Bringing science and academia to the public and presenting research results and arguments in an appealing way is an important skill for researchers. The Graduate Academy Leipzig offers a platform to present your own research with the Science Slam.
The Science Slam takes place on Doctoral Researchers' Day, 12 November 2024 at 8 pm and offers an original insight into research at Leipzig University. Scientists present their research projects on stage - in an easy to understand and entertaining way. All subject areas are welcome, so it will be exciting and aha moments are guaranteed.
The special thing about it is that the audience will decide who presents their own research in the most lively and exciting way and will choose the winner of the Science Slam. In addition to the scientific content, the focus is on the comprehensibility and entertainment value of the presentation.
The evening will be hosted by Jack Pop, known for his Circus of Science event at the Kupfersaal.
Admission is free.
Past Science Slams
The image of the absent-minded professor comes readily to mind – in sterile labs chemical substances are mixed, in dark archives the dust is blown off old files and in empty lecture halls nebulous mathematical formulas are scribbled on huge chalkboards. These clichés were dispelled once and for all on 19 April 2019. Research doesn’t have to be complicated; you just have to be able to explain it well.
Following the Open House for Early Career Researchers, the lecture hall in the Bibliotheca Albertina was transformed into a forum for early career researchers from Leipzig as the stage was opened for Research on Stage – Science Slam Leipzig at 8 pm.
Six early career researchers rose to the challenge and gave us an idea of their everyday research work: they ran their hands along library shelves with us and took us to Leipzig’s research laboratories. In a maximum of eight minutes, they presented their research projects in an entertaining and informative way:
- Nina Lanzer (environmental lawyer): Goethe, Trump und das Bergrecht
- Georg David Reichelt (computer scientist): Empirische Untersuchung von Performanzproblemen auf Code-Ebene
- Christin Müller (geoecologist): Wo kommt der Scheiß her? oder Wie kann uns eine „Nitrat-Banane“ helfen?
- Cornelia Wilske (hydrogeologist): Wie tickt eigentlich Wasser?
The audience chose two winners, Nina Lanzer and Georg David Reichelt, who happily accepted the Golden Megaphone and received a year’s subscription to the Leipzig magazine kreuzer.
The event was moderated by author and poetry slammer Franziska Wilhelm.
At the Science Slam during the Open House for Early Career Researchers on 26 April 2017, first place was taken twice: Benjamin Korth (environmental microbiologist, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research) and Alexander Bergmann (biology educator, Leipzig University) tied in both points and applause and therefore shared both the Golden Megaphone as well as the fame and honour.
However, they did not have to share the main prize: kreuzer – Das Leipzig Magazin awarded each winner with a year’s subscription to the Leipzig magazine kreuzer.
Benjamin Korth entertained the audience with the connection between electrochemistry and beer, while Alexander Bergmann gave insights into biology teaching and youth language.
The other slammers – who were also amazing – had to admit defeat: Felix Weiske (electrical engineer, HTWK Leipzig), who explained artificial intelligence with the example of Teletubbie waving, Anne-Céline Granjon (biologist, MPI EVA), who contributes to nature conservation by analysing the “poop” of mountain gorillas, Pau Vilimelis Aceituno (mathematician, MPI MIS), who slammed about space debris collection and sympathetic robots, and Robert Aust (educationist, Leipzig University), who captivated the audience with the reasons why he believes in the educational value of computer games.
Many thanks to all our slammers, to our moderator Mike Webster, and of course to the huge enthusiastic audience!
During the day, doctoral researchers and those interested in doing a doctorate were able to attend short presentations on the possibilities available to finance and organise a doctorate, various offerings for doctoral researchers (e.g., the University Library and the Equal Opportunities Office), and the job market for academics. At numerous stands, information was available from institutions and initiatives for doctoral researchers.
Computer scientist Nils Rexin (HTWK) was awarded the Golden Megaphone on 28 October at the Science Slam 2015, which is organised by the Research Academy Leipzig, the PhD Candidates’ Council at Leipzig University and the HTWK Leipzig.
With his slam Liebesbrief an Eleonore, he prevailed over five other early career researchers. Second place went to physician Haiko Schlögl who presented his research on hunger regulation in the brain using Homer Simpson as an example. And third place went to chemist Claudia Wöckel, who talked about fundamental research in biomass combustion.
The following early career researchers presented their research:
- Nils Rexin: Mein Liebesbrief an Eleanor
- Anne-Coralie Bonnaire: Wie ich Europa im Fernsehen entdeckte
- Haiko Schlögl: Homers Hirn und der Hunger
- Fiona Moutsa: Gender equality: the ambrosia of Greek advertising
- Claudia Wöckel: Biomasse zu Treibstoff – eine spektroskopische Studie
- Heiko Engelhardt: Löffelverbiegen für Muggels
Over 200 spectators gathered in the lecture hall in the Bibliotheca Albertina. During the day, doctoral researchers and those interested in doing a doctorate were able to attend short presentations on the possibilities available to finance and organise a doctorate, funding programmes for research abroad, and applying for a doctorate with a university of applied sciences degree. At numerous stands, information was available from institutions and initiatives for doctoral researchers.
The fifth Science Slam took place on 3 December 2012 at the Moritzbastei as part of the programme for the annual Dies academicus at Leipzig University.
