“There are so many super cool things to do at SciFest”

The Fyrishov Exhibition halls are buzzing as SciFest 2025 kicks off — and few stands attract bigger crowds than the Faculty of Pharmacy’s. Here, curious young minds are exploring how fun and fascinating pharmaceutical science can be. At one station we meet Clara, Kimmy and Emma-Li, 4th graders from the International English School’s who are fully focused on building pharmaceutical molecules on time. Goodie bags are looming, but they do find a few seconds to tell us about their day at Fyrishov.

“We’re having the best time ever here at SciFest. We just finished experimenting with strawberry DNA and now we are putting these molecules together. Working as a researcher seems like a lot of fun and is definitely something we can imagine doing when we grow up,” say the girls just before they present three perfect molecules and are rewarded with well-filled tote bags (best at the entire SciFest).

SciFest annually attracts 8,000 curious visitors of all ages to Uppsala and Fyrishov’s exhibition halls. Throughout three intense days, a well-stocked popular science smorgasbord awaits, and one of the absolute favorites is the Faculty of Pharmacy Virtual Reality Adventure among molecules and proteins in the human body. When we have made the queues, a boy in a colorful t-shirt has just put on the much anticipated equipment.

“It’s my first time at SciFest and there are so many super cool things to do here. My dad works at Uppsala University, and when he tells about what he does at work, it sounds pretty exciting, so maybe I'll also be a researcher in the future,” the boy says before throwing himself into a breathtaking digital ride.

The new activities developed by the Faculty of Pharmacy for SciFest 2025 include the Diabetes Game, where participants help diabetic patients keep their blood sugar levels at the right level. The patients may be digital, but everything else is highly realistic and it's a good thing that Alissa, 4th grader from Domarringen school, has full control of the situation as she enters the values, which turn out to be exactly on the spot.

“My dad has diabetes and I know how he usually does things, so this game was sort of easy! My friend and I just arrived, so we've only had time to try bits of everything we want to explore. Before the Diabetes Game, we were at a stand where we wrote on a wall what we think about AI (a little too many people want to keep up). Now we're moving on to test more things, says Alissa, who thinks life as a researcher seems interesting, but she would prefer to work as a designer when she grows up.

Tomorrow, Friday, SciFest will welcome thousands more schoolchildren to try hands on activities and meetings with some of Sweden's absolute top researchers - among them the Faculty of Pharmacy's sleep expert Christian Benedict, who will visit Fyrishov to answer young people's questions about nocturnal habits. On Saturday, the festival traditionally invites the general public, and the faculty's researchers are ready for continued curiosity from future pharmaceutical experts.

“It's always fun to see how inspired all children become when they discover our activities, and it's impossible not to be impressed by their perseverance and concentration as they build molecules. Several students also take the opportunity to ask questions about pharmaceuticals and chemistry, and the whole festival is truly characterized by a wonderful atmosphere,” says Ulrika Yngve, chemist with many years of SciFest experience.

As the first day of SciFest gathers full momentum, the energy is palpable — with countless young visitors experiencing their very first encounter with science, but definitely not their last.

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text & photo: Magnus Alsne