Hogwarts may be the school of witchcraft and wizardry, but UF now features medicine and magic.
UF’s main Health Science Center Library will host the grand opening of “Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine” on Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on its first floor. The event is free and open to the public.
The exhibit will end in early October, but the accompanying speakers and film series will run through Oct. 30. The traveling six-panel exhibit explores the Harry Potter book series and its historical roots, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine website.
Thursday’s event will feature science experiments by the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention and a meet-and-greet with the Quidditch club team at UF, said Hannah Norton, a Health Science Center Libraries reference and liaison librarian. Guests are encouraged to dress as their favorite Harry Potter characters and participate in a costume and trivia contest.
Emily Troilo, vice president of the Quidditch team, said she is excited because the exhibit makes history more accessible by relating it to pop culture — in this case, Harry Potter.
“The Harry Potter’s World exhibit seems to be all about finding and exploring passion in what you do — be it academia or sports,” said Troilo, a 20-year-old English junior.
UF researchers, professors and experts from various U.S. institutions are scheduled to speak at various on-campus events throughout September and the beginning of October. They will cover topics such as representations of race and ethnicity, law, potions and herbs and literary alchemy.
Connie Mulligan, professor and associate chair of UF’s anthropology department, will speak at the “Modern Magic: Genetics in Medicine” event Sept. 25.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of the panel of scientists speaking at the Harry Potter event to convey the marvels and magic of modern day medicine to students,” Mulligan said.
The university will also screen the first and final Harry Potter movies, but visitors and attendees don’t have to be Potterheads to attend. The exhibit will include a variety of topics all Muggles — students, faculty and Gainesville residents — can enjoy.
“Truly, some of the science being conducted at UF is every bit as miraculous as the spells and potions used in Harry’s world,” Mulligan said.
Veritaserum is the truth serum featured in the Harry Potter series. Students at UF can explore the magic of science and medicine at the Harry Potter’s World exhibit in the Health Science Center Library beginning Thursday.
