What do internet memes, medical imaging and robot dogs have in common? More than you might think. From 22 to 25 May, the Nerdland Festival brings them together at the provincial domain Puyenbroeck in Wachtebeke. What started as a niche event has grown into a fixed date in the calendar for anyone curious about science and technology. This year again, several VUB researchers will be there with talks and interactive installations that make science tangible for all ages. (The festival is in Dutch.)
The Swiss Army knife of mathematics
On Saturday 23 May, Professor Ann Dooms presents the talk The Swiss Army Knife of Mathematics. Starting from the work of Ingrid Daubechies, she shows how so-called wavelets are used to analyse complex data.
It may sound abstract, but the applications are not. From medical imaging to digital image compression, the same mathematical principles help reveal patterns across different scales. It is a clear example of how fundamental research finds its way into real-world use.
The meme of all time?
On Sunday 24 May, researcher Astrid Luypaert takes a closer look at an everyday phenomenon in The Meme of All Time?. Memes are often dismissed as fleeting or trivial, yet they also act as carriers of ideas and meaning. By drawing parallels with fields such as evolutionary biology, she explores how and why certain images spread. What makes something “go viral”? And what does that say about the society sharing it?
Interacting with robots
In Sector 42, BruBotics brings humans and machines closer together—literally. No watching from the sidelines; here, you take part. Across three interactive installations, you discover how technology and the human body can reinforce each other.
With Play with robots, you dive into a series of hands-on experiments. Control a game using the electrical signals in your muscles, move digital objects through sheer force, and experience what it feels like to operate a prosthetic limb.
In Save your back: how ergonomically do you lift?, you test how intelligently your body moves. As you lift a weight, a system analyses your posture in real time. You instantly see what works and what does not, along with a risk score that shows how much strain your back is really under.
With Take a robot dog for a walk, you step into the role of a robot operator. Take control of a humanoid robot and a robot dog, guiding them to walk, turn and respond to your movements. What usually remains hidden in labs becomes immediate and hands-on.
The installations are open continuously from Saturday 22 May to Monday 25 May.
Science in motion
Nerdland Festival does not present a finished story, but a snapshot of research in motion. It shows how diverse disciplines—from mathematics to cultural studies and robotics—each try to make sense of a complex world. If you want to understand how science works today, the festival is less a showcase and more an invitation: to observe, to test, and above all, to question.