SCIENCE COMES TO TOWN

For 24 weeks, an open, academically guided reading group will offer the opportunity to get to know the ancient source text more closely. The event is aimed at anyone who has not yet engaged with the Odyssey and would like to become familiar with the subject and the German translation of the Odyssey through the reading group – or who is simply interested in ancient literature and the methodology of Classical Philology.

No prior knowledge is required! New participants can join the reading group at any time!

This series of events is a partner of Science Comes to Town.

The oceans shape our climate, provide food, connect continents – and at the same time are under threat. The lecture series “Responsibility for the Marine Heritage” at Kiel University invites students and interested members of the public to discuss the future of the seas.

Across ten sessions from April to June, key topics will be addressed, including increasing noise pollution and other stressors affecting the oceans, new approaches to more sustainable shipping, nature-based climate protection, marine climate engineering, and legal challenges, including perspectives from international law on the Arctic and Antarctic, coastal protection, sea-level rise, and the potential of ocean observation for sustainable solutions.

The programme is aimed at students from all disciplines as well as the interested public. Participants from Kiel University can earn credit points through the Interdisciplinary Master School of Marine Sciences (iMSMS).

The series is organised by students from the CAU Green Office, with support from FTZ Büsum and the CAU research priority Kiel Marine Science, and is funded by the CAU Fund for Teaching Innovation – a partner of Science Comes to Town (SCTT).

When we think of animal lifestyles, we usually picture swimming, flying, or running creatures. Yet few people realise the remarkable diversity of adaptations and strategies that animals have developed to dig into the soil or bore into wood. Everyone knows the mole, and gardeners often have little sympathy for this highly adapted and actually very fascinating tunnel builder. But the mole is just the tip of the iceberg, and burrowing has evolved multiple times across the animal kingdom.

Who, for example, has heard of digging owls or crabs that are true underground engineers? Who knows the record-holders among land animals that can tunnel over 2 metres into the soil in just a few minutes? Who is familiar with the feats of insects that construct elaborate structures in and on the earth, or, like certain ant species, move several tonnes of soil in a single year?

Look forward to a deep-diving evening full of unique stories about the function, evolution, and diversity of burrowing! Reservations for this tour open on 19 March 2026.

About the Wednesday Evening Tours

Once again, we have put together a programme of fascinating, surprising and highly unusual topics that offer exclusive encounters with unique objects from our collections. Look forward to exceptional and engaging evenings! After the tour, participants are invited to a small reception in the Whale Hall with refreshments, where you can chat with museum staff and ask questions. The tours are suitable for children aged 8 and over.

The tours are partners of Science Comes to Town.

As part of Science Comes To Town (SCTT), the Kiel Research Workshop has come up with a special offering: From April to September, the teaching and learning laboratory of Kiel University and IPN Kiel opens its doors to the public every second-to-last Thursday of the month. It all starts on April 23, 2026, with the food:labor. Everyone interested is warmly invited to gain insight into the program on plant-based drinks and consumer decision-making between 5:00 and 7:00 PM.

What actually influences our decisions when buying food? Why do we sometimes choose one product and the next time a different one when standing in front of a supermarket shelf? And what about the environmental footprint of drinks made from soy, oats, and similar ingredients? These are exactly the kinds of questions that adult participants will explore on this day.

Together with the food:labor team, participants will also produce plant-based drinks themselves in the lab and analyze their ingredients using a photometer—an activity that is usually reserved for school classes. In addition, participants will test the taste and price of various plant-based alternatives to cow’s milk.

As the number of participants is limited, prior registration via the Kiel Research Workshop website is required and binding. Participation is free of charge.

The Max Planck Museum at Kiel University warmly invites you to attend on April 23, 2026, at 6:30 PM. The event will focus on new insights from the Max Planck family archives in Kiel: correspondence with prominent scientists, previously unknown photographs, and documents relating to Planck’s support for colleagues after 1945. An outlook on the future development of the museum and a concluding panel discussion will round off the evening.

Evening Program

1. Prof. M. Bonitz: Max Planck and Quantum Physics
2. A. Lauterbach: Insights into the Max Planck Archives
3. A. Mink: Correspondence with Lise Meitner and Max von Laue
4. H. Rabe, M. Bonitz: The Max Planck Quantum Science Center
5. Discussion

Prior to the event, there will be an opportunity to visit the Max Planck Museum at 5:45 PM (Physics Department Library, Leibnizstraße 15, Room 129).

