With a focus on art & science: Berlin Science Week 2023

Brain City Berlin

Berlin Science Week is back from November 1 to 10. New this year: The ART & SCIENCE FORUM at Holzmarkt 25 is the central location of the science festival, along with the CAMPUS at the Museum of Natural History. And as in previous years, the Falling Walls Science Summit will again present groundbreaking international research in Brain City Berlin from 7 to 9 November 2023.

“Design your own parasite”, “Sounds from the universe” or “The art of decision making”. With the program of the ART & SCIENCE FORUM this year's Berlin Science Week in cooperation with Holzmarkt 25 sets an exciting focus, which at the same time corresponds to the creative character of Brain City Berlin. Under the motto “Dare to Know: Creative Science, Precise Art”, the cultural district on the banks of the Spree River will focus for ten days on synergies between art and science. The festival kicks off with a Vernissage on 1 November and concludes on 10 November with the “Club Night: Berlin Science Week Closing Party”. Science slams, comedy shows, concerts, experimental performances and an art flea market are also on the varied program. Special highlight: A trip on the cultural train to Poland.

In addition, Berliners and science enthusiasts from all over the world will once again receive a comprehensive insight into the excellent research in Brain City Berlin at the 8th Berlin Science Week. “Berlin Science Week is not just an event, it is a mission to build bridges, involve the public in science and show what is new and exciting in the world of knowledge,” says Luiza Bengtsson, Head of Berlin Science week. “It embodies the spirit of exploration and curiosity that drives humanity forward. It is a testament to our shared commitment to understanding the world around us and using that knowledge to create a better future.”

This year’s Berlin Science Week program includes around 200 events. And 150 organisers take part in the festival. These include the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, the Futurium, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology, DESY, the ETH Zurich, the Berlin University Alliance and the embassies of Italy, Brazil, Israel, Mexico and Great Britain. In addition to art and science, the program focuses on the topics of mobility and energy transition, AI in science and medicine, challenges and the future of work in science, as well as advances in quantum technologies and nuclear fusion.

The events provide insights into the broad spectrum of research at the science location Berlin. For example, the eleven Berlin future locations invite you to the “Klimatag der Zukunftsorte” (“Climate day of the future locations”) on 7 November on the site of the former Tempelhof Airport. The Berlin University of Applied Sciences is hosting a discussion on 3 November on the topic: “Dare to know, need to know, want to know: How much data collection can there be?” and on 1 November, Professor Surjo Soekadar, Einstein Professor of Clinical Neurotechnology at the Charitè-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, will take the audience on a journey through the extensive network of the brain in his lecture “Einstein in the Dome” in the Zeiss Großplanetarium (Zeiss Major Planetarium) and at the interface between human and Artificial Intelligence.

The CAMPUS in the Museum of Natural History on 3 and 4 November has the motto “Dare to Know: Our Narratives, Our Futures”. The forum offers experts, researchers and scientists a lot of opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss the challenges of the time in an intensive and interdisciplinary manner – and also to enter into dialogue with the public. A key aspect of Berlin Science Week is networking: within the science community and beyond.

Another highlight of the science festival is the Falling Walls Science Summit from 7 to 9 November: In the Berlin Radialsystem – in the immediate vicinity of Holzmarkt 25 – researchers and politicians discuss together with representatives from business and society. On 9 November, the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the following will be presented at the summit ”Science Breakthroughs of the Year”.

Berlin Science Week is coordinated by the philanthropic Falling Walls Foundation. The Senate Department for Science, Health, Care and Equality and Berlin Partner for Business and Technology support the event.

Admission to most science festival events is free. For some events it is advisable to register early as there are only a limited number of places available on site. (vdo)