Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften 2025/SCIoI Open Labs: Become a swordfish and chase virtual fish in a mixed reality game!

Where: Showroom, SCIoI, TU MAR building Room 2.034
Time: At regular intervals from 5:30 to 10pm
By David Mezey and Palina Bartashevich
Language: English
Suitable for kids: Yes (only with parental supervision 5+)

Description: Visitors can dive into the world of collective intelligence by becoming a marlin (a large swordfish) and chasing a swarm of virtual fish in an interactive projected playground. Through this experience, they will discover how fish use group strategies to evade predators—both in the virtual world and in nature. In particular, they will learn about the so-called “fountain effect,” a defense tactic used by sardines in the Gulf of Mexico. This strategy is not only visually stunning but also highly effective against large predators like marlins. Additionally, visitors will get to see real drone footage from field experiments, showing how these large swordfish, in response to the prey’s collective strategies, also coordinate and hunt together in groups.

More Information: https://www.scienceofintelligence.de/arena-for-hunters-and-the-hunted-finding-principles-of-intelligence-with-sciois-loop-method/

Exclusion Criteria: People with known history of epilepsy, severe sea-sickness or disorientation. Visitors willing to try the interactive setup must be in a generally good or normal physical condition.

Additional Information: Visitors will move in a 4m by 4m interactive playground. They will interact with a virtual fish school projected on the floor. To do so, they will hold a special cane that is tracked by the system while they walk within the installation.