Now that we’re busy organising Pint of Science Umeå 2026, we did what any responsible team would do:
We went back to relive 2025.
Partly for inspiration.
Partly to remember what worked.
Partly to remind ourselves why we willingly turn pubs into lecture halls every May.
And lastly… to reflect on why I’ve been part of this madness since 2023 (this one is personal 😅.
Spoiler: it’s absolutely worth it.
The good thing about blog posts? You can’t see my facial expressions while I write this. Ha!
From 19–21 May, Lion Bar and Kappa Bar were transformed into unofficial science seminar halls. There were six speakers, intense pub debates, enthusiastic YES/NO placards flying in the air, and at least one very dramatic attempt at miming evolution.
Let’s revisit.
Day 1: Microbes on Tap: From Beer to Board Games
📍 Lion Bar, Umeå-19th May
We began where science feels most at home: next to a pint.
Hudson Pace opened with the dangerously confident title:
“So, You Think You Know Beer?”
Four ingredients. That’s it. Water. Grain. Hops. Yeast.
And yet somehow: infinite flavour combinations and endless opinions.
Hudson Pace, a Staff Scientist at the department of Clinical Microbiology kicked off the evening with “So, You Think You Know Beer?”
By the end of the talk, we had learned that beer is basically applied microbiology with personality — and that casually saying “I just like lager” might not survive interrogation from a true beer nerd.
Then things got competitive.😬
Eric Capo (Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology, Environment and Geoscience) and Meifang Zhong, a Ph.D student from the same department introduced MicroMates, a trading card game about microorganisms teaming up to fight environmental threats.
Imagine Pokémon — but scientifically accurate and concerned about marine deoxygenation.
The first collection dives into microbial life in marine ecosystems affected by climate warming. It was educational. It was creative. I was personally rooting for microalgae… only to discover they weren’t even in the game. Devastating. ☹️
”Microbes may be invisible, but they shape both our pints and our planet.”
Day 2: Beyond the Wilderness: Forests and Viruses
📍 Lion Bar, Umeå-20th May
The second night took us from poetic landscapes to slightly unsettling mosquito futures.
Maximiliano Estravis Barcala, a Postdoc from Umeå Plant Science Centre shared “A Love Letter to the Patagonian Forest.” Through vivid storytelling, we took an imaginary walk through the Patagonian mountains.
It was reflective, personal, and deeply moving.
For a moment, Lion Bar stopped being Lion Bar and became the southernmost forests on Earth. We mentally hiked through mountains, admired ancient trees, and collectively felt protective over ecosystems most of us have never seen.
Now that I am revisiting this, I must admit: I don’t remember every research detail — but I very clearly remember the dreamy landscapes.
It was beautiful.
And then…
Enter mosquitoes.
And why not? This is the Swedish edition after all. Forests and mosquitoes are practically a match made in Swedish summers. 😎
Tessy Hick, another fellow postdoc from department of Medical and Translational Biology walked us through “The Evolving Threat of Mosquito-Transmitted Viruses.”
Tropical mosquitoes are migrating. Viruses evolve. Genomes mutate. Suddenly your peaceful forest walk turns into a masterclass in public health preparedness.
The audience handled it bravely.
(We checked. No mosquitoes were physically present in Lion Bar that evening.) 😌
It was an evening that reminded us how tightly woven together climate, ecosystems, and human health truly are.
DAY 3: Evolution, Health and the Future of Light
📍 Kappa Bar, Umeå-21st May
The final night delivered evolution, medicine, and a glimpse into the future — all within arm’s reach of a game console.
Ciaran Gilchrist (Postdoc at the Department of Molecular Biology) presented “Darwin in the Clinic – Using Evolution to Overcome Key Challenges in Human Health.”
When we hear “evolution,” most of us think of Charles Darwin and maybe a finch or two.
But evolution isn’t just historical drama. It’s happening right now — in antibiotic resistance, in cancer biology, in the way diseases adapt faster than we’d like. It turns out Darwin would have been very interesting at a pub quiz.
Fun fact: Darwin studied nocturnal movements of plants and animals using candlelight and early oil lamps. Which makes you wonder — how differently would he have planned his experiments if he had access to tomorrow’s light sources?
A perfect transition to our final talk.
Finally, Anton Kirch (Postdoctoral fellow at Department of Physics) took us on a journey with “Tomorrow’s Light Sources Go Organic.” From campfires to LEDs, humans have always chased better light. Now?
Organic light sources might be next — sustainable, innovative, and proof that even something as ordinary as a light bulb has a fascinating research story behind it.
A fitting end: past, present, and future — all illuminated.
🎲 But Wait. There Were Games.
Because this is Pint of Science. Not Silent Listening of Science.
Across the three evenings, we had:
- Science-themed crosswords
- Science Pictionary (interpretations varied wildly — some didn’t score points but absolutely blew our minds)
- “Mime the Science” (10/10 for enthusiasm, 6/10 for clarity)
- The good old Science Trivia (this one has its own fanbase!)
- A Myth Busters round where the audience raised YES and NO placards to challenge scientific myths
Nothing builds confidence like aggressively raising a cardboard “NO” at a myth about evolution.
The best part? People didn’t just sit and listen. They debated (politely). They laughed. They asked questions. They surprised themselves with how much they already knew.
That’s exactly the point.
The Team Behind the Pint
None of this happens by accident.
The 2025 edition was organised by a small but mighty trio: Preeti Moar, Baraa Rehamnia, and me (serving as City Coordinator that year). It takes emails, spreadsheets, speaker wrangling, pub negotiations, poster designing, last-minute problem solving — and an unreasonable amount of enthusiasm — to make three nights look effortlessly fun.
As we gear up for 2026, Preeti has officially stepped into the City Coordinator role — keeping the spirit alive (and the spreadsheets even more colour-coded).
We have also welcomed an energetic group of rookie recruits: Taylor Devlin, Arttu Ahonen, Praveen Mathews Varghese, Nazar Beirag, and Barbara Walenkiewicz.
And here’s our favourite full-circle moment.
Last year, Praveen was in the audience, fully invested in our games, competing under the ambitious team name “Winners.” Let’s just say… the name was aspirational.
This year? He’s on the organising team.
From raising a trivia placard to planning the trivia round.
That’s the kind of career progression we support. 😅
Looking Back Before We Go Forward
Revisiting 2025 reminds us why we do this.
Because science belongs everywhere.
Because pubs are surprisingly good seminar halls.
Because microbes, forests, viruses, and light bulbs deserve an audience beyond academia.
And because believe or not we, scientists can be funny too! There’s something magical about watching someone confidently shout a science answer over a pint.
If you would like to relive 2024 before we fully dive into 2026 planning, you can read last year’s reflection 👉 here:
Now we look ahead.
📅 18–20 May 2026
📍 Rött & Lion Bar
🎤 More speakers.
🧠 More science.
🎲 More games.
🍺 Same beautiful chaos.
See you at the next pint. And if you think you’re just coming to sit quietly… you clearly haven’t met us. 😎
Highlights Gallery
Lastly, If you spot your face in these photos and aren’t a fan, blame the amateur photographer — me, trying to capture science and chaos, while keeping up with notes.
