Science, applause and a packed cinema at the 5th Brandenburg Science Slam in Spremberg

On 12 June, the 5th Brandenburg Science Slam took place at the Spreekino in Spremberg. The Spremberg branch welcomed just under 150 guests. This meant the cinema was almost full, providing the perfect setting for an evening where science was brought to the stage in an accessible, creative and humorous way.

At a Science Slam, scientists present their research or scientific topics within ten minutes in as vivid, entertaining and humorous a way as possible. At the end, the audience decides which presentation wins the evening.

A total of six slammers presented their topics on stage. 

Rudy Cepeda Gomez from the DLR Institute of Electrified Aviation Propulsion won over the audience with his slam ‘How Electricity Learns to Fly’ and was voted the winner of the evening. His presentation focused on how aircraft could be powered by electricity in the future and the opportunities associated with this development.

Second place went to Christoph Abels from the University of Potsdam with his slam ‘Dr Chat is now ready to assist you’. He highlighted why it can be problematic to turn to ChatGPT for advice on illnesses or health concerns rather than seeking medical or pharmaceutical advice. In doing so, he made it clear that AI systems can tend to provide answers that questioners want to hear, rather than offering a critical assessment.

Third place went to Robin Jost from the Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Spreeland with his slam ‘ChatGPT, just for YouTube’. He presented his self-developed AI application, TubeVault, which can be used to search YouTube videos in a targeted manner. The application finds relevant video clips, displays precise timestamps and transcribes the content. Using examples he had selected himself relating to geometric natural phenomena, Robin Jost demonstrated how TubeVault can help make relevant statements in videos easier to find and verify.

The other presentations also provided fascinating insights into a wide range of topics. 

Alexander Leymann from the Federal Office for Radiation Protection presented his slam entitled ‘When time, space and particles swap roles: symmetries in juggling patterns and quantum field theories’. Marten Klein from the Energy Innovation Centre presented his talk ‘From the Quadrature of the Butter Biscuit to the Expense of the PV Module’. Martin Reifarth from the University of Potsdam took the audience on a journey into the world of cell research with his slam ‘Sugar-Sweet Cell Tattoos’.

The evening impressively demonstrated just how diverse science can be and how well complex topics resonate with an audience when presented with creativity, humour and enthusiasm. The evening was hosted by Kaddi Cutz, who engaged the audience and the slammers with great energy and charm. The PFFF Jazz Collective provided the musical entertainment, creating the perfect atmosphere between the scientific presentations. Sascha Thor captured the event on camera, whilst Justins Studio handled the video recordings.

The Spremberg branch is already looking forward to next year, when it will once again be time to say: ‘Clear the stage for science!’