How about being the subject of a scientific experiment, just as you were passing by? Two weeks ago, you could have had the chance at Zurich's Central Station. As part of Life Science Week, researchers from two projects at the University and ETH Zurich conducted public experiments on people's sense of balance and their memory and learning capabilities. On Thursday evening, at the end of Life Science Week, the human movement scientist Eling de Bruin from the Institute of Movement and Sports Sciences at ETH Zurich and Mike Martin from the Institute of Psychology at the University of Zurich presented the initial findings from the two experiments.

Swaying while standing still

On Saturday, De Bruin asked people to stand on a force plate in order to measure how they kept their balance by small swaying movements of the body. It is known from research that people between 16 and 65 generally make relatively small movements to keep their balance. Children under 16 and people over 65 sway more, i.e. their balance is less stable, even when they are standing still.

In the experiments at the Central Station, de Bruin was able to confirm this finding. (1) It was also proved that balance was less stable when people were asked to close their eyes, and if they had to solve a mental problem as well. This indicates that, especially as people become older, they increasingly have to use their cognitive powers to keep their balance. This can mean, for example, that older people may not be able to walk and talk at the same time.

Socially relevant research

Such human movements research is gaining in social relevance in view of demographic trends. After the age of 60, the frequency of falls caused by balance problems increases sharply. With the growing number of people in this age group, the risk of falls and the resulting injuries also increases, as do the healthcare costs. De Bruin is therefore interested in ways of preventing accidents and doing balance training in old age. De Bruin believes that strengthening the muscles, especially in the legs and seat area, combined with regular walking on varied and uneven surfaces, helps maintain balance better.

"Use it or lose it" is something that is also often said in Mike Martin's specialist area, with reference to people's memory and ability to learn. As Martin explained, there has still been too little empirical research into whether a well trained and frequently used memory results in better memory performance in old age. On Friday and Saturday at the station, he asked people to perform a simple memory test five times in succession in order to track memory and learning capabilities in relation to age. (2)

The directors of the University and ETH, Hans Weder (left) and Ernst Hafen (right) also took part as subjects in the public balance experiment by standing on the force plate.

Learning effects at all ages

The experiment showed that on average younger people have slightly better memories. However, in terms of the learning curve, there were only minor age-related differences. That is to say, at all ages, people on average performed the memory task better the last time than the first time. For Martin, this means that the individual differences which can be seen in all age groups are greater than the so-called ageing effect, i.e. the way the memory tends to deteriorate with increasing age.

For example, the learning capability among the 70 to 80 year olds showed peaks which were not achieved in the group of 40 to 60 year olds. The experiment was not able to show whether these performances were the result of many years of "training" or intensive use of the memory. To do that you would have to test the same people again over a longer period of time.

Over 600 participants

For Martin, in any case, the public experiment – the first of its kind in Switzerland, according to the organisers – was a complete success. Over 600 people took part in it. "We could not have coped with any more in the time available", says Martin. Furthermore, moving out into a different environment was worthwhile from more than just the scientific point of view. "We were able to show people how we do research. For many visitors, that helped remove their fear of the unknown in relation to science."

Organiser Petra Baettig-Frey from Life Science Zurich is also satisfied with the "Life Science Week" experiment. "Especially with the experiments at the station, we were able to interest a lot of young people", says Baettig. However, the numerous talks and discussion groups were also mainly very well received. For Baettig there is no doubt about it: in two years' time there will be another Life Science Week in Zurich.