Pop Up Shops

Step into a world of wonder where over 20 interactive stalls await. Watch bacteria-munching viruses in action, extract DNA from strawberries, learn to spot fake news, discover how light can fight disease, and explore virtual reality bird flight. Meet researchers investigating everything from Tudor women's working lives to the building blocks of the brain. Plus, test your teamwork skills in "Be a Fish, a Rhino, a Pelican" – an inclusive adventure game where no one gets left behind!

FUTURES 2024

For our 2024 Pop Up Shop, a team of renowned researchers showed off their specialist skills and introduced visitors to their amazing worlds. The centre of Exeter was abuzz with with an array of stands, experiences, and showcases to peruse over the weekend.

Visitors could find out how light can reveal a hidden world, using technology to see beyond the visible. They could explore how we connect and communicate as an increasingly diverse society, and uncover how the magic of sunlight powers our planet. There were opportunities to enter a new world in a VR experience of bird flight and navigation, and the chance to understand how the human brain uses our senses to create amazing illusions.

A mural display was created by artist Josephine Birch, capturing all the action of the event as it unfolded.

On Saturday 28^th September, guests were invited to attend the Killer Fungus Experience. This challenged participants to save Exeter from a fictional outbreak of an unknown deadly fungus, using ground-breaking research from the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology.