The "Science Slam" format is a mixture of comedy and a scientific lecture. The focus is on the speaker's own research, which is presented in a vivid, captivating, and entertaining way. There was only one important rule to follow: the lecture could not exceed ten minutes in length!
The order of the speakers was decided by drawing lots. Eicke Warnecke and Torben Schwiedernoch, who both study Precision Farming at the Höxter campus, kicked things off. The pair wowed the audience with their "Field Robot Pferdinand." They even managed to fit in a live demonstration in their ten minutes.
Afterwards, the audience was taken on a journey to a very special kind of sanitary facility. Till Hirte studies Environmental Engineering and elicited quite a few laughs in his informative presentation "Composting Toilets – The Appetizing Thunderbox."
Nils Nagusch, a student of Landscape Architecture, enchanted the audience with a botanical riddle. It quickly became clear that his riddle was about a spring flower. It took a few attempts before the audience came up with the right answer – we won't reveal any more at this point.
After a short break with pizza and drinks, Adda Löbberding, who is studying for a master's degree in Sustainable Landscape Design and Development, gave a fascinating presentation on a very special species of bird. The title of her presentation was "Wryneck in the Höxter district: head-spinners on the hunt for ants."
Last but not least, Environmental Engineering student Kevin Zahn thrilled the audience with a very lively presentation on the topic "PFAS or: How long can eternity be?" With his slam, he also earned the crown as slam champion, which was determined by the audience with "voting nuts."
The first Science Slam 2024 in Höxter was organized and moderated by Alexandra Schaefer, Katharina Pilar von Pilchau, and Mona Makebrandt. They received active support from Mathias Rodemeier, Verena Weber, and Johanna Meyer. The event took place as part of the TRiNNOVATION OWL project, which is a project of the federal-state initiative Innovative University.
