How can we create an experiential space in which science becomes tangible at the re:publica conference through collective experimenting, hacking, and prototyping?
Science Hack Day
Format: Innovation Sprint
Client: re:publica
Service: Concept development, moderation, implementation
I adapted the Science Hack Day format for the re:publica conference and implemented and moderated the Science Hack Day to add a more interactive, collaborative and outcome-oriented format to the conference.
The Science Hack Day is an experimentation and innovation sprint that brings together science and technology. It is aimed at developers, designers, scientists and hackers, to solve problems, test ideas and build prototypes in less than 48 hours.
The re:publica Science Hack Day took place prior to the conference and started with an introduction and inspirational Lightning Talks about available resources (data, sources, provided materials). The talks were followed by idea pitches by the participants, to build a team around an idea or problem they wanted to tackle and start hacking afterwards. In the following 24 hours the sprint participants worked on their projects, and were supported by close to ten experts (with backgrounds in biology, programming, hardware hacking, maths etc.).
A selection of the ten final Hack Day projects (from a glove with an integrated keyboard that can support deaf and mute people in communicating, to a drone that can recharge itself while flying through electromagnetic induction) were presented to a wider audience during the re:publica conference.
Photos: Gregor Fischer
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