On yesterday’s Girls’Day, girls in grades 5 through 10 at our two locations – the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Light (MPL) and the Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin (MPZPM) – gained extensive insights into our research and work environment. Also present were the Equal Opportunity Officer and female researchers, who told the students how they found their way into science. During building tours with the building technologies team, the girls also got a sense of the infrastructure required for a modern research building.
At MPL, the girls, dressed in full protective gear, were able to learn about nano- and microstructuring in the cleanroom. They were introduced to 3D printing of glass and learned about the advantages our photonic glass fibers offer. In the workshops, the students explored the machinery – including a waterjet cutting machine in action. They also experimented with what can be done with electronic components. In the nano-optics lab and the microphotonics lab, the students finally stepped into the role of researchers themselves. To wrap things up, the girls made strawberry ice cream the way only scientists can: using liquid nitrogen.
There was also plenty to see at MPZPM, and physics in the life sciences was a whole new topic for the children. In the lobby, the task was to capture virtual bacteria. Using the reaction-diffusion equation, the students calculated color patterns in the animal kingdom through a simulation. Among the program highlights were the lab visits: using microscopes, pipetting, counting cells in samples at the fume hood, and working with lab equipment – just like real researchers.
About Girls’Day“Girls’Day – Mädchen-Zukunftstag” is a nationwide project aimed at career and academic orientation for girls. It is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth. Nationwide, over 24,000 opportunities and nearly 180,000 spots were available this year as part of Girls’Day and Boys’Day. Since the initiative began in 2001, a total of more than 2.6 million girls have participated in Girls’ Day.
Photos: © MPL
Use our AI to tailor your resume for this understand: Highlights from Girls' Day 2026 at MPL and MPZPM position at Max-Planck-Institut für die Physik des Lichts.