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Thunderous applause for science on stage
Knowledge presented in a show format at the HM’s tenth Applied Science Slam
27/11/2024
A lively atmosphere in the lecture theatre: 250 members of the audience were looking forward to the anniversary edition of the HM Applied Science Slam. During the slam, the contestants showcased their knowledge in an entertaining way. At the end, the audience decided who would win – and thus take home the ‘Owl of Wisdom’ – by the volume of their applause.
Anniversary Battle
To mark the tenth anniversary of the Science Slam, there was a ‘blind battle’ featuring past champions. Four slam winners from recent years competed against one another, delivering PowerPoint presentations on ludicrous pseudo-scientific ‘theories’ which they themselves had not seen beforehand.
Fun and insight
Three new contestants – Stefanie Urchs, a research assistant at the Department of Computer Science; Florian Klimmer from the Department of Mechanical, Automotive and Aeronautical Engineering; and HM guest Daniel Klüh – competed according to the usual slam rules. The audience learnt, for example, how alcohol can be produced from biomass, water and electricity; how artificial intelligence perceives gender concepts; and how music makes the tiny hairs in the human ear dance.
Owl Trophies for the loudest applause
The winner of the slam is determined by the audience’s response, measured by the volume of their applause: Markus Berg, an electrical engineer, won the anniversary Blind Battle. He had been assigned the topic ‘Asphalt as a means of improving the climate’ for the Blind Battle – quite a challenge. “It was absolutely absurd. It was a right laugh,” said Berg happily.
The “Owl of Wisdom”, which is awarded at every Applied Science Slam, was taken home by process engineer Daniel Klüh. In his winning presentation, he demonstrated to the audience a new method for producing ethanol: “I’m delighted that people found it funny and enjoyed learning something!”
The two HM professors, Michael Sachs and Georg Eggers, provided a humorous and musical guide through the evening, whilst the cabaret artist Bumillo contributed to the event as a musical guest, performing his pieces in the Bavarian dialect.
Josefine Hänsch