Recap - Science Slam 2019

Are academics only capable of being ‘complicated’? Not at all! At the University of Würzburg and the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (FHWS), there are plenty of lecturers with real entertainer’s qualities. Eight of them demonstrated their ability to convey their teaching and research in a witty and imaginative way at the 5th Science Slam in the packed lecture theatre of the Z6 lecture theatre building on Hubland. “Brand Prof” Karsten Kilian from the FHWS emerged as the audience favourite from the entertaining battle.

The human being as a customer is irrational

Comprehensiveness, depth and precision are secondary at the Science Slam: the slammers’ task is rather to present their scientific or business passion in an entertaining way in no more than seven minutes. Karsten Kilian, FHWS professor of brand and media management, managed this with ease. Using the examples of jeans, shampoos and cars, he demonstrated the magical power that brands wield. And why Homo economicus, if he was not always a myth to begin with, is now finally dead. For as a customer, human beings behave in a completely irrational manner.

According to the business economist, the hype surrounding the ‘Taycan’, Porsche’s first electric sports car, demonstrates just how compelling ‘magical brands’ are. 20,000 people had pre-ordered the high-priced electric runabout before it was officially unveiled: “They wanted to buy it without having test-driven it.” Which, as many of the 800 members of the audience agreed, is rather odd.

Lawyers are a real handful

Anyone who’s always wondered why lawyers never turn up at parties got the answer at the Science Slam: lawyers are never invited because they’re seen as killjoys, explained Tobias Reinbacher in his self-deprecating slam entry.

Reinbacher is a professor of criminal law at the university and teaches students the so-called ‘expert style’. This style, which allows every conceivable situation to be systematically picked apart, is not something you can master without a few bumps along the way. Eventually, lawyers can’t function at all without clear definitions. “We’re really difficult,” stated Reinbacher, whose presentation received the second-loudest applause at the end.

Clever with a brain the size of a grain of rice

It takes a fair bit of courage to take part in the Science Slam. Anything that comes across as too dry is mercilessly rejected. Anna Stöckl, a sociobiologist at the university, was the only woman this time to have the courage to present her far from straightforward field of research in a humorous way. Balancing on a seesaw, with insect antennae on her head and a long proboscis in her mouth, she demonstrated how butterflies find the nectary of flowering plants. They do this in an absolutely clever way – with a brain barely the size of a grain of rice.

Rembrandt on the road with VIPs

It can be quite astonishing what people spend their money on. Joachim Kuhn, for instance, managed to succeed with a business idea that sounds completely mad at first: “We sell people less than air.” Less than air means “vacuum”. And the vacuum that Kuhn offers is something else.

The physicist and alumnus of the University of Würzburg founded a company that manufactures vacuum insulation panels, or VIPs for short. The company is called va-q-tec, and Kuhn and his business partner took it public in 2016. Kuhn demonstrated just how well VIPs insulate. And why a Rembrandt should under no circumstances be transported without VIPs.

Organic cheese in a plastic wrapper

Martin Bastian’s presentation centred on a topic currently the subject of lively debate: plastic. “Plastic is fantastic!” was the message from the chemist and director of the Würzburg-based SKZ plastics centre.

Well, if the topic weren’t so sensitive at the moment… Bastian might well have been crowned the slam winner. Because he really threw himself into it. It began with him entering the lecture theatre, clad in a breathable multifunctional jersey, on a carbon bike. The outfit – plastic. The bike – plastic. The rucksack – plastic. And even the organic cheese in the rucksack was wrapped in plastic. Otherwise the cheese would go off. And end up uneaten in the bin.

Eroticism with a repulsive twist

Humanities and humour are not irreconcilable opposites either. This was demonstrated by Julien Bobineau from the Chair of French and Italian Literatures at the university. Bobineau specialises in erotic poetry. And in the phenomenon of ambiguity in poetry.

Which means: if Person A reads a poem, they are bound to conjure up completely different images in their mind than Person B. The slam guests were invited to close their eyes. To indulge in erotic imagery. And upon opening their eyes, they were in for a surprise with a humorous ‘disgust effect’.

Smile, please!

Someone might even have taken offence at that. Which brings us to the topic of ‘emotions’, the academic hobbyhorse of university social psychologist Fritz Strack. With an oversized pencil in his hand, the professor demonstrated why the exhortation “Keep smiling!” actually has a lot going for it.

Mario Fischer, an e-commerce expert at FHWS, demonstrated how even loyal customers can be alienated online. Fischer had won the 4th Science Slam and was therefore allowed to present his talk once more. Afterwards, he handed the Slam trophy to Karsten Kilian.

Proceeds for two Germany Scholarships

The Science Slam is organised by the University of Würzburg’s Alumni Office in cooperation with the City of Würzburg and the FHWS. Johannes Keppner, presenter at Radio Gong Würzburg and an alumnus of the university, confidently hosted the evening.

The proceeds from the sale of tickets, interval snacks and drinks will go towards two Germany Scholarships at the University of Würzburg. Outstanding and socially engaged students can apply for the scholarships: they receive 300 euros a month for one year to spend as they wish. In previous years, the Alumni Office has used the proceeds from the Science Slams to co-fund two Germany Scholarships each time. In 2018, the University awarded a total of 50 Germany Scholarships.