NPI at the Children’s Day of young scientists

27. 05. 2026

On Sunday, 24 May, the Children’s Day of young scientists took place at Liblice castle. The event was organized by the Centre of Administration and Operations of the Czech Academy of Sciences and also featured a stand presented by the Nuclear Physics Institute of the CAS. The afternoon full of experiments, discovery and meetings with real scientists attracted more than one thousand visitors.

The fascinating world of physics was introduced to children by Dr Svetlana Kushpil from the NPI Department of Heavy Ion Physics together with her husband, Dr Vasilij Kushpil, who worked at the NPI for almost 30 years on heavy-ion experiments and was long involved in supervising graduate students. Visitors could explore various scientific instruments and tools, try simple experiments and learn about physical phenomena in a playful way.

The experiments themselves attracted great interest. They were installed in the historic Princely Lounge and included 35 different constructions and mechanisms, including a professional telescope and a tracking detector with electronics. Dr S. Kushpil explained the principles behind the demonstrations through games and competitions between children and parents, in which the children’s teams often emerged as the winners. Some families spent several hours in this interactive “laboratory”.

Using magnetic balls, Dr S. Kushpil showed children how galaxy collisions and mergers work. With the help of a Tesla egg model, she also demonstrated the principle of a rotating magnetic field and an induction motor. Children could try some of the principles used in particle research and discover that nuclear physics is far more adventurous than it may seem at first sight.

The event offered a rich programme for both children and adults — from scientific workshops to competitions and face painting. The atmosphere throughout the day showed that nuclear physics can inspire both young and adult visitors and that curiosity is the best foundation for discovering the world around us.

Svetlana Kushpil has long been involved in science popularization and educational activities for children. After many years of supervising student internships, she founded the TESLA science and technology club for young schoolchildren in Řež, which gradually developed into a project supporting the development of the region around the NPI. Children in the club carry out experiments, work with laboratory equipment and become familiar with physics, chemistry, astronomy and modern technologies. The programme also includes scientific excursions and meetings with expert guests from various fields of research.

NPI at the Children’s Day of young scientists

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