More than 800 pupils and teachers from across the north-west region took up the opportunity offered by the University of Oldenburg on Wednesday 28 October 2009 to find out about degree programmes in the subjects of physics and mathematics. This year marked the ninth time that the twelfth ‘Physics Day’ and the ninth ‘Mathematics Day’ had been held jointly. Seven pupils who had taken part in the 2009 research project competition received book prizes donated by academic publishers. The physics lectures focused on the topics ‘The Physics of the Moon Landing’ and ‘Remote Sensing of the Earth’. The main mathematics lecture, delivered by Prof. Dr Guido Schneider from Stuttgart, dealt with ‘The Mathematics of Tsunamis’. In addition, the Institute of Mathematics and the Institute of Physics demonstrated, through experience reports, experiments and a poster exhibition, that both subjects are attractive, enjoyable and offer excellent career prospects.