National Science Weekend: open days at NWO institutes

Science Weekend is the leading national event for science and technology! On Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 October companies, research institutes, universities and museums will open their doors. Several NWO Institutes will also hold an open day during this weekend.

Saturday 6 October: Open day Amsterdam Science Park
At AMOLF you can learn more about research into solar cell materials and discover how plants excel in geometry. Children aged six years and older can make a solar cell and children aged eight years and older can make their own sound receiver.

At Nikhef you can attend mini-lectures, take part in workshops and join a guided tour. You will find out about the Higgs particle, antimatter, neutrinos, gravitational waves and far more. Plus you can pose your questions in the Big Bang Theory Corner. Take a look in the grid computer room and learn what happens with the enormous data flows from the LHC particle accelerator.

Children can make their own code breaker and use it to decode the secret message. They can also search for all particles from the particles zoo.

At CWI various lectures will be given, and a mathematics and ICT market will be held. Visitors of all ages can contribute ideas and puzzle things out to discover whether they can beat a quantum computer. Or you can design the best wind farm. The FleX-ray Scanner will examine the contents of Kinder Surprise Eggs without breaking the eggs.

More information about the open day at AMOLF. More information about the open day at Nikhef. More information about the open day at CWI. Information is in Dutch only.

The Open Day of Amsterdam Science Park is a collaboration between AMOLF, Amsterdam University College, CWI, Netherlands eScience Center, Nikhef, SURFsara and University of Amsterdam Science Faculty, as part of the Science Weekend.

Saturday 6 October: Open day ASTRON/JIVE
At ASTRON/JIVE in Dwingeloo, you can discover everything about the largest radio telescopes in the world. You can do tests and experiments related to the universe. Or you can learn to program and make your own exploded star.
More information about the open day at ASTRON/JIVE. Information in Dutch only.

Sunday 7 October: Open day DIFFER
At DIFFER in Eindhoven, various workshops about science and technology will be given. There are many exciting, surprising and interesting experiments and a treasure hunt for both children and adults. Alternatively, you can visit a 15-minute mini masterclass.
More information about the open day at DIFFER. Information in Dutch only.

Sunday 7 October: Open day SRON Groningen and SRON Utrecht
In Utrecht, you can discover how space instruments are designed and made. There are special activities for children, such as a fun lab and children's lectures.
In Groningen, you can see, hear and smell the universe. Put on headphones and listen to the sound stars make. Children can also attend lectures and do experiments here.

More information about the open day at SRON locations Utrecht and Groningen. Information in Dutch only.

The Institutes NIOZ, NSCR and ARCNL are not open this year during the Science Weekend.

The entire programme of the Science Weekend 2018 can be found here (Dutch only). Search for the name of the institute to find the opening times, address details and its entire programme. The programmes are interesting for both children and adults!