The first Young Science at the Pub event was a success! With around fifty members of the Faculty of Physics gathering at Charlie’s P for the evening, we are excited about the potential of this format to strengthen the sense of community within the Faculty. However, just a few days before the planned date, the event was almost canceled.
The idea behind Young Science at the Pub was twofold: to create a space for community-building and to provide a stage for our students to showcase their passions. But it turned out that our students weren’t too eager to step into the spotlight. A week before the event, I still had no sign-ups for the advertised show. Canceling the event seemed like a real possibility—until I spoke with some students who told me how excited they were for the upcoming evening.
Two days before D-Day, a lightbulb went off in my head. It was unfortunate that no students wanted to creatively present their science, but we had already booked a pub. And what does one do in a pub? A pub quiz! Writing and preparing 20 Faculty-of-Physics-related questions was quite a challenge. I didn’t want them to be too difficult—humor was a must. Plus, the diversity of the Faculty had to be reflected: covering research, institutional history, career-related topics, and student life. The audience’s response was overwhelmingly positive. But don’t just take my word for it—you can try The Ultimate Faculty of Physics Pub Quiz below and decide for yourself!
After the pub quiz, I even took advantage of the stage to test a game concept with the audience—building a human computer with twelve participants. It didn’t quite work as expected, but the atmosphere remained friendly and relaxed. People chatted, beers were enjoyed, and even graduates found themselves being eagerly questioned by students.
At the end of the night, I was asked when Physik Alumni planned to hold the next Young Science at the Pub. I answered, quite honestly, that it would most likely be in a year. The person wasn’t happy: “This needs to happen every semester!” Will it? I can’t say—things don’t always go as planned.