The Einstein Telescope Education Center (ETEC) opened at the Discovery Museum in Kerkrade on Tuesday afternoon. In recent months, we have been hard at work furnishing the museum’s cube section and full-day lesson program.
The aim is to show school groups after the summer holidays why the Einstein Telescope is important to science. “Through a film, an interactive demonstration lecture and workshops, they learn that physics as they learn in high school is actually applied in the ET project,” says director Hans Gables.
Scientist Gideon Quickwick believes it is important for children to learn more about Einstein’s telescope. “People should not think that this telescope is only for scientists. We want to make children aware of the fact that they can add value to this project. In addition, it is important that children interested in science do not have to leave Limburg to leave.”
The content of the ETEC program was developed in cooperation with Maastricht University. ETEC is also important if the choice of construction is indeed located on the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. According to the initiators, today’s students are the scientists who will soon work on building the Einstein telescope. It is therefore very important to retain sufficient scientific talent for the region.
The program can also be booked free of charge for up to 1,000 students. In this way, the organization hopes to transfer knowledge to children as easily as possible. The project will be maintained until 2026. This is also the year in which it will be determined whether the Einstein Telescope will actually be installed in Limburg. “If not, the ETEC project will not be finished,” says Hans Gables. “If the Einstein Telescope comes to Limburg, I expect we will make this project even bigger.”
