Geo-Jeopardy
GAME (ID: 1)
Let‘s play Geo-Jeopardy, a classic TV quiz show! Participants operate a hardware buzzer (big push button), answering simple questions about the Earth. The moderator displays the questions on a beamer. Highest scoring player wins.
Location: House H, Lecture Hall
Time: 12:30 pm – 1:00 pm, 4:15 pm - 4:45 pm
The Northern Lights and space weather
LECTURE (ID: 2)
Lecture on auroras (polar lights) and space weather: How they form, why they are sometimes visible in Potsdam, and what effects solar activity has on our technologies.
Speakers: Dr. Nicole Burdanowitz, Prof. Dr. Yuri Shprits
Location: House H, Lecture Hall
Time: 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Orientation in the cosmos: geodetic space techniques
LECTURE (ID: 3)
Geodetic reference system are the fundamental basis for orientation on Earth as well as in space up to the most distant objects at the outscirts of the observable universe. The presentation explains several methods of orientation focussing on modern space geodetic techniques.
Speaker: Dr. Robert Heinkelmann
Location: House H, Lecture Hall
Time: 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Tour of the SIMS laboratory for high-resolution elemental and depth profile analysis
GUIDED TOUR (ID: 4)
Secondary Ion Mass Specgrometers are capable of degtermining isotope ratios with a precison of 99.99% on samples smaller than one billionth of a gram. We offer a guided tour of this high precison analytical facility.
Location: Meeting point in front of House G
Time: every 20 minutes (Duration: 15 min.)
Tour of the GeoBioLab: bringing an invisible world to life
GUIDED TOUR (ID: 5)
Microorganisms colonize almost every conceivable habitat on earth. They occupy key positions in the conversion of substances and are thus the engineers of global material cycles. What do microorganisms look like? What significance do they have in soils and sediments? How do you hunt microorganisms in nature?
Location: Meeting point at the info stand
Time: 1 pm, 2 pm and 3 pm for families, 4 pm for adults (Duration: 30-45 min.)
Telegrafenberg Gravity Field Adventure Walk
GUIDED TOUR (ID: 6)
For over a century, the Earth's gravity field has been researched on the Telegrafenberg – now this fascinating history comes alive on the gravity field walking tour. Discover historic sites such as the historic pendulum hall, marvel at the modern Satellite Laser Ranging Station, and take a look at the impressive GRACE satellite models. At each station, it is explained vividly why the Earth's gravity field is important and how precise measurements advance our understanding of the water cycle and climate change, the structure of the Earth, or tectonic processes.
Location: Meeting point at the info stand
Time: 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm (Duration: 45-60 min.)
Tours of the Potsdam satellite laser radar station
GUIDED TOUR (ID: 7)
We present you the satellites GFZ1, CHAMP, GRACE and SWARM with their mission objectives. At the SLR station you will get an overview of the technology of satellite LASER observation and experience our LASER telescope in practical operation.
Location: Meeting point at the info stand
Time: 1 pm and 3 pm (Duration: approx. 30 min.)
Scientific walk over the Telegrafenberg
GUIDED TOUR (ID: 8)
If you would like to get to know the historically interesting campus on Potsdam's Telegrafenberg, you are welcome to join one of the guided tours.
Location: Meeting point at the info stand
Time: 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm (Duration: approx. 60 min.)
A tour of the PISA laboratories: a glimpse into the world of the infinitesimally small
GUIDED TOUR (ID: 9)
Visit the PISA electron microscopy labs and discover a world too small to see with the naked eye! During this 20- to 30-minute tour, you will get to know our electron microscopes and sample preparation equipment and learn how they show us the tiny world around us. Everyone is warmly welcome!
Location: Meeting point at the "Interface Geochemistry" stand (ID: 22)
Time: hourly from 12:30 pm (max. 4 people, Duration: approx. 30 min.)
