GSI and FAIR at the BMFTR Open House in Berlin
09.06.2026 |
On June 20 and 21, 2026, the Federal Chancellery, the federal ministries, and the Federal Press Office will open their doors to the public. The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) is also hosting an open house on this occasion. Visitors will gain insights into current research projects and technological developments from Germany. The GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung and the future FAIR accelerator center will also be present with an interactive booth, demonstrating how modern particle accelerators enable new insights into the evolution of the universe.
At the GSI and FAIR booth, visitors of all ages can get hands-on experience: Through an interactive accelerator game, they’ll learn how particles are accelerated to high speeds and how this leads to new insights into the structure of matter. They’ll also discover how chemical elements are formed in the universe and how such processes can be reproduced in the laboratory. At GSI, six new superheavy elements have already been produced, including Darmstadtium (element 110), which was named after the location of GSI and FAIR in the science city of Darmstadt. Participants can also enter a raffle to win prizes from the world of chemical elements, including glowing element cubes, element magnets, or a stuffed animal.
Using virtual reality headsets, visitors can embark on a virtual journey to Darmstadt and immerse themselves in the world of GSI and the FAIR accelerator center, which is currently under construction. In doing so, they gain exclusive insights into the massive FAIR construction project—one of the largest and most complex research projects in the world. In the future, this facility will enable the study of matter under conditions that otherwise only occur in the universe, such as inside stars during stellar explosions or shortly after the Big Bang. This allows visitors to experience how scientists create conditions in the laboratory that are otherwise only found in the universe, thereby exploring fundamental questions in physics. (JL)
