Between 11 July and 5 August, the third edition of the Science Holidays took place at JKU (https://www.jku.at/en/schools/science-holidays-program/). Young researchers between the ages of 6 and 14 were offered a varied and age-appropriate program consisting of workshops, seminars and excursions in the fields of natural sciences, technology, law, medicine, economics, social sciences and biology.

Stefan Angerbauer and Werner Haselmayr (Institute for Communications Engineering and RF-Systems) offered a workshop for 6- to 7-year-old kids entitled "treasure hunt with all senses". At different stations the young researchers had to decode secret messages that brought them closer and closer to the hiding place of the treasure. The secret messages were first perceived through touching, hearing, seeing and smelling and were then decoded. For example, one secret message was perceived through smelling different odors and was decoded by a morse code. Finally, the kids needed their sense of taste for the sweets hidden in the treasure.

The young researchers thus learned in a playful way different methods for transmitting information as well as different ways to encode messages. All the children participated with great enthusiasm and interest and all groups could successfully find the treasure.