6 1 / 2025 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS
“ Science and me ?!” Conversations on the town square
Series “ Policy advice in the field of tension between science , politics and the media ” ( Part 9 )
A direct conversation about science , on town squares and in public spaces , in pairs or small groups , focusing on global challenges and crises as well as problems and conflicts in personal , local or regional environments : We have been using this new format to invite citizens to engage with science since June 2024 . Discussions have taken place in close cooperation with universities and other scientific partners , such as the Leopoldina or the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Zwickau , Brandenburg an der Havel , Gera , Wetzlar , Recklinghausen and Halle ( Saale )/ Germany .
BY LEA ROSA HOLTMANN * AND CHRISTOPH MARKSCHIES *
At the start of last year , we sat down with the German Research Foundation ( DFG ) and the German Rectors ‘ Conference ( HRK ) and discussed how we could talk to people more directly about the fact that science deserves to be trusted and at the same time take the public ’ s concerns and fears seriously as well as the increasingly widespread scepticism about science . We soon agreed to simply turn up on town squares with colleagues and talk to people face to face .
What happens if it rains ?
Of course , there were some challenges : What would happen in the event of misunderstandings , rejection or even protest ? And what would actually happen if it rained ? We learnt a lot of things on the job , for example that many people can be encouraged to participate in discussions about science if they are offered free coffee and cake . It was clear from the start that you can only talk to people who are worried about the future or who distrust science due to fake news and propaganda by meeting them face to face . Lecturing people from a su perior position
Christoph Markschies in conversation on the town square in Wetzlar / Germany .
Image : Karin Berneburg | Wissenschaft und ich ?!
does not help . Therefore , we took care to prepare discussions with local offices in advance and made sure we spent the previous Friday evening together with our colleagues before turning up at town squares on Saturday mornings .
Over the course of the morning , even our more cautious representatives became chattier after the first few successful conversations and followed the example of those who were simply inviting passers-by to talk about science over coffee and cake . Many people had brought meaningful items from their own scientific practice , but a hospital model was also used as a useful starting point for initiating discussions about the latest developments in medicine and healthcare .
Meeting curious people
Although we did have security staff in the background and a plan for how to break off difficult conversations , we did engage in peaceful discussions with climate deniers and people sceptical about vaccines , in both the eastern and western parts of Germany . Fortunately , fears that we might get into heated arguments or even be threatened while out on the streets did not materialise .
In most cases , people were curious to discuss social cohesion , the consequences of migration , the energy transition , the emergence of certain diseases and how to fight them , how to deal with the consequences of 40 years of the GDR and much more .
We were also concerned by the fact that many people were worried , not just about their own future but also about other crises and that they no longer trust politics to solve these multiple crises . Science can alleviate and calm such worries and fears about the future to some degree , but only with patience and in longer face-to-face conversations .
Broadening perspectives and horizons
Thus , combating scepticism towards science and lack of trust is very time-consuming and expensive and also requires patience . We will therefore continue to use this format . In addition , all the scientists who took part learned a great deal , they left their familiar structures and established forms of communication to experiment with discussions , which were open in many respects . This is how to broaden your own perspectives and ultimately your ( scientific ) horizons too .
* Christoph Markschies is President of the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities and President of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities ( BBAW ), a protestant theologian , and Professor of Ancient Christianity at the Humboldt University of Berlin / Germany . Lea Rosa Holtmann works as a social and political adviser for the Union of Academies . “ Science and me ?! Citizens in discussions about science ” is a series of events organised jointly by the DFG , BBAW , HRK and the Union of Academies and is now supplemented by the Dialogue with Science Initiative .