Science Camp 2024 - Society of open science
Science Camp 2024 was unlike any laboratory I had ever worked in.
No microscopes, no spectrometers — just 100 students, 10 supervisors, 7 days, and… a loudspeaker that blasted music every morning to wake everyone up.
I used to think the hardest part of leading a research project was data analysis. But leading a science camp taught me something else:
The hardest part is keeping the energy — and curiosity — of 100 constantly hungry and sleepy brains.
At camp, I wasn’t a researcher — I was a fire keeper.There were nights when we played games with the kids until 11 PM, then woke up again at 5 AM to prepare activities.I was exhausted, nearly lost my voice — but every time a kid whispered, “Are we going to make something explode today?” — I woke up instantly.
I realized something important: science doesn’t only come from seriousness — it also comes from laughter, chaos, and moments no one can control.
And maybe, those kids won’t remember the exact formula of an acid-base reaction.But I hope they’ll remember the feeling — that “science is something worth waking up early for.”
If one day, even just one of them chooses a scientific path because they once saw vinegar erupt like a volcano —
then perhaps, the greatest scientific achievement of my life won’t be in a lab — but in one week of summer filled with laughter and the smell of campfire smoke.