Experience laser scanning: from drones in the forest to your very own 3D portrait
INFO STAND, HANDS-ON ACTIVITY (ID: 11)
How can we weigh trees with a laser? 3D laser scanning has become firmly established in modern forest remote sensing, whether from aircraft, drones, tripods, or from space. We show how we use drones and terrestrial laser scanning at GFZ to measure forest structure and carbon content. Directly over the survey areas, this information can serve both for analyzing forest structure and for calibrating satellite observations.
Location: in front of House H
Greenhouse gas measurements in peatlands on our doorstep and in the Arctic
INFO STAND (ID: 12)
Location: in front of House H
Science as a Career: Talent Management at the GFZ
INFO STAND (ID: 13)
Come by and find out how we promote talent, shape careers, and support people in their development, from the first steps to big goals. What awaits you: 1. Insights into talent management and career paths with us 2. Conversations with people who have found their way here 3. Answers to your career questions. For the little ones: our trainees show you what they work on every day.
Time: 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Location: House H
Introducing GeoLaB: Heat from crystalline rock as a sustainable source of geothermal energy
INFO STAND, HANDS-ON ACTIVITY, GAME (ID: 14)
Geothermal energy offers great potential for regenerative heat supply. We present the GeoLaB underground research laboratory in the mine, which uses the Earth's heat for a secure energy supply. The heat is stored deep below the ground in hot rock and ensures a sustainable energy supply. We show drill cores from the first GeoLaB exploration drilling down to a depth of 500 m. At the same time, children can knead and explore the hot planet Earth.
Location: House H
When local residents plan liveable cities themselves: public participation in the ‘Kiezblocks’ project in Berlin
INFO STAND (ID: 16)
How can we bring about a sustainable transport revolution and create attractive neighbourhoods in collaboration with local residents? Researchers from RIFS present a participatory process in Berlin from start to finish.
LOCATION: House H
Site Finder for Renewable Energy
INFO STAND (ID: 17)
Locations for wind and solar power plants should be selected in an environmentally sustainable manner based on social and economic criteria. This leads to conflicting societal goals. The Renewable Energy Location Finder is an interactive tool that allows stakeholders involved in planning, consulting, and public participation processes—as well as all citizens—to learn about the characteristics of potential locations for wind and solar energy.
Location: House H
An X-ray view of the Eifel: experience volcanic seismic activity in 3D
INFO STAND (ID: 18)
Location: House H
Which geological formation provides a better seal? Search for a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste in Germany
INFO STAND (ID: 20)
The management of high-level radioactive waste is one of the most challenging environmental tasks of modern society. The final disposal of nuclear waste is a project that will continue well into the next century, not only in Germany. Worldwide, final disposal in deep geological formations is favored. The search for a site for a deep geological repository is therefore a multi-generational social and political task with a geoscientific core.
Location: House H
Interfacial geochemistry: hands-on experiments on minerals and microbes
INFO STAND, HANDS-ON ACTIVITY (ID: 22)
Minerals and microbes: discover the exciting research of the Interface Geochemistry team! At our stand, young and grown-up researchers can experiment themselves: look at microscopic algae, separate pigments, or watch live as minerals form. We tell you about our work, from the laboratory to the icy expanses of Greenland.
Location: House H
The Earth in Motion: An interactive journey through the Earth’s various layers
INFO STAND (ID: 23)
Everything inside the Earth is in motion: liquid metal flows within the outer core, generating the magnetic field. The Earth's mantle consists of rock, yet it is so hot that upward and downward currents still occur—albeit at a much slower pace. At the surface, tectonic plates move along with these currents, or subducting plates drive the flow within the mantle. When these plates grind against each other, earthquakes can result. Our display allows you to take a journey through these various layers of the Earth and learn more about them.
Location: House G
Global earthquake monitoring
INFO STAND (ID: 25)
Earthquakes are windows into the Earth's interior; without them we would know little about the structure of the Earth. Find out where the Earth is currently shaking. Which strong earthquakes have occurred in the past?
Location: House G
Interactive tours: Precise positioning from space using satellites
GUIDED TOUR (ID: 26)
Satellites not only show the way, they also help us explore the Earth. On our interactive tour, discover the technology behind GPS, Galileo & Co. and learn how we measure and understand movements of the Earth using precise satellite signals.
