Hands-On Research at the Festival of Science & Curiosity

More than 1,700 people attended the European Researchers’ Night at the EMBL campus in Heidelberg—the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research also participated with interactive experiments.

How is color created from light? And what can we learn about the properties of light using simple materials? Hands-on experiments and discussions with scientists were the focus of our institute’s contribution to this year’s European Researchers’ Night.

Along the striking staircase of the ATC building—modeled after a DNA double helix—research organizations, universities, and other scientific institutions from Heidelberg and the surrounding region presented their work. The four Max Planck Institutes in Heidelberg were also represented with joint activities.

Experimenting with Light

At our institute’s booth, visitors could become researchers themselves: Colleagues from the Departments of Cellular Biophysics and Optical Nanoscopy demonstrated how light can be manipulated using polarizing films and transparent tape. This created glowing color patterns that both children and adults could try out right away.

Hands-On Science

The booths of the other Max Planck Institutes also offered hands-on science. Laser and spectroscopy experiments, as well as models of exoplanets, provided insights into current research. Panel discussions, theater performances, and creative formats in the “Theater of Curiosity” rounded out the program. The interactive “Curiosity Cube” from partner Merck offered further opportunities to explore modern research technologies firsthand.

Another Edition in 2027

European Researchers’ Night has been sponsored by the European Union since 2005 and brings researchers together with people of all ages and varying levels of prior knowledge. In Heidelberg, the 2026 event was co-hosted by EMBL and Merck. The science festival is scheduled to take place again next year.