a MechLab representative.

Popularization in Practice

Experts from Brno University of Technology shone even outside the BUT exhibition. In the space section, the student team YSpace presented their work, with team leader Dominik Klement also participating in a moderated discussion. “Nano satellites and probes will receive data from Antarctica or transmit micro-containers with cyanobacteria, which we will revive in space and observe to see whether they can be used in the future to produce oxygen or clean water,” he explained in an interview about current BUT projects. Visitors also found a panel exhibition on space research and technologies developed at the university.

As part of the program for organizers, the Science Popularization Award was presented at the festival for the first time this year. Its first-ever recipient was Tomáš Opravil from the BUT Faculty of Chemistry, who is also behind the mentioned Chemistry Show. The award proves that when science is done with passion, it can inspire and ignite others. “I try to show that chemistry and chemical reactions are all around us, and I simply want to show people that chemistry is absolutely everywhere! If even one child out of a hundred in the audience at each show decides to study natural sciences or technology, that’s a big success,” said Opravil.