{"news":[{"uid":4661,"title":"Call for volunteers: Science Meets Fantasy in Basel","teasertext":"Last year, some volunteers from the Informatics, Physics, Robotics and Astronomy Olympiads teamed up with a ETH startup to bring the Science Olympiad spirit to Fantasy Basel, Switzerland\u2019s largest pop culture convention. In May we will be back - and you can join!","short":"Last year, some volunteers from the Informatics, Physics, Robotics and Astronomy Olympiads teamed up with a ETH startup to bring the Science Olympiad spirit to Fantasy Basel, Switzerland\u2019s largest pop culture convention. In May we will be back - and you can join!","body":"

Fantasy Basel features exhibitions, guest panels, gaming zones, and different contests, attracting around 88\u2019000 visitors from all over Europe. The Science Olympiad booth can be found on the Space Floor<\/a>, which hosts expert panels on robotics, geology, biology, chemistry, robotics and physics for a broad audience. However, participation is not limited to space-related topics, so all Science Olympiads are welcome!<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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Last year, visitors of the space floor had the chance to visit exhibitions and activities of the Swiss Space Museum and its partners as well as being treated to meetings and talks by space scientists, experts and science stars like Dr. Renato Krpoun, Prof. Peter Wurz, and the swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier. While the Science Olympiad volunteers probably did not expect to compete with such science superheroes, they definitely stole the show, no capes were needed.<\/p>\r\n

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Students, Astronauts, and the Mysteries of the Universe<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

In May 2024, the Swiss Physics Olympiad brought science to life for visitors of all ages at their Fantasy Basel booth, where kids, students, teachers, and seniors alike could dive into the wonders of physics and astronomy. The stand featured a fun mix of challenges, including a science oracle and a memory game, both featuring a fun mix with pop culture references related to physics.<\/p>\r\n

The science oracle became a center of curiosity, where visitors could ask questions about any topic in physics. The challenge for the Olympiad volunteers was to explain these complex concepts in a way that was not only understandable but also engaging for even the youngest visitors. Whether it was explaining the mysteries of black holes or the secrets of quantum mechanics, the volunteers did a wonderful job making science approachable and fun.<\/p>\r\n

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The memory game, another highlight, tested players' knowledge with funny pop culture facts connected to physics. It was a hit among all age groups, offering an entertaining way to learn about the different subjects while connecting it to familiar movies, shows, and books.<\/p>\r\n

Tower of Hanoi as a Teaser for Informatics Olympiad<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

The Swiss Informatics Olympiad offered Tower of Hanoi<\/a> and a card sorting game. As solving one of those games was required to get a reward, Tower of Hanoi in particular did garner quite a lot of attention, so there were plenty of opportunities to either directly motivate potential new participants to attend the Informatics Olympiad workshops or else give information for people who could encourage students they know to participate.<\/p>\r\n

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Tower of Hanoi is an excellent way of bringing the core of Informatics to a broad audience. While solving it requires neither a single line of coding nor a digital device, one must figure out and execute an algorithm in its head to succeed. This is exactly the kind of thinking the Informatics Olympiad tries to promote and acts as a gateway to the discipline. Solving the riddle was accessible to people of almost any age. There was a lot of positive feedback and the audience was very eager to solve the challenge.<\/p>\r\n

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The cogs are a-turning<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

In order to make giveaways in a productive way instead of just leaving it on the table, the Science Olympiad volunteers partnered with the ETH student project Manzoku, who built a machine from scratch that can make stickers, pins and more. At Fantasy Basel 2024, the large, bright-white hull and the colorful capsules caught the attention of passers-by, captivating guests of any age to come and learn more about what the Science Olympiad had to offer. The hull did not retain its chalky-white exterior for long, however, as onlookers were encouraged to leave their mark on the gadget, using pens and markers, which turned it into a flashy column of vivid art and vibrant colors. The idea became a massive hit, with guests lining up to engage in our quizzes and challenges for the chance to win fun prizes turned out by the Manzoku machine. <\/p>\r\n

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Being a part of Fantasy Basel 2024 was a mesmerizing experience for the Manzoku team. Seeing the magnetic pull of the team\u2019s and the machine's presence, enticing guests to participate in the activities of the Science Olympiad booth, made it feel like the Manzoku team became part of the Science Olympiad. This year, they\u2019ve expressed excitement about joining again - with a new improved version of the machine.<\/p>\r\n

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You too can be a part of it!<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

Would you like to see the mysterious machine in action yourself? Do you want to spread the word about Science Olympiad? Are you ready to help out and represent your Olympiad at the Science Olympiad booth? Good news: We will be back at Fantasy Basel between May 29 and 31, 2025<\/strong> - with an even bigger booth. However, that requires the help of a lot of volunteers! Here\u2019s what you can do:<\/p>\r\n

  • Spread the word in your Olympiad and to your board in order to gain support from as many Olympiads as possible.<\/span><\/li>
  • Volunteer yourself for a shift at the Science Olympiad booth by contacting Jehan Alsawaf <\/span>(j.alsawaf@olympiad.ch<\/a>). As a volunteer, you won\u2019t pay any entrance fee. <\/li><\/ul>\r\n