Time: continuously (Duration: approx. 15 min.)
Location: House A17
Tour of the historic library and the historic pendulum hall
GUIDED TOUR (ID: 27)
This tour through the historic rooms of the former Geodetic Institute provides insights into the architecture and historical significance of these places. On the first floor is the historic library of the Geodetic Institute, which is now used by the current Library as an archive. A highlight is the Pendulum Hall with the famous Reversion Pendulum. Between 1898 and 1904, Friedrich Jakob Kühnen and Philipp Furtwängler conducted the absolute determination of Earth's gravity here. The determined value became the international reference value in 1909.
Time: 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm
Location: House A17, blue sofa in the reading room
Building block game at the library: learning about metadata through play with LEGO® bricks
GAME (ID: 28)
How is scientific information organized so it can be found again? What role do metadata play? In this interactive activity, we demonstrate these concepts using LEGO® bricks. You build models together and experience how important good descriptions are. Through hands-on experimentation, you discover what information others need to rebuild your model – just like in science.
Time: 1 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm (Duration: 45-60 min.), recommended for ages 16 and up, max. 10 participants
Location: House A17
When the earth shakes: earthquake risk and earthquake-resistant construction
INFO STAND, HANDS-ON ACTIVITY (ID: 29)
Where do earthquakes occur and how great is the earthquake hazard in Germany? And how do earthquakes affect buildings? Here you can build your own buildings and test them on the vibrating plate or you explore the earthquake risk at a location of your choice on maps and computers.
Location: House A19, Schülerlabor 1. OG
GFZ School Lab: Hands-on, interactive science for children
EXHIBITION, EXPERIMENT, HANDS-ON ACTIVITY, GAME (ID: 30)
MINERAL CHECK 💎💥🔍
Come along to the GFZ School Lab stand and get hands-on: examine minerals and find out how to identify them like a pro. We look forward to seeing you!
Here’s what’s in store for you:
🎨 Streak test: Did you know that minerals have a secret ‘dust colour’? Use our scratch plates just like in a research lab.
🔨 Hardness test: Just how hard is the mineral really?
🧲 Magnet puzzle: Is the mineral magnetic?
💎 Exhibition: Minerals to marvel at.
Location: House A19, Schülerlabor 1. OG
Augmented Reality (AR) Sandbox: Explore the journey of water
HANDS-ON ACTIVITY (ID: 31)
The Augmented Reality (AR) Sandbox is used for educative and interactive demonstration of natural processes and research questions in geophysics. The exhibit imparts knowledge particularly in fields of geomorphology and hydrology. The real analogue landscape of sand can be shaped at will. Simultaneously, the sand surface is scanned and the elevation model is projected back in real time. In addition to this elevation information the reality is augmented with water simulations. Thus rain, runoff, river routing and floods as well as dike breaks or dam failure could be shown in an impressive manner.
Location: House A19, Schülerlabor ground floor
The Optical Telegraph: A Journey Through Time to 19th-Century Communication
EXHIBITION, INFO STAND (ID: 32)
From 1832 to 1849, the Telegrafenberg in Potsdam was the site of Relay Station No. 4 on the optical telegraph line between Berlin and Koblenz, which was used to exchange government dispatches and military orders. The faithful replica of the telegraph machine allows visitors to learn how it worked. In addition, information is provided on decoded dispatches and the daily lives of the telegraph operators.
Location: next to House A32
Ground Worlds Citizen-Science: Microbial Diversity in the Soil
INFO STAND (ID: 33)
The ground beneath our feet is home to one of the most species-rich and functionally significant communities of life on our planet. A single teaspoon of garden soil contains more microorganisms than there are people living on Earth—a highly complex, dynamic network of bacteria, fungi, archaea, protozoa, and viruses. They purify our water, form humus, ensure plant growth, and store gigantic amounts of carbon. With the citizen science project Bodenwelten, you can become part of the research.
Location: in front of House H