"Lightbulbs: an inspiring meeting about science and innovation with young talents"
Did you know that one Czech in five suffers from burnout syndrome and that we have a student rocket in the Czech Republic? A popularising lecture in the Lightbulbs series brought further inspiring views of the young generation on the future and showed how combining science, innovation and communication can shape a better society. The Neuron Foundation is proud of its long-term partnership with Lightbulbs, organised by Opero.
With our "lightbulbs" switched on, we are heading together towards a brighter future! Viktor Hais, David Fiedler, Pavla Hubálková and the host Jan Lukačevič discussed the problems troubling the young generation as part of the inspiring Lightbulbs series. The discussion focused on the issue of burnout syndrome, education and the communication of science. The speakers stressed the need to support young talents and create community projects.
The first inspiring story: from workaholism to the Don't Burn Out project
David Fiedler knows from his own experience how far too much work and too little rest can take you. The first speaker shared his personal story from workaholism to creating an organisation that helps people avoid burnout syndrome. "I didn't know what exactly was wrong with me. A teacher, a doctor, a middle-aged nurse can burn out, so that probably isn't my case. I simply did not know that at that time I had burned out. The hardest thing is to admit it." Then it was only a small step to founding the project "Nevyhasni" (Don't Burn Out), which works on preventing burnout syndrome.
The second inspiring story: Illustria — the journey of a student rocket
Viktor Hais, head of the student team CTU Space Research, presented Illustria, the largest student rocket in the Czech Republic, which measures 3675 mm and weighs 30 kg.
"We worked intensively on developing the rocket both day and night. Given the temperature in Portugal reaching 35 degrees during the day, the electronics faced difficulties with overheating."
His team took part in the prestigious European Rocketry Challenge in Portugal and plans to send its own nanosatellite into orbit. In the discussion Viktor also compared Czech education with Portuguese and stressed that we Czechs are capable of creating and doing many things ourselves.
The third inspiring story: science for everyone
"Communicating science is a bridge that connects facts and data with everyday life," said Pavla Hubálková, a doctoral student in neuroscience and a science communicator, who during her contribution explained the importance of communicating science and the challenges connected with it.
Pavla expressed the wish that the communication of scientific topics should reach all layers of society. She mentioned that "professional and systematic communication about science is lacking in the Czech Republic". Knowledge should not remain the domain of a limited group but should become accessible to everyone, regardless of profession or position.