Benjamin Berk was awarded the Golden Megaphone along with a 100-euro voucher from Lehmanns Media for his slam Astrozyten mögens härter. Second place went to Madlen Mammen for her presentation on the credibility of online PR, for which she received an annual subscription to the magazine GEO. Zarina Akbar came in third place for her slam in English about disaster psychology in her home country Indonesia. Her prize was a T-shirt from the Leibnizladen. Jürgen Neuhaus, who slammed about cattle in constant stress, and Felix Effenberger, who investigated the question of whether beer really does make you stupid, had to admit a narrow defeat after the audience’s carefully gauged vote.
Many thanks to all the slammers and the wonderful audience!
The fourth Science Slam, which took place on 16 April and was organised by the Research Academy Leipzig, was a great success.
We would like to thank the six slammers for their great presentations and were very pleased to have about 170 people in the audience who were eager to evaluate the results and listened carefully despite the increasing temperatures in the Horns Erben.
The evening was moderated by the well-known Leipzig poetry slammer and author Franziska Wilhelm.
The winner was biophysicist Markus Gyger with his slam Zellen auf der Streckbank. He received much praise and congratulations, the Golden Megaphone and a 100-euro book voucher from Lehmanns Media. Only one point behind and as such a close second was Valerio Verrea with a lecture about Fairtrade. He is now a proud subscriber to GEO for the coming year. Third place went to Frank Hüttner, who introduced us to the beauty of mathematical formulas in his slam Was machen eigentlich Ökonomen? He received a T-shirt from the Leibnizlden.
We would like to thank Horns Erben and the PhD Candidates’ Council for their work and dedication!
The following early career researchers presented their research:
- Markus Gyger, Institute for Experimental Physics II (now called the Felix Bloch Institute for Solid State Physics) and the Graduate School BuildMona, Leipzig University
- Frank Hüttner, Institut für theoretische Volkswirtschaftslehre (Institute for theoretical economics), Leipzig University
- Olga Klimecki, social neurosciences, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
- Mirko Milletarì, Institut für theoretische Physik (Institute for theoretical physics), Leipzig University
- Valerio Verrea, Institut für Kulturwissenschaften (Institute for cultural studies), Leipzig University
- Janet Wagner, Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research
Can music cure diseases? How do we know we see what we’re seeing? And who or what actually killed Mr Henry? These and other questions were answered at Horns Erben on Monday, 5 December 2011. With about 180 spectators, Horns Erben was quite full. For the first time, we showed the slam on a screen on the ground floor of the venue, and the audience there was also able to vote. The evening was moderated by Christoph Peters.
The presentations were all great and the voting very close. Daniel Kinitz won by a narrow margin with his slam Systemtheorie als alltagstaugliche Philosophie? He received the Golden Megaphone and a small prize from the Leibnizladen at Leipzig University. Our congratulations!
The following slams were presented:
- Charles-Etienne Benoît: Music in help to Parkinson
- Daniel Kinitz: Systemtheorie als alltagstaugliche Philosophie?
- Michael Schramm: WTF do you see?!
- Jan Schütze: Wer oder was tötete Mr. Henry?
- Marieke van der Steen: Meet ADAM and learn about how we stay in sync
Follow the link to read a LVZ article on the Third Science Slam: Arabist gewinnt Science Slam – Spagat zwischen Kompetenz und Klamauk.
On 18 April 2011 at the packed venue Horns Erben, four early career researchers competed against each as they explained their doctoral thesis topic in an entertaining way and tried to win over the audience in ten minutes each. The evening was moderated by Christoph Peters.
The Science Slam is an opportunity for doctoral researchers to present their research projects to the general public in a clear and entertaining way. This time the following researchers seized the chance:
- Anne Goldbach: Sind Christen die besseren Menschen?
- Oliver Wagner: Als Informatiker unter Biologen – eine geräuschvolle Arbeit
- Frederik Poppe: Künstler mit Assistenzbedarf oder warum große Kunst manchmal nur mit Unterstützung entstehen kann
- Paula Roncaglia-Denissen: Fremdsprache akzentfrei sprechen: Geht das überhaupt?
Paula Roncaglia-Denissen won the Golden Megaphone and a sweatshirt from the Leibnizladen for the best slam entry at the Second Science Slam. We congratulate her and thank all of the participants and the great audience!
The LVZ also reported on our Science Slam: Science Slams bringen Wissenschaft in Party-Clubs.
The Research Academy Leipzig held its first Science Slam on 6 December 2010. More than 130 enthusiastic attendees came to Horns Erben to listen to four early career researchers compete and to choose the winner. Similar to the Poetry Slam model, the Science Slam is a competition: each presenter has 10 minutes to present their topic in an entertaining and informative way. All means are allowed, and the audience decides who does the best job of combining entertainment and research.
The four participants at the First Science Slam came from a wide range of disciplines: German studies, environmental systems analysis, sport science and bioinformatics. The winner was Katrin Körner with her lecture on Grandma Erna’s chronic respiratory disease. But the following presenters were also in top form on stage and received much applause: Josefine Krause with the story of Lehrer Lämpel (topic: interdisciplinary teaching), Friedrich Angermüller on the Easter Islands (topic: the destruction of ecosystems) and Anika Groß in search of cookies at the supermarket (topic: evolution of annotations).