Iron Man and Santa Claus at Ulm University? At the Young Researchers' Science Day 2024 (October 23, 4:30 p.m., N27), a lot will indeed revolve around superheroes and Santa Clauses. The science communicator Dr. Barry W. Fitzgerald is responsible for this. The guest lecture will be given by the physicist, YouTuber, speech trainer and superpowers aficionado. At the Science Pitch, for a total of €80,000 in prize money, young scientists from Ulm University will also show what they are capable of.
How and how far does Santa travel? What technologies can be used to generate superhero powers and superhuman abilities? The Irish physicist Dr. Barry W. Fitzgerald, who lives in the Netherlands, promises answers to these questions in his lecture, in which he also shares tips and tricks for successful science communication. Fitzgerald is Science Communication Officer at the Eindhoven University of Technology, as well as moderator, coach and editor-in-chief of the journal "Superhero Science and Technology". In addition, the scientist and SciCom professional has made a name for himself as a YouTuber and podcaster. Those who want to learn even more from Fitzgerald can register for a workshop in the morning (www.uni-ulm.de/scienceday).
The Young Researchers' Science Day, which is taking place for the fourth time this year at Ulm University, is aimed specifically at young scientists. "At the Science Slam, doctoral students and young postdocs pitch for prize money that they can use to realize their own scientific project ideas," explain Clarissa Gobiet and Dr. Cornelia Estner. The managing directors of ProTrainU, the Ulm University academy for young researchers, which organizes the Science Day, explain further: "The challenge: the young researchers are to present their innovative ideas to a broader audience in a compact and vivid way." Those competing in the Science Day have already passed a rigorous selection process in advance. A jury, made up of ProTrainU board members, oversees the pre-selection and the Science Slam. The first and second place winners receive 50,000 and 30,000 euros respectively.
"The career opportunities for our young scientists are important to us. Those who aspire to an academic career should be given the opportunity to implement their own research projects and in doing so, to take innovative - preferably cross-disciplinary - paths and explore new concepts and methods," says Professor Dieter Rautenbach, Vice President for Careers at Ulm University.
All visitors to the event are kindly requested to register!
Further information:
Clarissa Gobiet, Co-Managing Director of the ProTrainU Young Talent Academy, E-Mail: clarissa.gobiet(at)uni-ulm.de
Information on the program and registration: www.uni-ulm.de/scienceday
Text and media contact: Andrea Weber-Tuckermann