6,200 guests at the Potsdam Day of Science: GFZ

On 4 May, the event took place for the first time on the Telegrafenberg. The varied programme invited visitors to engage in lively discussions about current research and to experiment for themselves.

A group of people are standing at a white marquee. A woman is speaking into a microphone. — Start of the official discovery tour at the GFZ earthquake stand. Annabel Händel explains the background. *(Uta Deffke, GFZ)*

Left: Group of people standing in a square with stone pillars and tents in the background. A woman speaks into a microphone. Right: Group standing in front of a tent, a woman speaks into a microphone. — Left: Welcome and official opening by Susanne Buiter, Scientific Director of the GFZ, one of the four host institutions of this year's PTdW on Potsdam's Telegrafenberg. Right: The official discovery tour, which was also attended by Brandenburg's Science Minister Manja Schüle, began at the GFZ's earthquake stand. Here, Potsdam's Lord Mayor Mike Schubert tests important influencing factors for earthquake-proof construction on a vibrating plate, while Annabel Händel explains the background. *(Uta Deffke, GFZ)*

Left: Entrance to the underground car park, with red carpet. Right: Lots of people standing and sitting and experimenting with small robotic vehicles. — ‘Research goes deep.’ This was the motto for the visit to the stands in the underground car park of the GFZ. The red carpet was of course laid out especially for the visitors - and it attracted numerous curious visitors to such exciting topics as treasure hunting with the metal detector, digital health sciences, survival artists in the rainforest, the GFZ Citizen Science project Night Light Stage on light pollution or FERN.Lab at the GFZ, which showed how the important information provided by satellite images can be made understandable and brought into the hands of decision-makers. *(Uta Deffke, GFZ)*

Right: Two people standing at a microscope. Left: Hands knead a small globe. — Left: From the field to the laboratory: At the stand and in the laboratory of the ‘HELGES | Helmholtz Laboratory for Geochemistry of the Earth's Surface’, visitors could follow the path of a geoscientific sample: From sampling and sample processing to sample measurement and the measurement result. Right: Where does the Earth's natural heat come from and how can we utilise it? At the GFZ geothermal stand, visitors could knead the shell-like structure of the Earth. *(Gareth Harmer, Miriam Keßler, GFZ)*

Left: Children sit at a table with experiments. Right: A little girl experiments with a pipette. — There was a big crowd in the GFZ's laboratory for schoolchildren, where everything revolved around water. Experiments on oceans, the earth's fresh water and water properties invited children to explore and try things out for themselves. *(Uta Deffke, GFZ)*

People stand around a sandbox and form mountains out of sand. Coloured light and contour lines are projected onto them. — Always very popular: modelling landscapes and the effects of precipitation at the sandbox in the GFZ student laboratory. *(Uta Deffke, GFZ)*

Right: Two people walk along the path between stands and green trees. Right: The Einstein Tower, with lots of people and a beer garden atmosphere in front of it. — Left: A relaxed arrival for Potsdam's Lord Mayor Mike Schubert at the Albert Einstein Science Campus. Right: An architectural and scientific highlight: the Einstein Tower. It houses a solar observatory, which is still used by AIP researchers today. *(Uta Deffke, Gareth Harmer, GFZ)*

Left: People standing in front of buildings. Right: People in front of exhibition tents. — Many exciting exhibits and encounters also at the AWI colleagues (left), who were co-hosts and also conduct research on the Telegrafenberg, and at the InNoWest stands (right). *(Uta Deffke, GFZ)*

Two views of the inflatable planetarium dome: from above and in front of the Historical Library building. — INTENSE is the mobile planetarium dome of the Berlin Planetarium Foundation. Not only can the starry sky be projected in the mobile science theatre. It is also suitable for impressive 360-degree views of the Earth from GFZ research projects - from the causes of earthquakes and the retreat of ice sheets to Earth observation using satellites such as GRACE-FO and EnMAP. *(Gareth Harmer, Uta Deffke, GFZ)*

Left: Two people in front of large interactive screens. Right: People at an exhibition stand on the Earth's magnetic field. — Left: The GFZ's digital earthquake poster can be used to explore the mechanisms of earthquakes and historical and current earthquakes around the world. Right: Why it is important to study the Earth's magnetic field and how it can be detected and visualised could be explored with experiments at the GFZ stand. *(Gareth Harmer, GFZ)*

Left: People sit at beer tables and eat. All around is the green Telegrafenberg. Right: People sitting in a historic domed room with a huge astronomical telescope in the background. — Left: Relaxed atmosphere on the Historical Campus of the Telegrafenberg, with food, drinks and a view of the Great Refractor. Right: Brandenburg's Science Minister presented the Brandenburg Science Prize 2024 in the Great Refractor. *(Gareth Harmer, Miriam Keßler, GFZ)*

People talking at information stands. — Left: Excursions into the - thanks to research no longer quite so - unknown cosmos could also be undertaken at the stand of the TH Wildau and DESY, among others. Right: Lively discussions at the stand of the Brandenburg Medical School. *(Gareth Harmer, GFZ)*

Left: People on a wooden pole. Right: Technical set-up on a table. — Fascination with technology - then and now: Left: Ludwig Grundwaldt, former GFZ employee, explains part of the historical roots of Potsdam's Telegrafenberg using the example of a replica of an optical telegraph. Right: At a stand of the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, robotics technology could be experienced in a playful way. *(Miriam Keßler, GFZ)*

On Saturday, 4 May 2024, around 6,200 people came to the 11th Potsdam Science Day on Telegrafenberg. For the first time, the four institutes of the ‘Albert Einstein Science Park’ hosted this event: the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – German Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ, the Potsdam Research Unit of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research AWI, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research PIK and the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics AIP.

