Exzellent gefragt!

Your questions for the cutting-edge research

Illustration: studio animanova // Christoph J Kellner (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Ask researchers all the questions you can think of: What exactly is swarm intelligence? How do politicians make decisions, and how do animal swarms? Can the use of AI in the workplace succeed? On July 18, 2024, scientists from the two Konstanz Clusters of Excellence have answered your questions.

Have you ever experienced this: You read an article in the newspaper about a new study, the news refers to “scientifically proven findings” and you would love to know what exactly and, above all, who is behind it? On 18 July from 5pm to 8pm, you had the chance to find out. Scientists from the Clusters of Excellence “Collective Behaviour” and “The Politics of Inequality” at the University of Konstanz came to the harbour (in front of the Spiegelhalle) of Konstanz and answered your burning questions.

They brought with them insights from their research on the major topics of our time:

  • Protests
  • Vaccine research
  • Artificial intelligence in the workplace
  • How animals see the world
  • Climate resilience
  • Nutrition strategies of humans and animals
  • The inequality barometer
  • Decision-making in politics and the animal world

One of the researchers who was on site is Maj-Britt Sterba: “We are investigating what political decision-makers think about inequality in the population and how this information then influences their policies,” explains the postdoctoral researcher at the Cluster of Excellence “The Politics of Inequality.” “This is, of course, a very interesting question, especially in the context of elections.”

You also have choices elsewhere – for example, when it comes to food. “When we think of food, we first think of nutrition or our health. But food is much more. It is, above all, something that brings people together at the table, fostering connections and sparking conversations,” explains PhD student Jana Straßheim. As part of the Psychological Assessment and Health Psychology group at the Cluster of Excellence “Collective Behaviour,” she studies how eating together influences our relationships, behaviour, and experiences.

Ten research teams were on hand to answer your questions in a personal dialogue. To give you a first idea of the topics, the Clusters of Excellence engaged an artist to illustrate the scientifically complex content on posters and make it tangible. 

The event was funded by forum.konstanz.

‘Exzellent gefragt! Your questions for cutting-edge research‘ is an event organised by the two Clusters of Excellence “Collective Behaviour” and “The Politics of Inequality” at the University of Konstanz; the citizens’ dialogue is funded by forum.konstanz. The Cluster of Excellence ‘Collective Behaviour’ is a world-leading research centre for the study of swarm behaviour. The Cluster of Excellence ‘The Politics of Inequality’ researches the political causes and consequences of inequality from an interdisciplinary perspective. forum.konstanz is a key project in the overall strategy ‘University of Konstanz - creative.together’, which brings together people and ideas, cutting-edge research and society. The planned new building project forum.konstanz will offer space for encounters between the university and society from 2030.

Further events are being planned. You can contact us at any time to get in touch with us!