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 will answer 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 have the chance to find out. Scientists from the Clusters of Excellence “Collective Behaviour” and “The Politics of Inequality” at the University of Konstanz will come to the harbour (in front of the Spiegelhalle) of Konstanz and answer your burning questions.

They will bring 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 will be 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 will be on hand to answer your questions in a personal dialogue. To give you a first idea of the topics, the Clusters of Excellence have hired an artist to illustrate the scientifically complex content on posters and make it tangible. Take a look at the posters and then – let your questions take the stage.

The event is funded by forum.konstanz.