A journey of discovery into the mysteries of the universe

The darkest parts of the universe are full of mysteries. But what if there were a high-tech underground observation station that allowed us not only to see but also to listen? What would black holes tell us? What message would an exploding star leave behind?

This is how the text begins with which Technopolis, the Flemish science and technology centre in Mechelen, opens its doors to the Einstein Telescope, targeting children who are already interested in the subject or who will undoubtedly become so after a visit. Material for this exhibition has been designed or adapted specifically for the age group of the expected visitors.

Themed days as a holiday tip

This exhibition will be on display – and available to experience – as part of a visit to Technopolis until at least the end of February 2027.

In addition, four themed days are planned for the coming holiday months. Of these, two are aimed at children aged 12 and over (17 July and 1 August) and two at younger children aged 6 and over (4 July and 14 August). On these days, there will be workshops and talks combined with theatre performances on ET-related themes.

Theatre

The theatre programme during the theme days for the youngest visitors (aged 6 and over) will be led by physicist Bert Vercnocke and Ina De Winne, who, together with Radio Galaxy, created the theatre show ‘Talking to Black Holes’ for children. This was a great success at the recent Nerdland science festival. Bert Vercnocke has been working for ET Vlaanderen for some time and produces a popular podcast series with Daniel Mayerson. Ina De Winne is a graduate of the UCLL Technology and Science Academy teacher training programme.

For the themed days aimed at older children (aged 12 and over), Annelien Vekemans delves into the ‘symphony of the universe’. In other words: what do black holes sound like? Annelien Vekemans of the Leuven Gravity Institute was honoured last year by the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium (KVAB) with one of its annual prizes for science communication on gravity, black holes and gravitational waves, aimed at primary and secondary school pupils.

Tailor-made school visits

The collaboration between FWO Flanders, ET Flanders and Technopolis is aimed not only at general visitors but also, in particular, at school classes. These will be able to visit from the start of the coming school year, with each school visit including at least one talk tailored to the age of the visitors.