On 26 October, around fifty people attended the UniGR-Science Slam at the “Theater im Viertel” in Saarbrücken for an evening that offered a fresh and entertaining way to explore scientific topics. Four researchers from the UniGR partner universities captivated the audience by bringing their research to life through original slam performances on stage.
- Prof. Lena Wetenkamp opened the evening with insights into women’s writing in the 19th century. Overlooked authors, works published under pseudonyms, and the label of “women’s literature” highlight the gender disparities in literary history.
- Dr. Jérémie Ferrer-Bartomeu, dressed in historical costume, transported us to early modern Europe. In “Le troisième corps du roi”, he showed how royal power was expressed through roles, writings, and ceremonial practices.
- Prof. Julia Schulze-Hentrich explored the influences of epigenetics on the brain depending on biological sex. Pink and blue are neither identical nor fundamentally opposed — there are countless shades in between, and every brain, every person, is unique.
- Dr. Alistair Plum humorously demonstrated why AI can sometimes be completely lost in different cultural contexts. Sometimes a “sausage” is not just a sausage — and cultural reasoning is a science in its own right.
Many thanks to our talented slam performers for their creative and engaging presentations!
The UniGR Science Slam marked the culmination of the first two years of the UniGR Guest Professorship – a fellowship program supported by the Marienburg Foundation that enables researchers to undertake cross-border stays at one of the seven UniGR partner universities. The four slam performances showcased the ideas and insights the researchers were able to develop and share as fellows of this program.
The loudest applause — and with it the Slam title — went to Dr. Alistair Plum. Congratulations!
Missed the Science Slam? Watch the full event on YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/iJS-afYG-98
