Hi Score Science: A scientific arcade at the Museum of Natural Sciences of the University of Zaragoza

Hi Score Science: A scientific arcade at the Museum of Natural Sciences of the University of Zaragoza

If you like arcades and science, don’t miss the Hi Score Science arcade machine, which has just been installed in the Natural Sciences Museum of the University of Zaragoza. Hi Score Science is a game that aims to increase scientific culture and the interest of users in science, answering questions that arise from everyday reality to the latest advances in science. In addition to the arcade version, the videogame has been published in Spanish, English, French and Basque for mobile devices (iOS and Android), PC, Mac and Linux at www.HiScoreScience.org.

This project is being developed by the research institutes Instituto de Síntesis Química y Catálisis Homogénea (ISQCH) and Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), both joint institutes of the CSIC and the University of Zaragoza, which makes it possible to include informative explanations of the scientific reality behind each of the answers. The project also has the collaboration of the Museum of Natural Sciences of the University of Zaragoza, the Deputy Vice-Presidency of Scientific Culture of the CSIC and the Casio Científicas project.

In addition, “Hi Score Science” encourages users to participate in the project by collaborating in the creation of its scientific content and rewarding them for it. On 20 December, in the Joaquín Costa hall of the Paraninfo Building of the University of Zaragoza, the prizes will be awarded to the winners of the regional competition-Aragon in its 2021-2022 edition, as well as an on-site competition, in which secondary and high school students can compete against each other to discover the best gamers-scientists in Aragon. Registrations for the competition, which will take place in a combined presence-on-line mode, are open at www.HiScoreScience.org.

The game has an online mode that allows users to compete with users from anywhere in the world, which has allowed us to develop an absolute national online league in which users of all ages and educational levels, from children to researchers, compete on a monthly basis. Surprisingly, despite the very high level of the participants and the content of the questions, the winners of previous editions were underage, including a 13-year-old student. Each of the matches has individual prizes in which you can participate even if you have not competed in the previous matches. The next league match will take place from 15-20 December. To participate in the league, simply download the Hi Score Science game from the Play Store and Apple Store and on PC and Mac (www.HiScoreScience.org) and play, with username and password, in multiplayer-online-tournament mode – “Curie”. Users of all ages, backgrounds and locations in Spain can compete online in the tournament.

From this month, visitors to the MCNUZ will be able to enjoy the arcade version of Hi Score free of charge during the Museum’s opening hours, Monday to Friday from 10.00 to 14.00 and 17.00 to 20.00, and on Saturdays from 11.00 to 14.00 and 17.00 to 20.00.