Science up close: 3rd Brandenburg Science Slam inspires 150 people in Schwedt

Science and entertainment came together in a perfect symbiosis last evening in the small hall of the Uckermärkische Bühnen. Almost 150 guests gathered to experience the 3rd Brandenburg Science Slam, organised by the Schwedt | Uckermark Präsenzstelle. The evening promised science in an entertaining way - and it delivered what it promised.

The evening had many highlights, but one in particular stood out: Prof Dr Alexander Pfriem, Vice President for Research and Transfer at Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE), took to the stage and captivated everyone with his presentation on chipboard recycling. With a mixture of humour and expertise, he showed how an old washing machine can be turned into a chip spinner that sustainably recycles old chipboard. His captivating performance ultimately brought him a well-deserved victory.

Prof. Dr Britta Gossel, Head of the Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation degree programme at HNEE, proved that science can also be musical. With a vocal interlude on the piano, she explained how skills acquisition can be measured and that social entrepreneurship has nothing to do with ships. She proved that research can be communicated not only informatively, but also creatively and artistically.

The winner of the Science Slam 2022 and native of Schwedt also returned to the stage and took the audience into the region's waiting rooms. Prof Dr Alexander Conrad, Professor of Economics at HNEE, posed the question of whether online reviews can be useful in assessing medical care in rural areas in his entertaining slam on medical services of general interest.

Another contribution took the guests into nature: Prof Dr Peter Spathelf, Professor of Applied Silviculture at HNEE, took the audience on a virtual walk through the forest and explained the visible effects of climate change very vividly using annual rings on trees.

Surprises are inevitable at the Science Slam. Sebastien Vannier from RIFS (Research Institute for Sustainability) transformed the stage into a live podcast and spoke about the opportunities of podcasts for science communication - an innovative and captivating performance that showed how diverse the communication of research results can be.

Leonard Weiss, regional planner from the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus Senftenberg, gave an exciting presentation on the future of the Uckermark and the Berlin-Stettin railway line extension. He explained what an unpopular mole has to do with his research into cross-border services of general interest in rural areas and was also able to score points with the regional roots of his research project.

Ortwin Bader Iskraut hosted the evening with charm and humour. He managed to actively involve the audience and create a lively atmosphere. The audience determined the winner of the evening with the help of scoreboards, which gave the event an additional dynamic.

The 3rd Brandenburg Science Slam was a complete success and showed once again how exciting and entertaining science can be. Anyone who is interested in even more science can visit the Präsenzstelle at one of its next events. For example, on 4 July at 5 pm at Gauß Gymnasium Schwedt for a public lecture and tour of a mobile digital factory on the topic of "Digitalisation and artificial intelligence in the manufacturing industry". Or at the film screening "Das Kombinat" followed by a film discussion on 12 July at 7 pm at Haus Uckermark Angermünde.

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