Supported by the Max Planck Foundation, “Alumni and Friends of CAU e.V.”, and the KiNSIS research focus of Kiel University.

The event is partner of Science Comes to Town.

If you’re keen on exciting specialist knowledge and a motivated network, sign up for our course now!

Overview of the dates:

• What does marine conservation mean? Thursday, 5 March, 3–8 pm at the Förde-vhs with the Ocean Summit
• Marine conservation and food Thursday, 19 March, 3–8 pm at the Cocina in the Alte Mu
• International marine research Tuesday, 14 April, 3–7 pm at GEOMAR
• Hope and the sea Monday, 27 April, 3–7 pm at the vhs Art School
• Raising awareness for marine conservation Friday, 8 May, 4–9:30 pm in cooperation with Cinemare and the UN Ocean Decade
• Experiencing the sea Thursday, 18 June, 10 am–4 pm on the traditional sailing ship Belle Amie
• Recognising the value of the sea Monday, 29 June, 3–6 pm at the Förde-vhs

ℹ️ All important information about the course, including details on educational leave, can be found on our website:
https://www.foerde-vhs.de/meeresschutz

The event series is partner of Science Comes to Town.

For 24 weeks, an open, academically guided reading group will offer the opportunity to get to know the ancient source text more closely. The event is aimed at anyone who has not yet engaged with the Odyssey and would like to become familiar with the subject and the German translation of the Odyssey through the reading group – or who is simply interested in ancient literature and the methodology of Classical Philology.

No prior knowledge is required! New participants can join the reading group at any time!

This series of events is a partner of Science Comes to Town.

The oceans shape our climate, provide food, connect continents – and at the same time are under threat. The lecture series “Responsibility for the Marine Heritage” at Kiel University invites students and interested members of the public to discuss the future of the seas.

Across ten sessions from April to June, key topics will be addressed, including increasing noise pollution and other stressors affecting the oceans, new approaches to more sustainable shipping, nature-based climate protection, marine climate engineering, and legal challenges, including perspectives from international law on the Arctic and Antarctic, coastal protection, sea-level rise, and the potential of ocean observation for sustainable solutions.

The programme is aimed at students from all disciplines as well as the interested public. Participants from Kiel University can earn credit points through the Interdisciplinary Master School of Marine Sciences (iMSMS).

The series is organised by students from the CAU Green Office, with support from FTZ Büsum and the CAU research priority Kiel Marine Science, and is funded by the CAU Fund for Teaching Innovation – a partner of Science Comes to Town (SCTT).

How can CO₂ be removed from the air, water be harvested from dry air, or pollutants be made visible? One answer lies in so-called metal–organic frameworks—MOFs for short. These fascinating, highly porous materials are among the most exciting developments in modern chemistry (Nobel Prize 2025!) and open up new possibilities for applications in the fields of energy, climate, and health.

The lecture provides a clear and engaging introduction to the world of these extraordinary materials and demonstrates how fundamental chemical research can lead to concrete solutions for pressing challenges of the future. The focus is on applications such as CO₂ capture, harvesting water from the air, regulating humidity and indoor climate, as well as detecting pollutants.

The lecture is complemented by insights into the speaker’s own research and illustrative experiments that make the science behind these materials directly tangible.

Speaker: Norbert Stock (Institute of Inorganic Chemistry)

The event is part of the lecture series “Chemistry? Chemistry!” and is open to everyone interested—students as well as citizens from Kiel and the surrounding region. No prior knowledge is required. The aim is to present current chemical research in an accessible way and to provide insight into a field that influences many aspects of our daily lives.

Further dates of the lecture series “Chemistry? Chemistry!” can be found via the event link.

The event is a partner of Science Comes to Town.

With seminar sessions and discussions around ESD (Education for Sustainable Development), cultural education, circus and experiential education, as well as plenty of opportunities to try out and personally experience a wide range of methods, delicious food (vegan), and a vibrant, diverse community.

Of course, maritime knowledge will not be neglected either: a marine biologist will accompany us and share fascinating insights into the Baltic Sea as a unique marine habitat while we are underway.

The event is partner of Science Comes to Town.