The 2026 edition was well attended, with 692 people visiting the AMOLF building. Many visitors came with children, but there was plenty to experience for adults as well.
Wetenschapsdag for adults
The program included lectures about solar energy in relation to the limited space available in the Netherlands (Kay Cesar from TNO), how to build a living cell (Hannah Lena Wienecke from AMOLF), and how to make rubber count (Martin van Hecke from AMOLF).
Wetenschapsdag is also the only time of the year when visitors can explore the labs. One of the new labs open to visitors this year was the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) facility. This microscope can not only reveal the smallest building blocks of materials but also show what happens when light shines on them.
Wetenschapsdag for kids
This year, AMOLF offered five different workshops for kids:
- Rainbow chocolate: Make chocolate reflect the colors of the rainbow.
- Marshmallow structures: Build structures with marshmallows and learn about shadows.
- Make your own solar cell: Create a solar cell using berries.
- Fold your own microscope: Build a microscope and discover a hidden world. And take it home to explore!
- Smaakmakers: Discover mirror molecules through smell and build your own molecule. Will it be a right-handed or left-handed molecule?
Mark your calendar for next year
During the national Weekend of Science in 2026, 125.000 people participated in activities throughout the country. The Wetenschapsdag Amsterdam Science Park is part of the Weekend of Science.
In 2027, Wetenschapsdag will be held on Saturday, October 2. More information follows in the weeks preceding the event.
