Recurring science outings

Event proposed by: Virtual Room Genève

Langues: English and French

Virtual reality is the next big technological wave. There will be commercial innovations over the next few years, and it will become an everyday tool in education, the military, video games, live events, real estate, healthcare, interactive desktop applications, social VR, project collaboration and engineering.

We have teamed up with an innovative VR developer in Carouge, Geneva, to offer the opportunity to experience and understand the development of this exciting new technology.

Join us at Virtual Room Genève for the experience of a lifetime and an explanation of the technology behind virtual reality!

Age: from 10 to 18 years

Website of Virtual Room [↗]

Event proposed by: Haute école du paysage, d’ingénierie et d’architecture de Genève (HEPIA)

Languages: English and French

In 2015, HEPIA's Aero-Nautics-Space Laboratory invented digital and pixelated wind tunnels.

These tools make it possible, for the first time, to reproduce Mother Nature's real wind, with gusts and turbulence. It is now possible to study, under authentic conditions, wind turbines, drones, sailboats, birds, and even lizards clinging to the trunks of palm trees during hurricanes.

This technology can now be found in every major research center in the world.

NASA used these winds to develop the very first drone (Ingenuity) to fly on the planet Mars.

Researchers and engineers Dr Marilou JOURDAIN, Audrey CIMADOMO, and Angèle CUVET will plunge the girls into this new world of 21st century pixelated aerodynamics, at the service of nature, sport and sustainable development.

Girls will be able to:

• Program their own wind on the computer and reproduce it in the wind tunnel
• Fly drones in a storm
• Position themselves in the wind using a Motion Capture system

Age: from 10 to 18 years

Site web du laboratoire d’Aéro-Nautique-Spatiale de l’HEPIA [↗]

Vidéo de cette visite sur  le compte Instagram d’ETH [↗]

Event proposed by: Haute école du paysage, d’ingénierie et d’architecture de Genève (HEPIA)

Languages: English and French

A wind tunnel is a device used in aerodynamics and fluid mechanics research to study the behavior of fluids (usually air) around objects such as aircraft, motor vehicles, buildings, bicycles, motorcycles, etc.

This research is essential for improving the design, safety and performance of these objects.

The wind tunnel is currently experimenting with professional skiers. During our visit, you too can try out the wind tunnel with skis on!

Age: from 10 to 18 years

CMEFE : Centre de prestations industrielles et de recherche en mécanique des fluides et énergie

HEPIA : Haute école du paysage, d’ingénierie et d’architecture de Genève

Site web du CMEFE d’HEPIA [↗]

Event proposed by: CERN

Languages: English and French

Lors de cette visite au CERN, les jeunes filles aurront l’occasion unique d’explorer le site expérimental du détecteur CMS virtuellement. Les scientifiques du CMS expliqueront la physique et la technologie qui sous-tendent l’expérience, montreront les zones de surface et souterraines qui se trouvent a Cessy et répondront aux questions.

Le CMS est un détecteur polyvalent, c’est-à-dire qu’il est conçu pour observer tout phénomène de nouvelle physique que le grand collisionneur de hadrons (LHC) pourrait révéler. LHC avec sa longueur de 27 km, est l’accélérateur de particules le plus grand et le plus puissant jamais construit. Le CMS se trouve à l’un de ces quatre points de collision, nommé Point 5.

La visite couvre un large éventail de domaines de la physique. Le Solénoïde compact pour muons (CMS) est un détecteur polyvalent installé sur l’anneau du LHC. L’expérience CMS est l’une des plus grandes collaborations scientifiques internationales qui ait jamais existé. Elle compte en effet 4300 physiciens des particules, ingénieurs, techniciens, étudiants et personnes chargées de l’appui représentant 179 universités et instituts de 41 pays!

Age: from 12 to 18 years

Event proposed by: CERN

Languages: English and French

Discover CERN, the Universe and the wonders of quantum physics with real scientific objects and three interactive exhibits:

1) Explore how the Universe works on tiny scales: Discover the world of particles as if you were tiny yourself. Sing quantum karaoke, spot entangled particles, play the quantum tunnel game and try your hand at quantum tennis.

2) Explore CERN's particle accelerators. An immersive scenography transports you into the underground tunnels. Play the control room game, pilot a robot, dig a tunnel and play proton soccer.

3) Back to the Big Bang: follow the path of your particles before they become you! Let yourself be transported through the different stages of the Universe, design your own star and eject it into space, play with the proton balance and try your hand at trapping antimatter.

Video of this visit on our Instagram [↗]

Event proposed by: Frontiers for Young Minds

Langues: English only

The animators, who have experience in science outreach or in the peer review process, introduce the Young Reviewers to the idea of a life in science, the basics of science publishing, and how to approach an article with a critical eye for feedback.

