Max Planck goes Superbloom
So much fun is science and its communication!
The Superbloom Festival in Munich's Olympic Park attracted over 60,000 visitors with its music and cultural program - who also got excited about science! That’s why the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry had a booth in the "Superbrain Area" this year. In the institute’s colorful tent, festival guests could experience hands-on life science through interactive experiments. A review of the event, the experiments, and why a festival can be an effective medium for science communication.
The interactive program and numerous conversations in the institute’s tent captivated the diverse audience of the Superbloom Festival, bringing them closer to the research of the two Max Planck Institutes. With the help of three experiments and a small exhibition, festival visitors were able to experience research firsthand and gain intriguing insights into topics such as neurobiology, ornithology and biochemistry.
One highlight was a 'table football' game that could be won purely by the power of thought. Two people sat facing each other and moved a ball using their brain activities. The twist: the more relaxed person wins! The players were fascinated as they listened to scientific explanations of how brain activities can be measured through EEG electrodes and the parallels to recent research where one can even track the activities of single nerve cells.
The taste experiment with the miracle berry (Synsepalum dulcificum) was another crowd pleaser. When you suck on a small tablet of it, lemons suddenly taste super sweet! The miracle berry contains the protein miraculin. This binds to the sweet receptors of the tongue. As soon as Miraculin comes into an acidic environment, it changes its molecular structure and activates the sweet receptors. Normally sour-tasting things like the lemon slices at the festival are then perceived as very sweet. This experience allowed participants to get a firsthand understanding of how biochemical processes work in their own bodies.
Another experiment that delighted young and old alike was a robot arm. By attaching electrodes to one's own arm, the muscle potential was transmitted to a gripping arm, which was then used to stack cups into a pyramid. Especially talented players engaged in fierce building duels. This was a great example to engage people in discussions about nerve cells, signal transmission and motion control.
Under the slogan "Making research comprehensible", various 3D models of proteins were shown in a small exhibition. This gave interested visitors an insight into topics such as structural analysis and protein research. Rounded off with impressive images from the institutes' research, the small exhibition encouraged more detailed discussions about current research results and their significance.
Due to its central location in the heart of Munich's Olympic Park, thousands of visitors passed by the booth on the two days of the festival in September 2023. At times, the rush was so huge that people literally stood in line eagerly waiting to participate in the experiments. In high spirits and with glitter on their faces, the euphoric festival atmosphere inspired many visitors to take an interest in science and potential career opportunities at the institutes. The giveaways, such as the 'Festival Minerva' water tattoos and the Max Planck tote bags, continued to dance through the crowd until late in the night to concerts such as the Imagine Dragons or Martin Garrix.
