Noorderzon (sm)art festival

Thursday 23 August marks the start of the ten-day Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival in the beautiful Noorderplantsoen park. Thanks to the University of Groningen (UG), young and old will leave this popular, international festival feeling a great deal smarter than when they arrived. The UG and a number of partners are offering three children’s lectures, a Science LinX lab, a VR experience, three academic lectures and the healthiest day and spot at the entire Noorderzon Festival. The perfect opportunity to brush up on your knowledge free of charge or for a small fee.

ACTIE ←→ REACTION lab by Science LinX

Science LinX is celebrating ten years as the UG’s science centre. And it is doing so with an ACTION ←→ REACTION Lab in the Oberon Tent from 23 to 27 August that is packed to the brim with science. Newton’s third law says that for every ACTION there is an equivalent REACTION. Create unusual shapes with mad ferro fluids and magnets. Make non-Newtonian cornflour slime dance. Discover how cosmic particles collide. Build chain reactions and play with chemical reactions in the molecular cooking workshop; experiment and see for yourself what is cause and what is effect!

Come and get your fix of science at three quick-fire lectures and spring into ACTION in the workshops and First Aid Post for Research Questions. For times and fees see the Noorderzon website or come to the Oberon Tent on the playing field.

Virtual Reality in perspective in the Horatio Tent

The UG’s very own inter-Faculty VR and AR hub! Thanks to virtual reality, augmented reality & mixed reality, computers can enhance reality with practical, fascinating and sometimes even healing virtual images. André Rosendaal will tell you all about the latest developments in a lecture (€3 p.p.) on Tuesday 28 August featuring examples from education, research, health, society and art. The installations are free of charge in the afternoon (2-6 pm). Step into the VR world of classical music, for example.

Lectures for children

Every year, the UG holds its Children’s University at Noorderzon, with three fun lectures for kids. For just €3 p.p., 8 to 12-year-olds and their parents can take a seat in the Horatio Tent on Kerklaan from 2.30-3.15 pm.

• 24 August: A voyage through the universe (Professor Diederik Roest, physics)
  Embark on a voyage past the planets and stars in the universe. What does our galaxy look like and how does it affect our everyday life here on Earth? And what do the other stars in the universe do? What can stargazing teach us about the past and the future? Consider these and other questions as Diederik takes you on a voyage through time and space.
• 25 August: Help build the past! (Yannick de Raaff, archaeology)
  Do you like building dens? So do we archaeology students, but not just because it’s fun. Building dens gives us a better idea of how people used to live. How did the hunter-gatherers build and what sorts of material did they use? Learn about ‘experimental’ archaeology and get your hands on materials such as birch bark, hazel twigs and rope made from stinging nettles.
• 26 August: How do you make being green cool? (Dr Jan Willem Bolderdijk, psychology)
  Most of us know what’s best for the environment. Vegetarian food is better than a meal involving lots of meat, and cycling or walking to school is better than going by car. So why aren’t we all vegetarians? Jan Willem studies how we make choices relating to the environment. We are herd animals; we like to do what everyone else is doing. It’s no fun being the only one who’s environmentally aware. Others might even think you’re a know-it-all. So the trick is to ensure that everyone finds environmentally friendly choices normal.

29 augustus: Healthy ageing at Noorderzon

Use pedal power to make your own smoothie . Go Zen with the Noorderzon salutation. Discover what it’s like to be old. For one day only, the UG/UMCG in association with the municipality of Groningen, Hanze UAS, the Healthy Ageing Network and Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health will transform the Horatio Tent into the happiest, healthiest place at the entire Noorderzon Festival. Or visit Kees van Veen’s Stralend 100! exhibition. He took photos of ten people between 6 and 101 years of age, who are searching in their own way for health and happiness. At 8 pm, there will be two presentations about happy and healthy ageing:

Presentation 1 | Living with dementia and age simulation suits
This presentation will be given by Stefan Lechner and Arnout Siegelaar, researchers at the Hanze UAS Health Space Design innovation workshop.

Presentation 2 | TEDx Talk - The obesity epidemic: it will take the entire village
After years of research, Professor Koert van Ittersum from the UG has concluded that the problem is far too complex to solve at an individual level. Van Ittersum is calling on policymakers, industry and academics to join forces to help individuals take more control of their calorie intake and achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Studium Generale

Can’t wait for lectures to begin in September? Studium Generale is offering three academic lectures at the Noorderzon Festival. Admission: €7.50 p.p.

• 30 Aug. Micha de Winter: Raising children in hope and optimism
• 31 Aug. Hans Aarsman: Dr Aarsman refines your analytical ability (sold out)
• 1 Sept. Ruben Terlou: China through the eyes of Ruben Terlou (sold out)

The 28th edition of the Noorderzon Festival is from Thursday 23 August to Sunday 2 September 2018. The full programme, including information about locations and times, can be found on www.noorderzon.nl .