Scientifica 2026: How we create knowledge

Experience science up close for nine days at Switzerland’s largest science festival. Researchers will present their current projects and findings at exhibition booths and in short lectures at various locations in and around Zurich – including several from the Department of Geography.

To understand the consequences of environmental pollution, climate change, or the decline in biodiversity, it is often necessary to take a broader perspective. Thanks to the latest technology, remote sensing from the air or from space reveals how humans impact the environment.

Saturday, 22. August, Innovationspark Zürich in Dübendorf, 11 – 17 Uhr
Saturday, 29. and Sunday, 30. August, Hauptgebäude ETH und UZH, 11 – 17 Uhr
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For Scientifica, ARES – UZH’s airborne observation platform – is making a stop in Dübendorf. Step aboard the ARES research aircraft, whose sensors are among the most advanced in the world. Learn how it can be used to collect highly detailed data for climate and environmental sciences.

Saturday, 22. August,  Innovationspark Zürich in Dübendorf, 11 – 17 Uhr
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How does continuous dependence on navigation systems affect our sense of direction? What does this mean for our ability to learn about geographical space? See for yourself what happens when you drive through a virtual city in a driving simulator.

Sunday, 23. August,  Campus Irchel, 11 – 17 Uhr
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Join us for Zurich’s first Poohstick Championship. The rules are simple: Whose stick floats under a bridge the fastest? The game was invented in the children’s book Winnie the Pooh and is enjoyed all over the world. Scientists use the same method to estimate the velocity water.

25. August 2026, 17:00 - 18:00
Guided tour and contest at the Schanzengraben
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The retreat of glaciers is one of the most visible signs of climate change. State-of-the-art instruments and vivid models illustrate how this retreat is measured and what the future holds for Switzerland’s glaciers.

Saturday 29. and Sunday 30. August, 11 – 17 Uhr
Zentrum | ETH Main Building
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Two black holes merging, aerial views of the Eye of the Sahara, or simulations of entire galaxies: Images created by or for research showcase the Earth and space from an aesthetic perspective as well. This guided tour through the exhibition will not only give you a closer look at the images, but also at the research behind them.

22. August 2026, 12:00 - 12:30, 14:00 -14:30, 15:00 - 15:30
Dübendorf | Meeting point will be indicated on the ticket
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