Hands-on research at Museum Night

Amidst moments of realisation, spontaneous discussions and curious glances, something emerged during Museum Night that is difficult to plan for: a genuine encounter with research. We provided a platform for our research projects across three interactive zones. The diversity of topics being researched by the BFH Business School came as a surprise to many of the visitors. Here are a few highlights from Museum Night:

In the sustainability experience zone, visitors were able to sample various food innovations – such as cocoa-free chocolate – and vote straight away: ‘Delicious!’ or ‘No, thanks’. Over 15,000 data points relating to food innovations were collected during Museum Night to inform future research.

The influence that brands or marketing can have on our purchasing decisions led to surprising results in the interactive zone on consumer psychology – surprising not only for the visitors but also for the researchers. The results of the various experiments could be followed live on site.

The big question, to which the third interactive zone was dedicated, was: Human or machine? Here, the task was to distinguish AI-generated images or videos from real footage, which in some cases proved practically impossible. In addition, various chatbots and the magical drawing station provided entertainment throughout the evening. Even rudimentary sketches were transformed into beautiful images by AI.

What remains from the Museum Night is more than just a successful evening. It is confirmation that our research strikes a chord with the spirit of the times. It is the realisation that research can inspire and bring people together. It is the motivation to continue making our research tangible and accessible to society.