Discover the facts (and fun) of computer science at EPFL's Open Days
Visit the Musée Bolo, which boasts a unique collection of more than 2,000 computers, plus gaming consoles, microprocessors & more © 2016 Alain Herzog
How do supercomputers and blockchain work? What are the risks and benefits of artificial intelligence? What’s involved in programming a robot? Find out at the EPFL Open Days, where the School of Computer and Communication Sciences (IC) will offer over 30 interactive workshops and demos for the public.
At the 2019 edition of the EPFL Open Days on September 14th and 15th, visitors will be able to learn about many aspects of computers and their applications through guided visits, talks and exhibitions, plus participative workshops and demonstrations.
Many activities will be ideal for youth ages 12 and up, including three workshops and a youth hackathon on programming and computing. Adults and educators may also be interested in booths that will provide information on the programs of IC and the EPFL Extension School.
Don’t leave without a personalized souvenir from Green Me: a station where you can create a virtual image of yourself against a green screen background.
Computer science: yesterday, today and tomorrow
IC’s Open Day activities will showcase cutting-edge computer science research and potential applications, in line with this year’s theme of “the future of technology”. In recognition of EPFL’s 50th anniversary this year, visitors will also be able to learn about the origins of these technologies.
Interactive workshop and demos will provide accessible introductions to programming basics and the history of computing, from binary and hexadecimal coding to logic circuits, wireless communications, and digital security. Visitors will get to mix learning with fun by trying their hands at activities like programming a LEGO robot, participating in a LAN party-style gaming competition, monitoring WiFi communication, or walking in a virtual reality environment.
Meanwhile, IC researchers will be on-site to present their latest work. Visitors will discover how EPFL computer science and communications research is being applied to pressing societal issues, including health and medicine, privacy and security, e-voting, industrial design and more.
Visitors will also be able to walk through history at the Musée Bolo, which boasts a unique collection of more than 2,000 computers, plus gaming consoles, microprocessors and related technologies.
Public dialogue on AI
A special event will be held on Sunday at the SwissTech Convention Center, when EPFL president and IC professor Martin Vetterli will join experts from the school and French-speaking Switzerland for a public roundtable discussion on the topic: “Humanity, machine and data: what's the future of artificial intelligence?”. The dialogue will be followed by a concert featuring live music composed with the help of AI, as part of a project by doctoral assistant Florian Colombo in the IC/SV Computational Neuroscience Laboratory, led by Professor Wulfram Gerstner.
Follow the weekend’s events on social media with #EPFLOpenDays and at @ICepfl on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Saturday, 14 September, 10am to 6pm
Sunday, 15 September, 10am to 5pm
EPFL buildings BC, INJ and INF
AI roundtable discussion (in French): “Humans, machine and data: what’s the future of artificial intelligence?”: 15 September, 11am -1pm, SwissTech Convention Center
This family-friendly event, which will be held to celebrate EPFL’s 50th anniversary, will be free of charge and open to anyone with an interest in science – from children on up! The theme will be the future of technology. Visitors will get an inside look at the cutting-edge initiatives being carried out across the school in the areas of innovation, research and education. This year’s program includes over 100 presentations, talks, demonstrations and other activities, and more than 30,000 visitors are expected to attend.