The Long Night of Science on October 23

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Illustration of stress fields around cracks by polarized light (Image: FRASCAL Team)

During the „Lange Nacht der Wissenschaft“ on October 23, 2023 numerous FAU institutes in Erlangen, Fuerth, and Nuremberg welcomed all kind of science lovers from 6 pm to 12 pm, among them the Research Training Group GRK 2423 FRASCAL.

The Long Night of Science (Lange Nacht der Wissenschaft, LNdW) is one of the largest science events in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region and a great opportunity for our young scientists to transfer their knowledge to the general public. Our Graduate College showcased its involvement through several interactive stations and small experiments. 

Why and under which circonstances do cracks occur? And how can this knowledge help humanity to prevent for example accidents? On a daily basis, the researchers at FRASCAL contemplate these questions. People of all ages – among them the youngest – thought this would be itnteresting and were attracted by fractures in all its diversity.

During the whole night they discovered fractures in their everyday surrounding as in food packaging. The reserachers also took  the experiments to the molecular scale and to the visualization of the cracks under polarized light.

Some visitors might already crave for more demonstration material as candy wrappers and most importantly  – for more science!