Science Communication on Stage: Science Slams
Written by Anne Thaler and Marianne Strickrodt
Who does not know the slightly awkward situation when a family member asks you what exactly
your thesis or dissertation is about? Everyone has probably realised at some point that breaking your
research down to its essence, or relating it to comprehensible examples from everyday life is often
anything but easy. Conveying your research in an understandable way to non-experts is the basis of
science communication. Research was initially conducted in a rather isolated manner – sometimes
referred to as the era of science in the ivory tower (“Elfenbeinturm”) – and universities first started
opening their doors to the public in the mid 20th century. The motivating force driving science com-
munication has changed over the years. Initially it merely aimed to increase awareness and accept-
ance of research among the public. Newer formats aspire to not only provide insight into state-of-
the-art research, but also entertain the audience.
Science and entertainment? Yes, they
can go together! Several successful
formats have been established in re-
cent years, such as FameLab, Ted(x)
Talks, Science Notes, and Science Ca-
fés. Additionally, Science Slams are
growing progressively more popular
and form an inherent part of many
universities’ schedule of events. Sci-
ence Slams are tournaments of sci-
entific talks where scientists present
their research within 3-10 minutes
on stage in front of a non-expert au-
dience. The audience acts as the jury
– the slammer who enthuses or best
entertains the audience wins. Inspired
by poetry slams, author and successful
poetry slammer himself, Alex Dreppec,
founded Science Slams. The first ever
venue was Darmstadt, Germany, in
2006. Today, eleven years later, Sci-
ence Slams take place at universities
all over