A successful summer season: GSI/FAIR's SCIENCE POP-UP attracts more than 1,200 science enthusiasts
04.09.2026 |
The 2026 summer outcome for the GSI/FAIR SCIENCE POP-UP is extremely positive: The activities in the interactive hands-on space were among the summer attractions in downtown Darmstadt. Despite the sometimes very hot temperatures, more than 1,200 science enthusiasts of all ages visited the exhibition space in Darmstadt’s pedestrian zone during the school vacation and took the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge research using particle accelerators.
This is the second summer of the innovative SCIENCE POP-UP project. Opened in March 2025, it was initially planned as a temporary project running only through the summer of the same year. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response, the successful initiative by the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research and the international accelerator center FAIR, currently under construction here, was first extended until the end of December 2025 and has now, thanks to a long-term lease, become an integral part of the inner city and the scientific landscape of Darmstadt.
In addition to the interactive exhibition, there were two other special highlights at SCIENCE POP-UP this summer. One of them was a model of a neutron star, approximately 60 centimeters in diameter, on loan from Goethe University Frankfurt. Since the opening, more than 3,000 neutron stars have been creatively designed in the hands-on room in Darmstadt, and visitors were now able to explore, right at the model, how such extreme objects are structured and how they are investigated.
In addition, numerous workshops on exciting topics in the STEM fields were offered. Over a total of eight days, children and teens of various age groups had the opportunity to gain hands-on insights into research through five different workshops. For example, participants designed and printed their own 3D models, got creative with building particle detectors from building blocks, learned to code playfully, and soldered together illuminated models of the GSI/FAIR accelerator facilities. There were also challenging topics for adults: In one workshop, participants built their own detectors for measuring ionizing radiation. Before the workshop program enters its next phase during the autumn holidays, there will be various activities available even during the school year.
The interactive exhibition at the SCIENCE POP-UP at Ernst-Ludwig-Straße 22 remains open for drop-in visits during regular opening hours and can be visited free of charge by larger groups of all ages upon registration. Additionally, appointments for the student lab are now available again. For high school biology or chemistry classes, an experiment is offered in which radiation-induced DNA damage is analyzed using gel electrophoresis. In addition, there is a lab day on the topic of particle physics for school classes starting in 9th grade, during which students make particle tracks visible using self-built cloud chambers. (BP)
More information
Further information about offers and events, as well as opening hours, can be found on the GSI/FAIR website.
