Discover the Future, Experience Safety Long Night of the Sciences 2026

Join in, experiment, and explore: During the Long Night of the Sciences 2026, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) opens its doors to show how research is making everyday life safer, more sustainable, and fit for the future.

On June 6, 2026, visitors can look forward to a diverse program spanning energy, infrastructure, the environment, materials science, and chemical and process engineering — from batteries and wind energy to sustainable construction, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and mixed reality.

How can batteries be used and recycled more safely? How can wind turbines operate longer, and how can concrete components be reused? What can electron microscopes reveal about the nanoworld, and how are AI and robotics accelerating the development of new materials? At numerous interactive stations, visitors can conduct experiments themselves, capture thermal images, try ultrasonic testing, challenge robots, and uncover hidden structures inside materials.

Current societal challenges are also in focus: BAM provides insights into PFAS (“forever chemicals”), the safe transport of hazardous goods, repairable products, and sustainable building materials such as earth. Researchers also demonstrate how modern testing methods help make bridges safer, preserve historic buildings, and conserve valuable resources.

Whether you are visiting as a family, are passionate about technology, or are simply curious about science, BAM invites everyone to experience research up close and discover the technologies shaping our future.

Program at our Adlershof location

Focus Area Energy

Understanding batteries, using them safely: All about batteries –from charging, disposal to recycling

Learn how important it is to use batteries correctly to ensure safety, whatever type they are – from charging and discharging to transport, disposal, and recycling. Find out which areas BAM is researching in order to further increase the safety of small and large electrical energy storage devices. Get involved at our stand: Measure the voltage and temperature of a battery cell and learn how to recognize unsafe conditions at an early stage. Take a look inside a rechargeable battery and learn more about sustainable battery materials.

Longer service life, more efficiency – powered by thermography: How BAM optimizes wind energy

How can wind energy be used longer, more efficiently, and in a more resource-friendly manner? At our booth, we will use a three-meter-high wind turbine to demonstrate how smart solutions are advancing the energy transition. Get to know our Wind@BAM Competence Center and find out how modern technology makes it possible to operate wind turbines longer and more economically. See how BAM uses infrared cameras to inspect the rotor blades of wind turbines in order to detect damage in good time.
And don't forget to take the crowd-favourite “thermal selfie” with our infrared camera!

Focus Area Infrastructure

Sculpting the future with earth: how we make construction more carbon-neutral and resource-efficient

Load-bearing walls made of earth? This could be the future of sustainable construction. Learn about this building material and its applications, and try your hand at working with earth. You can make a rammed earth test block and find out how durable it is. See how the moisture content of the material affects its stability and how its water resistance can be improved. Earth has great potential: it causes significantly lower CO₂ emissions than many other building materials and is completely reusable. BAM is working on standardizing load-bearing rammed earth walls.

Invisible from the outside: How corrosion causes hydrogen, damages bridges and how we deal with it

Want to know what caused the Carola Bridge to collapse? Experts explain how the specific type of corrosion responsible for this occurred. You can try out for yourself how prestressed concrete, which is used to build these bridges, works. You will learn how the tendons in this type of concrete are deliberately damaged in the lab in order to investigate how the damage occurs. And you will learn how this information can be used to assess the state of bridges and estimate how long they can still be used safely.

Focus Area Environment

Product design revisited – saving energy and repairing

Everyone knows it: the EU energy label provides reliable information about a product's energy consumption. Soon, its repairability will also be assessed and displayed on the label. What counts here is how the product is assembled (glued, screwed, clamped), how many steps are required to replace a part, and what tools can be used to do so. Experts from BAM explain the new repairability classes by unscrewing smartphones, tablets and notebooks – join in!

Concrete put to the test – Investigating components for a second life using innovative methods

How strong is concrete—and what is inside it? At our booth, you can see how BAM tests concrete components non-destructively so that they can be reused. Using modern measuring methods, we make steel reinforcements inside visible and assess the strength of concrete elements without destroying them. Go on a journey of discovery yourself: look for reinforcements in the concrete and assess its quality. Find out how our testing methods conserve valuable resources and enable sustainable construction with a smaller carbon footprint.

Focus Area Material

Smart algorithms, strong glass: How AI and automation are accelerating glass research

How will the glass of the future be made? Experience how robotics, artificial intelligence, and automation are revolutionizing glass research. BAM combines simulations, databases, and automated melting processes to create an intelligent cycle. The idea: in the future, AI will suggest the material, a robot will carry out the melting process, and sensors will control the operation. A special highlight: glass casting takes place every hour in the laboratory, which you can watch live. Discover how high-performance glass is being produced faster and more sustainably – including with recycled glass.

Play Tic‑Tac‑Toe against our robot!

Play against our smart robot and experience live how machines learn, analyze images, and make decisions – whether it’s determining the next move or making materials better and safer. A quick glimpse into the world of AI, automation, and data analysis – exciting for young and old alike!

