About European Values in Simple Science Terms
WISSEN TRIFFT WERTE
The “Wissen trifft Werte” project creates a space where scholars discuss Europe in an engaging and accessible way. Through lively discussions and interactive formats, they show how a wide range of fields—from physics to cultural studies—help shape our understanding of European values, the structure of society, and the foundations of our shared life.
The project’s goal is to explain complex topics—such as democracy and freedom of expression, human rights and dignity, solidarity and humanism, responsibility for the future, and critical thinking and integrity—in a clear, accessible, and practical way.
The project’s goal is to explain complex topics—such as democracy and freedom of expression, human rights and dignity, solidarity and humanism, responsibility for the future, and critical thinking and integrity—in a clear, accessible, and practical way.
Science is closer than it seems!
WISSEN TRIFFT WERTE
7
Science talks
Science slam
Interactive survey
11
Speakers
WHAT TO EXPECT
Schedule
Science SALON
MAY, 2026
SA
23
Are traditional values strong in science?
A New Study Finds...": How to Tell Science from Dangerous Nonsense
Why good science sometimes loses to bad presentation
Two 45-minute interactive discussions on selected topics
Evangelisch-Freikirchliche Gemeinde Berlin-Lichtenberg Heinrichstraße 31,
10317 Berlin
10317 Berlin
Language: Russian
16:00 - 17:30
Solidarity or survival of the fittest? How scientists survive in exile
The paradox of satisfaction: What determines the well-being of Syrian and Ukrainian refugees in Germany?
Science break
Take a break to meet new people, chat, and enjoy delicious food
Language: English, German, Russian
Plov prepared by the winner of the 2025 Plov Battle
Scientific cocktails at our pop-up bar
Music and networking
Scientific cocktails at our pop-up bar
Music and networking
17:30 - 18:00
Science Slam
18:00 - 20:00
Do Germany TV series teach the world to care about democracy?
Language: English
One photon - many problems. Quantum cryptography, pain, and mirrors
Lost in the middle: how AI erases the diversity of human opinion
How one flight can have more than one carbon footprint
A competition where scientists have 10 minutes to explain their research as clearly as possible
Can’t make it in person? Then watch the livestream!
The Science Slam livestream begins on May 23 at 6:00 PM.
18:30
Language: Russian
Bodo-Uhse-Bibliothek
Erich-Kurz-Straße 9, 10319 Berlin
Erich-Kurz-Straße 9, 10319 Berlin
Science SALON
17:00
Is a universal language possible?
Reason, feeling, and madness in european art
MAY, 2026
FR
29
An intellectually engaging evening combining in-depth exploration with informal discussion
Aleksandr Kaliuzhniuk
Senior Research Scientist at Corning Inc., Master of Applied Mechanics, Science Communicator (YouTube).
Does Viagra help hamsters endure long flights? Is the taste of chips linked to the volume of their crunch? Are these examples of yellow journalism or real scientific studies? Using the example of three European figures, Aleksandr Kaliuzhniuk will demonstrate how to distinguish a scientific theory or hypothesis from dangerous nonsense, and why even a correct idea can be difficult to present properly to the world.
Ilya Boytsov
Senior AI Engineer bei Nebius, Co-Leiter der Oxford LLMs-Initiative an der University of Oxford
For decades, sociologists worldwide have studied people's views on democracy, inequality, and justice. It was long and expensive work. Today, there is a temptation to take a shortcut: instead of surveying real people, simulate their answers using AI. Simply provide the neural network with a person's background data, and it will respond on their behalf. We decided to test this method. After studying hundreds of questions across 130 countries using various AI models, we asked: can an algorithm accurately predict the opinion of a specific individual? The results showed that AI captures general trends but makes one critical error. It paints a world where people are much more similar to one another than they actually are. The beautiful and chaotic spectrum of human thoughts is compressed into a sort of "arithmetic mean". In this talk, I will explain why this happens and what the dangers are in a situation where AI, intended to represent us, makes us faceless.
Yuri Erofeev
PhD student at the University of Leipzig and DBFZ; Product Manager for Sustainability at SQUAKE; Researcher working at the intersection of physics, mathematics, and climate reporting.
