Science City has grown continuously since the presentation of the corresponding vision in 2003. A few attractions for the wider public also came into being hesitantly at the same time. For example an alpine garden was planted (1), or two months ago the bistro also began to open its doors at weekends. However, from 4/5 November there will now be a whole range of new attractions on various weekends, brought together under the overall title “Treffpunkt Science City” (“Rendez-vous in Science City”) (2). These were presented to the media in the Science City infospot on Wednesday 25 October.

Science City, a meeting point for prominent figures

To create the “Rendezvous”, ETH Zurich has taken up formats from the 2005 anniversary year. For example in the program item “Forschung zum Anfassen” (“Research you can touch”), scientists will give short lectures followed by a discussion of the kind that is familiar from last year’s series “150 ETH professors in discussion”. However, because of the location, there is an opportunity to illustrate the subject of the lecture to visitors straight away in the laboratory. For example in this format on 19 November visitors can learn how the Earth is surveyed and how to make a virtual journey through tunnels and landscapes.

Prominent figures from politics, industry, education and the arts, show business and sport can be met in the “Science Talk on Sunday”. These individuals hold discussions with ETH researchers. For the opening event on 5 November, Thomas Bucheli will climb the Hönggerberg instead of Swiss Television’s roof and will talk with ETH particle physicist Günther Dissertori. Guided tours are also planned to show what is hidden between and in the buildings. Anyone who prefers to explore the campus by themselves can go to various locations on the site with an iPod that can be borrowed in the bistro and can indulge in the corresponding information through the headphones.

The speaker at the first event at the “Science City Rendezvous" on the plastics of Neanderthal Man and modern humans: ETH Professor Ulrich Suter. large

Plastics of Neanderthal Man and present-day humans

Apropos the site: The quality of nature on the campus is so good that on Saturday 28 October Science City received the “Nature Park” label awarded by the “Nature and Industry” Foundation. As an example of the wide diversity of nature on the Hönggerberg, ETH gardener Fritz Graber mentioned in the press release that around 30 species of bird can be seen here. Hares, moles and fat dormice have also been spotted already on the site.

To conclude the information event, the media representatives were given a foretaste of the first presentation on 5 November: “Research you can touch”. Ulrich Suter, ETH Professor for Polymers, gave a brief explanation of what can be expected in the title “Modern Materials – from Plastics to Tooth Ceramics”. In a “Short history of materials” he intends to show how Neanderthal Man already knew about plastics and how these materials developed to the present day, when 7.5 tonnes per second are produced throughout the world.

If lectures of this kind and the other events on offer are well received, those responsible intend to continue and possibly expand the program, which has so far been planned until February.