    FANTASY BASEL 2025<\/a><\/p>\r\n

    \"\"<\/p>","datetime":1744138260,"datetimeend":0,"newstype":1,"newstypetext":null,"links":"","subjects":["Volontariato"],"image":["https:\/\/physics.olympiad.ch\/fileadmin\/_processed_\/c\/8\/csm_IMG_7815_e1562e4a65.jpg"],"link":"https:\/\/science.olympiad.ch\/it\/news\/news\/call-for-volunteers-science-meets-fantasy-in-basel","category":[{"uid":4,"title":"Associazione"},{"uid":5,"title":"Startseite"},{"uid":12,"title":"Robotica"},{"uid":11,"title":"Fisica"},{"uid":69,"title":"Astronomia"},{"uid":9,"title":"Informatica"},{"uid":10,"title":"Matematica"},{"uid":2,"title":"Biologia"},{"uid":3,"title":"Chimica"},{"uid":8,"title":"Geografia"}]},{"uid":4660,"title":"Venite al Womens' Weekend delle Olimpiadi della Fisica!","teasertext":"Un fine settimana per le ragazze interessate alla scienza - dal 5 al 7 settembre 2025 a San Gallo. Non sono richieste conoscenze preliminari ed \u00e8 gratuito!","short":"Un fine settimana per le ragazze interessate alla scienza - dal 5 al 7 settembre 2025 a San Gallo. Non sono richieste conoscenze preliminari ed \u00e8 gratuito!","body":"

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    Iscriviti ora<\/a><\/p><\/div>","datetime":1743943821,"datetimeend":0,"newstype":1,"newstypetext":null,"links":"","subjects":["Viaggiare","Amici","Sapere","Pari opportunit\u00e0"],"image":["https:\/\/physics.olympiad.ch\/fileadmin\/_processed_\/4\/5\/csm_C157C300-B6EE-42E9-BD42-078174E461CB_1_105_c_a2bebc808b.jpeg"],"link":"https:\/\/physics.olympiad.ch\/it\/news\/news\/venite-al-womens-weekend-delle-olimpiadi-della-fisica","category":[{"uid":11,"title":"Fisica"},{"uid":5,"title":"Startseite"}]},{"uid":4654,"title":"Physik-Olympiade: Paris wartet auf Schweizer Wissenschaftstalente","teasertext":"Am 15. und 16. M\u00e4rz fand an der Neuen Kantonsschule Aarau das Finale der Schweizer Physik-Olympiade statt. 27 Jugendliche experimentierten um die Wette und l\u00f6sten Theoriefragen. Jetzt ist klar, an wen die Medaillen gehen - und wer die Schweiz an der Internationalen Physik-Olympiade vertritt.","short":"Am 15. und 16. M\u00e4rz fand an der Neuen Kantonsschule Aarau das Finale der Schweizer Physik-Olympiade statt. 27 Jugendliche experimentierten um die Wette und l\u00f6sten schwierige Theoriefragen. Jetzt ist klar, an wen die Medaillen gehen - und wer die Schweiz im Juli an der Internationalen Physik-Olympiade in Paris vertreten wird.","body":"

    Die lange Reise ans Finale<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

    Als die Finalist*innen der Schweizer Physik-Olympiade am Morgen des 15. M\u00e4rz in Aarau ankamen, hatten sie bereits einen weiten Weg hinter sich. 865 Jugendliche hatten im September die erste Runde<\/a> absolviert, wovon 144 weitergekommen waren. Im November findet jeweils das Lager der Physik-Olympiade statt - eine intensive Woche mit t\u00e4glichem Physikunterricht und Austausch unter Gleichgesinnten.<\/p>\r\n

    REPORTAGE AUS DEM PHYSIKLAGER 2024\/2025<\/a><\/p>\r\n

    Das Physiklager bereitet auf die zweite Runde<\/a> im Januar vor. Deren beste Teilnehmende erhalten die Einladung ans Finale und das damit verbundene Training an der EPFL im Februar. <\/p>\r\n

    Wissenschaft und Freundschaft<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

    Am vergangenen Wochenende absolvierten die Finalist*innen mehrst\u00fcndige Pr\u00fcfungen zu Theorie und Praxis. Das vorausgesetzte Wissen geht \u00fcber den normalen Schulunterricht hinaus. Gold-Gewinnerin Noelia erz\u00e4hlt, sie habe es sich bei ihren wiederholten Teilnahmen an der Physik-Olympiade angeeignet, vor allem im Lager und mithilfe des Skripts f\u00fcr Teilnehmende<\/a>. Wer wie Noelia \u00fcber mehrere Jahre hinweg immer wieder an Anl\u00e4ssen der Physik-Olympiade dabei ist, festigt nicht nur sein Wissen, sondern kann auch Freundschaften kn\u00fcpfen. \u201cDas Sch\u00f6nste ist es, die Kolleginnen und Kollegen immer wieder zu sehen\u201d, findet Noelia, die im Juni an der Europ\u00e4ischen Physik-Olympiade<\/a> in Sofia teilnehmen wird.<\/p>\r\n