While the young girls are the primary sources of feedback for the manuscript itself, the animators play a key role in helping them to provide the authors of the article with an honest and constructive review.

For the moment, this activity is only available in English.

Website of Frontiers for Young Minds [↗]

In November 2018, Sofia, Natacha, Mathilde and Alice took part in this activity. They reviewed a scientific article on pesticide-free rice cultivation using fungi, specifically AMF. The article was published in 2019.

Published article: « Underground Fungi: Friends and Enemies of Rice Plants » [↗] 

In 2020, the article published was entitled “A message in a bottle from the North Pole - How plastic is polluting the Arctic Ocean”. Indeed, due to pollution and global warming, plastic has been found in the Antarctic Ocean. How is this possible? What happens to plastic once it reaches the Arctic Ocean? Does it harm Arctic animals? And how can we prevent plastic pollution? To find out more, click on the link below!

Published article: « A Message in a Bottle From the North Pole – How Plastic Pollutes the Arctic Ocean » [↗]

In January 2024, the subject of the article was fireflies. How do they glow? What's their purpose? How is light pollution a danger to fireflies? These are just some of the questions this article will answer!

Published article: « Unraveling the Enchanting Mystery of Fireflies Nature’s Nightlights » [↗]

Activity proposed by: Emmanuelle Gabioud de Vianaturae

Languages: English and French

On our last visit, we went on a wonderful nature and geology walk on the Salève plateau, accompanied by Emmanuelle Gabioud from Vianaturae. We learned about the history of our planet and the Salève, how to identify different types of rocks and much more.

Did you know that the Salève was formed between 200 and 66 million years ago?

And that it was formed by the accumulation of the remains of flora and fauna under the sea?

The Salève is part of the Jura Mountain range and was once almost completely under ice!

The Salève was then eroded by the glaciers of the most recent ice age into the shape it has today. We also picked some beautiful mushrooms (lépiote élevée or coulemelle), which we took home to enjoy with our families!

Website of Vianaturae [↗]

Activity proposed by: Natural History Museum

Languages: English and French

Come and visit the Museum of Natural History's “Fascinating animal stories”! We will be discovering species that are gone but not forgotten, as well as the evolution of animals and taxidermy.

We will try to answer the following questions:

• Why are birds said to be dinosaurs?
• Why did the kiwi stop flying?
• Why is the polar bear white?
  … etc.

Age: from 12 to 18 years

Event proposed by: L’Observatoire Astronomique Sauverny à Versoix

Languages: English and French

What is an observatory? What are the main areas of research in astronomy? What tools do astronomers use? What is the day-to-day life of an astronomer? You will discover all these aspects during a short introduction in the Observatory's Aula.

Visitors can then watch a ten-minute film presenting some of the Observatory's key activities and visit an exhibition room illustrating the astronomical objects studied. The tour continues with a visit to the computing center and mechanical workshops, ending at the dome housing a 70 cm telescope.

Visit schedule:

• Standard tour/explanations of how the observatory works
• A review of the types of jobs at the observatory and the subjects to study at school to work/research in this field
• Some current astronomy topics
• A question-and-answer session with a snack

Activity presented by Sylvia Ekström, Astrophysicist.

Article sur Sylvia Ekström dans Migros Magazine [↗]

Event proposed by: RTS – Radio Télévision Suisse

Languages: English and French

 Sign up and get to know the RTS professions and presenters who work with you daily to discover what's behind the screen and how a program is made. Discover the magic behind the scenes at RTS and tour the bowels of Switzerland's largest media organization with RTS guides.

Age: from 11 to 18 years

Event proposed by: Geneva Airport

Languages: English and French

A visit to the control tower at Cointrin airport is an exciting experience that offers a unique perspective on the aviation industry.

The control tower is the nerve center of any airport, guiding aircraft movements and ensuring passenger safety.

During the tour, visitors witness the complex and systematic operations of air traffic control, observing cutting-edge technology and interacting with experienced air traffic controllers. The tour enables visitors to understand the crucial role of air traffic control in ensuring flight efficiency, coordination and safety.

It's an excellent opportunity to discover the aviation sector and appreciate the hard work and diligence of air traffic controllers in ensuring smooth, unhindered flights for everyone.

ID is required for security reasons.

Age: from 12 to 18 years

Event proposed by: Services Industriels de Genève

Languages: English and French

Join the exciting tour of the Jet d'Eau pumping station, presented by Services Industriels de Genève for Elargis tes Horizons! The Jet d'Eau is not only a world-famous symbol of the city of Geneva, but also an ingenious and technically exceptional installation.

On this tour, we'll learn about the history of this late 19th-century invention and discover how it works. The tour will end with the Jet d'Eau being turned on, much to the delight of the girls, who will have the opportunity to press the button to turn it on!

Age: from 12 to 18 years

Video of this visit on our Compte Instragram d’ETH [↗]