Slammer 2016

Julien Bobineau is a Romance studies scholar at JMU. He won the Science Slam in 2014 and is competing again with the title:

"Africa is not a country. How colonial stereotypes shape our everyday lives."

What motivated you to take part in the Science Slam?

One problem facing academia, and research in particular, is the interface between universities and society. When people ask me ‘What do you actually do?’, because many have little idea of my day-to-day academic life, this situation is precisely linked to that problem.

Scientists need to venture out into the public arena more often – not to legitimise their research, but to inform the non-academic public about their profession with passion. The Science Slam is an excellent way to present one’s research topics to a very broad audience in an entertaining manner and to leave the ivory tower, at least for a short while.

What do you think is the biggest challenge?

Striking a balance between conveying knowledge concisely and providing engaging entertainment is no easy feat: if the slam talk is too theoretical and dry, you’ll fail to connect with the audience just as much as if you turn it into a stand-up comedy routine. As in almost all areas of life, striking the right balance is the greatest challenge.

What is the best thing about your subject?

The best thing about French Literature and Cultural Studies is that I am able to engage with language, cultures and every conceivable subject area.

Since literature is often described as a ‘mirror of society’, it contains everything that a society offers and constitutes – from moral abysses, political intrigues and divided identities to current issues such as migration, the financial crisis, TV series or quite simply football. If someone had told me at the age of 15 that I would later be able to work with football and TV series, I would have been jumping for joy even back then.

Charlotte Wermser is an infectious disease biologist at the University Hospital. She is taking part in the Science Slam with a talk entitled

"Bacteria looking for a flat share"

Ms Wermser, what motivated you to take part in the Science Slam?
A curiosity to shed light on my daily work in the lab from a completely different perspective.

What do you think is the biggest challenge?
Striking a balance between the humour of non-scientists and meeting the expectations of scientists.

What is the best thing about your field?
That you can always break down all complex questions into simple experiments

Prof. Eric Hilgendorf is a legal scholar at Julius Maximilian University; his slam is entitled ‘

’ (‘The Fundamentals of Criminal Law – Why the Rule of Law is so important’)

What motivated you to take part in the Science Slam?
The chance to do something for the university’s alumni!

What do you think is the biggest challenge?
Bringing legal thinking and common sense together.

What is the best thing about your subject?
Successfully motivating others to think.

Prof. Volker Herrmann is an engineering scientist at the FHWS; his Science Slam explores the question

"Can rubber be reused?"

What motivated you to take part in the Science Slam?
I wanted to present my current research topic and some of the findings not only to a specialist audience, but also to a wider public.

What do you think is the biggest challenge?
Presenting this in a way that is understandable within such a short time.

What is the best thing about your field?
The interplay of chemistry, physics and engineering, as well as the surprises that rubber as a material keeps in store.

Prof. Steffen Hillebrecht is a business economist at the FHWS and will be giving a talk on the topic

"Burnout – origins, effects and consequences from an HR perspective."

What motivated me to take part?
The letter from the university management ;=))

What is the biggest challenge?
Presenting something complex in a way that is simple, understandable and yet profound.

What is the best thing about your subject?
The diversity and practical applicability