It turns out that the carbon footprint of the same flight is not always a single obvious number. It depends on how we define calculation boundaries, what data we use, how aircraft characteristics are modeled, and whether we account for effects beyond CO2. In this presentation, I will explain in simple and accessible language how mathematics and physics shape the figures behind aviation emissions, why different methods can produce different results for the same flight, and why this is so important today in Europe as companies face growing public pressure for clear and reliable climate impact reporting under frameworks like the CSRD. The goal is to show a broad audience that aviation's climate impact is not just "one number" but the result of a model with assumptions, boundaries, and uncertainties, and to explain why transparency and clarity in these calculations are vital for both science and society.
Boris Iomdin
Linguist, Ph.D., specialist in theoretical semantics and lexicography, compiler of Russian and English dictionaries.
There are over 7,000 languages in the world. Hundreds of millions of people study foreign languages, tens of thousands teach them, thousands develop translation apps—yet misunderstandings due to lack of comprehension arise every day. Linguists, philosophers, mathematicians, and enthusiasts have spent centuries trying to invent a universal language—one that all of humanity could easily understand. Is it possible? Linguist Boris Iomdin will discuss these attempts and invite the audience to decipher texts in such languages to see if they can truly be understood without any preparation.
Maria Sterligova
Cultural Scientist, specialist in the history and theory of world culture.
One of the most important European trends is the destigmatization of mental disorders. We suggest looking at this topic from an unexpected angle. In the history of European art, madness often serves as a contrast to the Enlightenment ideal—the rational person. Europe moved from mysticism to reason, rejected emotions, and then returned to proclaiming the irrational. In this session, we will look at images of William Hogarth's Bedlam, the demons of William Blake, and try to answer the question: did early avant-garde movements like Expressionism, Dada, and early Surrealism contribute to removing the stigma and allowing an "other" view of reality?
Julia Shaykhutdinova
Biologist, science communicator, head of the science editorial team for Aleksandr Panchin's channel, winner of the "For Loyalty to Science" award for the Polytechnic Museum's exhibition "Life with Viruses".
We will analyze how the perception of scientific results is influenced by the way they are presented, rather than just the quality of the research. We will discuss why accurate but complex explanations often lose to simple, vivid, and emotional stories. We will examine practical examples from the media and scientific news, and learn how scientists sometimes "assault" journalists—turning modest data and hypotheses into loud headlines and simplifying conclusions to the point of unrecognizability.
Anna Smoliarova
PhD in Political Science, researcher at the DAAD Center for German Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Maria Tatarenko
Master of Arts in Public Policy and Social Change. Explorer, researcher, immigrant and poet. Interested in border regimes and the intersection of education and migration. Working with international students coming to Germany.
Although Ukrainian refugees receive more favourable and faster integration support in Germany compared to Syrian refugees, their reported life satisfaction is not higher - it is often lower. One key explanation is that wellbeing of refugees is strongly shaped not only by institutional support, but by perceived social status loss, downward mobility, and disrupted life trajectories.
Aleksandr Kosarev
PhD in Physical Sciences, Researcher.
Even if the messages we send are encrypted, they can still be intercepted. If the encryption is weak or if technology improves in a few years, they can be decrypted. But what if we could make them elusive? That is exactly what quantum cryptography aims to do! Messages sent this way cannot be stolen, and the fact of the theft will be inevitably detected.
Aleksandr Kosarev
PhD in Physical Sciences, Researcher.
Traditionally, science was perceived as a tool for seeking absolute truth; however, the modern approach calls this dogma into question. If even parameters such as the Earth's radius or the diameter of a light beam change depending on the point of measurement and the chosen definitions, what exactly are we studying: reality itself or merely models that are convenient for us?
Aleksandr Kalgin
Guest Researcher at the Reconciliation Studies Center at the University of Bonn, PhD in Sociology.
Imagine: you are a successful professor in Russia. Behind you are dozens of publications, recognition from colleagues, and a life built over decades. But in one moment, the familiar world collapses, and you find yourself in Europe with a single suitcase in hand. It would seem that European universities are a bastion of solidarity and equal opportunity. However, in practice, the price of the entry ticket into academia here turns out to be prohibitively high, especially for those coming from "outside". In this report, we will discuss the "invisible filter" of the academic market and examine why universities often prefer aggressive headhunting over real support. But most importantly, we will reveal the secret of survival. How do scientists create mutual aid communities and prove that solidarity is not just a line in the EU Charter, but a real tool that saves careers and lives?
HOW CLOSELY DO YOUR VALUES ALIGN WITH THOSE OF PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT EUROPEAN COUNTRIES?
Take part in the survey and find out which European country’s values are most similar to yours.
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