Knowledge at your fingertips - Lublin Science Festival 2023

The 19th Lublin Science Festival is less than a month away (September 18-24, 2023). Once again, five Lublin universities, together with the City of Lublin and the institutions co-creating LSF, have prepared a number of scientific attractions. The motto of this year's festival is "Science for the Future." This year, a record number of projects - 1,664 - was submitted in the history of LSF, and it may increase even more.

The Lublin Science Festival is a cyclical event, of which the origins date back to 2004, when the then-rectors of five Lublin universities, i.e. the Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin University of Technology, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, the Medical University and the University of Life Sciences, and the director of the Institute of Agrophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences signed a declaration to establish, as time has shown, the largest popular science event in the Lublin region.

And so for 19 years now, the organizers, with the support of many co-organizers (more than 30 institutions of science and culture), have been making the results of scientific research available to a wide audience in an accessible way – both to those who try to follow research innovations on a regular basis and to those who do not pay much attention to them on a daily basis. The main goal of the festival is to disseminate scientific issues regardless of the age or level of education of the participants, to show them what science looks like "from behind the scenes." The proposed projects are open not only to children, schoolchildren or students, but also to adults and the elderly.

Science for the future

- The level of academic knowledge, experience and achievements in the various scientific fields prompted us to ask how modern science will shape future generations. This year's festival's slogan offers great opportunities to speak out on issues also related to hot socio-cultural topics, such as the relationship between the development of technology and social development, concern for the environment in a global sense, new medical possibilities, ethical problems, the importance of man and his place in the surrounding reality, and many others," explains LSF's chief coordinator, Dr. Anna Dutkowska of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, which is this year's main organizer of the event.
From September 18 to 22, science enthusiasts will be able to take part in presentations and events organized at Lublin universities and LSF co-organizing institutions. On Saturday, September 23, the Lublin Science Picnic, which enjoys great interest every year, will be held at the Lublin Fairgrounds. This year's festival will be ritually concluded at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin on Sunday, September 24. All information about LSF is posted on an ongoing basis at www.festiwal.lublin.pl. You can also sign up for individual projects there.

Educating – to entertain, entertaing – to teach

Among other things, it will be an opportunity to explore the topic of the rapid development of artificial intelligence with its benefits and risks. There will also be events referring to the ongoing Year of Nicolaus Copernicus or the Lublin being the European Youth Capital. All this to learn about the most current trends and innovations that are shaping the future of our civilization, - says Sister Dr. Beata Zarzycka, Prof. of the Catholic University of Lublin, Vice-Rector for Science and Human Resources, chairwoman of the LSF Organizing Committee.

Each of the universities co-creating the festival has prepared a number of projects on a variety of topics. This year, scientists from the Catholic University of Lublin will help participants learn whether inventions are the work of thoughtful knowledge, chance or perhaps even error. Those interested in the secrets of cosmetology will be able to learn how to make cosmetic.
A workshop on the basics of astronavigation will also be a special attraction, during which participants will gain knowledge on how to reach their destination without the help of electronics such as GPS.

- It will also be possible to solve a detective mystery and become a successor to Sherlock Holmes, or in another project to learn about the rights and responsibilities of those who make up a neighborhood community, reports Dr. Katarzyna Debinska-Domagała, university coordinator from the Catholic University of Lublin.