Public understanding of science

On excursion off the coast of northwestern Germany: a group of pupils onboard the research cutter "Senckenberg"

Shooting onboard of the research cutter "Senckenberg". A team of the TV-station 3sat on duty during the above mentioned excursion

In May 1999 representatives of the large German scientific organisations signed a memorandum, in which they called upon scientists to intensify their dialogue with the public. The slogan is "Public Understanding of Sciences and Humanities".

"Due to their high levels of specialization the sciences have developed their own language for each field which as a rule not only makes the scientific contents inscrutable for non-scientists but also makes the methods and procedures abstruse," it says in the memorandum. In the same breath fault was found in the fact that a cultural dialogue between laymen - the general public - and experts - the scientists - is only just beginning to take place. "The call to find new ways is not only aimed at schools, scientific journalists and scientific public relations specialists, but also and above all at the scientists themselves" the authors of the memorandum reinforce.

The German Research Foundation's Research Center Ocean Margins meets these demands through diverse activities. A wide variety of the diverse offers are made available to the target groups, such as teachers, pupils, journalists or the interested public. Further Study Courses for teachers, the Universum-School Laboratory, Open Days, or the possibility for journalists to take part in marine research expeditions are just some of the activities, which aim to make the geosciences more understandable. An overview of the various activities for target groups under the theme "Understanding Science" can be found on this site or under www.marum.de respectively.