Our climate is changing rapidly. Extreme weather events, rising sea levels and the loss of biodiversity are just some of the consequences. In order to better understand these complex interrelationships, our climate exhibits offer you the opportunity to explore complex scientific topics in a fun and interactive way.
10-Minute Museum – The Mathematics of the Climate Crisis
How can we use maths to first gain a better understanding of the Earth’s climate and then predict its future development? Key concepts are explained clearly through visual models, touchscreens, audio recordings, video interviews with researchers and a small experiment on the tipping point.
Take 10 minutes to gain a clear understanding of the facts and background to climate change research.
The explorer app gives you access to the sensors built into your smartphone. You can use the sensors to detect magnetic fields, for example, or measure the acceleration and rotation rate. Try out the sensors on selected exhibits at phaeno. Various discovery tours are available to you in the app. These provide you with detailed information about the exhibits and experiments.
How does the greenhouse effect caused by CO2 work? The effect of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide can be researched at our exhibit.
The globe is illuminated and heats up in the process. It emits this heat back into the air as thermal radiation. Greenhouse gases such asCO2 absorb this heat radiation, which means that some of the heat remains in the atmosphere.
There is a measuring device on our exhibit that you can use to measure how much of the Earth's heat radiation is absorbed by CO2.
Did you know that it takes a certain amount ofCO2, around 280 ppm*, to keep our planet warm? However, we now have too much of it in the atmosphere, so it is getting warmer and warmer.
*PPM stands for partspermillion. It is a unit of measurement used to indicate very small concentrations or proportions of one substance in another.
How does the greenhouse effect caused by CO2 work? The effect of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide can be researched at our exhibit.
The globe is illuminated and heats up in the process. It emits this heat back into the air as thermal radiation. Greenhouse gases such asCO2 absorb this heat radiation, which means that some of the heat remains in the atmosphere.
There is a measuring device on our exhibit that you can use to measure how much of the Earth's heat radiation is absorbed by CO2.
Did you know that it takes a certain amount ofCO2, around 280 ppm*, to keep our planet warm? However, we now have too much of it in the atmosphere, so it is getting warmer and warmer.
*PPM stands for partspermillion. It is a unit of measurement used to indicate very small concentrations or proportions of one substance in another.
One million timesCO2 - a major challenge
There are millions of tiny particles in the air around us - including carbon dioxide. But how muchCO2 is there? And how much more has it become? Large numbers are sometimes difficult to grasp.
The exhibit. "How much is a million" is a great exhibit to sharpen your understanding of large numbers. And it is precisely this understanding that is essential when it comes to grasping complex climate data such as CO2 concentrations.
What does it feel like when you hold your head in a bowl? That depends on the surface of the bowl. Depending on the colour of the surface, more or less heat is reflected or absorbed by your face. In this experiment, you can test a silver and a black bowl. Which bowl makes your face feel warmer? You can also compare both surfaces in a long half cylinder.
Different earth surfaces are very important for our climate. Ice and snow mainly reflect solar radiation, while soil and plants, for example, absorb more solar radiation. As more and more ice and snow surfaces disappear due to global warming, more solar radiation can be absorbed by the darker surfaces below. This further intensifies global warming.
Imagine you could propel a rocket with water! It's possible here at phaeno. By turning the crank, you produce electricity. This electricity is used to break down water into its components, hydrogen and oxygen. These gases collect in the glass tubes. When there is enough gas, you can launch the rocket.
And how does it work? Water consists of tiny particles. Each water molecule (H₂O) consists of two hydrogen atoms (H2) and one oxygen atom (O). Using electricity, we can break this bond and separate the individual atoms. The resulting gases, hydrogen and oxygen, are very light and rise upwards in the glass tubes. When we mix these gases and ignite them, a small explosion occurs that propels the rocket.
If we use hydrogen as a fuel, only water is produced during combustion. This is much better for the environment than burning coal or oil, which produce harmful exhaust gases such as carbon dioxide CO2.
Come along and try it out for yourself!
The leaves of plants contain tiny green pigment particles, known as chlorophyll. This chlorophyll captures sunlight, almost like a small solar panel in each leaf.
In addition to sunlight, plants also need water and carbon dioxide (CO2). Something magical then happens in the leaves: the chlorophyll uses the energy of the sunlight to convert the water and carbon dioxide into two new substances: Sugar and oxygen. With the help of sugar, plants grow and form new leaves and flowers. And we humans and animals breathe in oxygen in order to live.
Can plants change the atmosphere? Yes, precisely through photosynthesis and respiration.
In our exhibit, you can see how plants produce oxygen and break down CO2 during the day through photosynthesis. In a short day-night cycle, cress is illuminated in a box. At the same time, oxygen and CO2 in the air are measured in the box. Without light, photosynthesis can no longer take place. However, the plants continue to breathe, producing CO2. As a result, the oxygen content of the air decreases and the CO2 content increases.
