AHA at the Festival of the Future 2026

Hands-on activities on the topic of “Planetary Health”

How does our way of life affect the planet—and ourselves? Planetary health is a concept that examines the connections between the “health” of the planet and human health. How healthy we humans are is inextricably linked to the state of the Earth’s natural systems. But where risks become apparent, new paths can also emerge: ideas, projects, and visions that can help us find a sustainable way for humans and the planet to coexist.

The special exhibition“Planetary Health – At the Heart of Humanity and the Planet,”presented by Munich Science Communication Lab MSCL) and the Deutsches Museum, is currently introducing this topic to a broad audience. During the “Festival of the Future” family weekend, the AHA booth on the Isar Promenade on Museum Island offered a brief glimpse into the exhibition. The focus was on the following three aspects:

• Landscapes and Health
• Urban Heat and Climate Adaptation
• Water as a Resource and a Cooling Mechanism

Unterschiedliche Mitmachangebote und Interaktionsmöglichkeiten für Klein und Groß machten das Thema Planetary Health erlebbar:

• Use water and a paintbrush to draw on the asphalt and have fun experiencing evaporation and heat (painting activity for children ages 3 and up).
• Fold paper fans and learn how they help regulate body temperature and what other ways there are to adapt to the heat (craft station for children ages 5 and up).
• Take a look at landscape images related to planetary health, the urban climate, and the emotional impact of environments, and reflect on how they affect you (youth ages 10 and up, adults).
• Talk with the Exhibition creators Exhibition communication experts from the MSCL and gain insights into current research in the fields of planetary health and communication studies.

The booth was integrated into the MSCL's activities and highlighted the current special exhibition at the Deutsches Museum, which focuses on planetary health and related research topics and could be visited immediately after the festival.

Digital Patient Journey on the Topic of AI in Medicine

Im Rahmen des Wissenschaftsjahres 2026 "Medizin der Zukunft" ist im Projekt "2036 – Gesund mit KI?" eine digitale, interaktive Patientenjourney entstanden, die anhand von fünf Beispielen verschiedene Einsatzmöglichkeiten von KI in der Medizin zeigt. Am AHA Stand gab die Möglichkeit, das Projekt und die Patientenjourney kennenzulernen und direkt auszuprobieren.

Experiments and fact sheets on energy supply

Als drittes Thema konnten Besuchende am AHA Stand näheres zum Thema Energieversorgung der Zukunft und erneuerbare Energien erfahren. Der Exzellenzcluster e-conversion steuerte ein Mitmachexperiment bei, in dem die Gäste die Oberflächentemperaturen unterschiedlicher Materialien mit Infrarot-Thermometern messen konnten. So erfuhren sie auf spielerische Art und Weise, wie sich Farbe und Material auf die Aufnahme, Speicherung und Abstrahlung von Sonnenenergie auswirken. Auf kleinen Faktenkarten konnte man zudem interessante aktuelle Forschungsprojekte kennenlernen.