When science becomes science fiction: How AI and robots are creating the materials of the future

Step into the future! At our stand, you'll see AI and robots in action, developing the next generation of materials! From autonomous labs that conduct experiments on their own to intelligent algorithms that collect, analyze and react to real-time data - this is where science meets science fiction. Try out the technology, watch real-time experiments and discover how AI is changing the way we develop materials for everything from safer infrastructure to sustainable energy.

What is hidden beneath the surface of materials?

What is hidden inside our materials? And what does something look like when it’s so tiny that it can no longer be seen with the naked eye? With us, families can embark on a journey of discovery together: Using a special measuring device, we demonstrate which metals are contained in everyday objects—quickly, precisely, and without causing any damage. At our research microscope, everyday items can be viewed in impressive magnification. And a simple water experiment clearly shows why the surface of materials is so crucial.

Luminescent nanoparticles in everyday life

What do an ID card, a smartphone display, and a highlighter have in common? They all contain fluorescent molecules, nanocrystals, or particles. These light-emitting substances are used in bioanalytics, medical diagnostics, materials research, and photovoltaics to mark and detect compounds, study structures and processes in living cells, or improve solar cell efficiency. We showcase various applications and offer insights into the fascinating world of glowing sensor and nanomaterials.

From chocolate to concrete: discover 3D printing

Experience fascinating insights into the world of 3D printing. Discover exciting exhibits made of ceramics, metal, concrete, and even chocolate – to see and try out! Learn how cutting-edge technologies like microscopy, X-ray imaging, and other analysis methods reveal hidden defects in 3D-printed components. Play our 3D printing domino and X-ray memory game!

A glimpse into the invisible: Discover nanoworlds in virtual and real electron microscopes

Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of electron microscopy! In live demonstrations, we will show you in small groups how we use transmission electron microscopes (TEM) to visualise structures in the nanometre range that are otherwise invisible to the human eye. Interactive simulators allow you to slip into the role of a researcher yourself. The programme is complemented by an exhibition of extraordinary TEM images that invite you to discover and puzzle over them.

Hands-On Ultrasound: Discover Hidden Defects Yourself

How do you find defects inside components—such as machines, welds, wind turbines, or even railroad tracks—without destroying them? At the BAM booth, you can experience ultrasonic testing firsthand! Visitors of all ages can pick up transducers themselves and detect defects in test specimens. A classic ultrasonic device allows for the acoustic detection of defects, while a more modern testing device displays ultrasonic images in color. An exciting insight into non-destructive testing—to participate in, try out, and understand!

Focus Area Chemistry and Process Engineering

On the trail of PFAS! From rapid tests to nanofilters: what lies behind forever chemicals

They are found in outdoor clothing, packaging, and paints. At the BAM stand, you can find out where and in which applications “forever chemicals” (PFAS) occur, how they enter the environment, and why they are a potential hazard. Learn about an innovative PFAS rapid test that detects the substances within 15 minutes, discover a high-tech nanofilter material for reducing PFAS in wastewater, and learn how PFAS are detected in textiles. We will also inform you about the legal regulations that apply to PFAS and the measures planned across the EU.

Transporting materials safely: Identifying, classifying & understanding hazardous substances

Hazardous materials, or products manufactured using them, are encountered more often in everyday life than one might think. At our booth, you can discover in a playful way which substances are classified as hazardous substances and how they are transported safely—from peroxides and nitroglycerin to batteries. In a quiz, assign typical everyday objects such as construction foam or medicines to the appropriate hazardous goods containers. The experience is complemented by videos of real transport tests on the BAM test site. Learn how we ensure safety in the transport of hazardous goods – in a clear and interactive way.

Look into the future! Data glasses and mixed reality for industrial use

When it comes to smart glasses, many people think of video games, but mixed reality can do much more – what are the benefits of mixed reality in everyday industrial life? We will demonstrate live how mixed reality can assist in the design of industrial plants, the maintenance of pumps and work in hazardous areas, such as sampling at chemical plants. Try on our mixed reality glasses and immerse yourself in virtual industrial work.

At Freie Universität Berlin, BAM will also present:

Focus Area Environment

Learning from insects: Using nature's strategies for safe materials

Termites, ants and bees are perfectly organised ‘superorganisms’. Their sophisticated defence mechanisms and security systems provide valuable inspiration for materials research and innovative protective designs. BAM is researching how these natural systems can help to develop safe and resistant materials - for more safety in technology and chemistry. Immerse yourself in the fascinating secrets of this insect world.

Stopping microorganisms, protecting monuments: When tiny creatures threaten buildings

Grey, green or black growths on buildings? They are often caused by microbes, i.e. tiny organisms that colonise and damage stones - even famous buildings such as Cologne Cathedral or the Frauenkirche in Dresden. BAM researches how these microorganisms interact with materials and develops methods to sustainably protect historical monuments and modern buildings. Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of the ‘’rock roomies‘’ and find out how we can preserve architectural heritage - from listed stone buildings to modern solar modules.