For the Long Night of Science 2024, we invite you to get to know an unusual form of information processing: the coffee computer! In our interactive experiment, we will demonstrate how a simple cup of coffee becomes a computing artist.
By playing words through a loudspeaker, we create wave patterns in the coffee. These waves are not only beautiful to look at, but also serve as a "reservoir" in which information can be processed and patterns recognized - a principle known as reservoir computing.
In a clear and understandable way, we explain how neural networks work and why the coffee computer is a great example of this. You will learn how simple everyday objects can be used to explain exciting phenomena of modern technology.
A look into the future: we show how the mixing of waves not only works in coffee cups, but also with light waves in optical fibers. In non-linear optical fibers, for example, we use light waves for ultra-fast information processing. In the future, these technologies could help to develop faster and more energy-efficient computers.
Come along and immerse yourself in the exciting world of the coffee computer and modern information processing - we look forward to seeing you!