Science up close at the Adlershof Science City

Science up close at the Adlershof Science City

It can finally happen again, ‘Long Science Night’

The Bessy II electron storage ring, from the Helmholtz Berlin Center for Materials and Energy GmbH (HZB), was once again a public attraction during Long Night 2022. Photo: © WISTA Management GmbH

Silvana Schneider of the conference service at WISTA Management GmbH

Thousands of insiders and visitors flocked to “Long Flag Night” (LNdW), which took place on 2 July in Berlin and Potsdam.

Sylvana Schneider, who planned the mega event in southeast Berlin, is especially pleased that the Adlershof Science and Technology Park was one of the crowds again this year. “After a forced interruption of two years due to the pandemic, during which we were only able to open the doors of labs, lecture halls and development offices virtually, we are glad that we were able to organize a face-to-face event again,” says the event manager from WISTA Management GmbH.

It was weeks of preparation behind it before the Adlershof exploration tour began. “Thanks to the organizers at the institutes, who are so excited about this and have come up with such great hands-on activities and demonstrations,” says Schneider. With more than 100 program items, the visiting researchers looked over the shoulders, listened to exciting lectures, participated in discussions and, of course, experimented themselves.

For example, children and young adults can participate in a science gathering through optical science and quantum technologies, play laser chess or do their own activity by growing crystals, taking insect selfies, and building insect hotels out of old packaging materials. Puzzle lovers cracked the math nuts with the phrase “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”. Explorers traveled en route to space at the German Aerospace Center. Those interested in history took the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of aviation on an off-road tour. The tour of the BESSY II electron accelerator hall was also duller-free, where the curious could see how to examine materials, art objects or cells with Berlin’s brightest lamp.

One of the highlights was the amazing performance of the NOX robot. The 2.40-meter giant is a high-tech robot that created a good atmosphere at the Forum Adlershof by showing speech, dancing and taking many souvenir photos. And it was also he who officially opened the smartest night with Berlin Mayor Franziska Jaffe. The location of the central opening event is assigned to the President of the LNdW e. V. paired as this is currently with Ulrich Panne, Board Member of the IGAFA Initiative Group for Non-University Research Institutions at Adlershof e. V. and head of the Federal Institute for Research and Testing of Materials (BAM), the balloons of knowledge rose at Adlershof.

In addition to a commitment to transparency by scientific institutions to show where tax money has flowed to citizens, the event also works to recruit young people. There are currently about 1,000 interns in the City of Science at Adlershof. Some presented themselves and their professional training at Long Night. Scores of girls were given insight into the researchers’ daily lives on an exclusive school tour.

“There was also a lot of humor at the Adlershof,” stresses Sylvana Schneider, who first organized Science Night. Schneider often organizes a science contest, like the one at the end of LNdW, where young researchers compete to capture the audience’s attention by presenting their science topics in just ten minutes in an understandable, yet intelligent and intelligent way. Charm. Incidentally, the next Adlershofer Science Slam tournament has been announced on December 1, 2022.

by Sylvia Nitschke for Ability

More information about Long Night of Sciences at Adlershof

Capabilities: Curiosity

Potential – WISTA Magazine. Edition: Curiosity / July 2022