A total of 36 research institutions from Potsdam and the state of Brandenburg offered 150 programme items – from information stands, hands-on experiments, lectures, discussions and workshops to laboratory visits and guided tours of the historic science park. The GFZ alone was represented with 27 stations. In the early summer weather, many families with children made their way to science. They were especially happy about the many hands-on activities on offer. There was also plenty of inspiration for professionals from daycare centres and schools as well as prospective students or youngsters in search of professional orientation.

Impressions of the day can be found in the labelled picture gallery at the top of this page.

Opening by Potsdam's Lord Mayor Mike Schubert and GFZ Director Susanne Buiter

Together with Potsdam's Lord Mayor Mike Schubert and Simone Leinkauf, Managing Director of the organising association ProWissen, Susanne Buiter, Scientific Director of the largest host institute GFZ, welcomed the guests from the world of science and the visitors:

“We institutions on the Telegrafenberg are particularly pleased that we can show the guests at the Potsdam Science Day our research on the Earth system, on climate and the energy transition or on icy permafrost regions and distant galaxies and bring it to life. Today, we also want to show together how important dialogue between science and all parts of society is. It's not just about presenting ourselves, but also about listening to people's questions and providing answers. We are therefore also very pleased about the many other scientific institutions and universities from the region that are also bringing themselves and their topics to life on our campus.”

The official discovery tour started at the GFZ stand on earthquakes

This was followed by the traditional official discovery tour, which was also attended by Brandenburg's Science Minister Manja Schüle. The route led to stations at all four host institutions and began at the GFZ stand on the subject of earthquake risk and earthquake-proof construction. Here, a mini earthquake could be triggered and measured by jumping together. Mayor Schubert tested the effects that the real tremors of an earthquake can have on buildings and how protection can be provided through adapted construction using a building scaffolding model on the vibrating plate. Annabel Händel from GFZ Section 2.6 ‘Earthquake Hazards and Dynamic Risks’ explained the background.

Manja Schüle presents Brandenburg Science Awards

Another official highlight was the presentation of the Brandenburg Science Awards for teaching and research by Science Minister Manja Schüle, which were presented in the Great Refractor. The theme of this year's state teaching prize was ‘Artificial Intelligence in University Teaching’.

Varied programme

The further varied programme offered insights into a wide range of research areas: From the trial Arctic journey in original polar clothing, the virtual journey using VR glasses to the tundra of Siberia, the 3D printing of whistles, the control of robotic arms with controllers and gestures, the role of AI in solving problems, to the production of seed bombs and herbal salt, developments in sustainable nutrition - for example with insects, ideas for a Smart City Potsdam for fair, green and equitable urban development, to the identification of mussels in local waters, a view of the sun through a mobile telescope and hunting microorganisms.

GFZ topics included Space weather – importance, causes and predictions with interactive videos, experiments and quizzes; The use of geothermal energy for sustainable energy supply; Observing the effects of climate change by ‘taking the pulse of the landscape’: weather, greenhouse gases, soil water and tree growth; What can we learn about the Earth from satellites?; How does GPS work and how does the geosciences use it?, What effect do peatlands have on climate change and what are the benefits of rewetting?; What can we learn from analysing minerals?; Plan your climate-neutral life with the RIFS Potsdam climate puzzle; The importance of diversity in science – a panel discussion.

A new highlight was the mobile planetarium dome of the Planetarium Berlin Foundation. Not only can the starry sky be projected in the mobile science theatre. It is also suitable for impressive 360-degree views of the Earth from GFZ research projects – from the causes of earthquakes and the decline of ice sheets to earth observation using satellites such as GRACE-FO and EnMAP.

Further (GFZ) programme items can be found here and in the picture gallery above.

Lots of positive feedback

The first of the more than 6000 visitors had already flocked to the Telegrafenberg at 12:30, half an hour before the official start. The last few were surprised to find that only a third of the campus had been visited by the time the event closed at 7 pm. Some came with precise programme ideas, others drifted over the hill and were advised by the many hard-working helpers.

Many Potsdamers were visiting the Telegrafenberg for the first time and were delighted to finally be able to get to know this interesting historical science location just around the corner.

The response was not only extremely positive from the visitors. The many people involved in science and the institutes were also delighted with the guests' interest and enjoyed experimenting and discussing together.