Is a soap opera able to present science in an adequate way? “’Sturm des Wissens’ (Storm of knowledge) describes many aspects really well,” states CUI member Dortje Schirok, physicist and coordinator of the school lab “Light & Schools”. She was invited to the movie presentation in the KörberForum to provide a professional point of view onto the mini series.
‘Sturm des Wissens’ pictures colourful life and research behind the doors of apartments and labs. Seven young women and men that study or work at scientific institutions in Rostock are the center of interest. “The pan on a seminar of theoretical physics attended by 60 % female students is really good but unfortunately not realistic,” regrets Schirok. Therefore she enhances the importance of the films intention: to show that life with STEM (Science, Technology, Ingeneering and Mathematics) related subjects is not restricted to nerds but an option for absolutely “normal” young men and women.
CUI coordinator Dortje Schirok (right) answers Christiane Stork’s (project leader Körber-Stiftung) questions.
Interviewed by moderator Chistiane Stork of the Körber-Stiftung, Schirok introduced the program of the school lab that has consequently been developed the last year and that aims exactly at this direction. “So many people responded to me after the interview. That was a great experience and a strong reassurance for our work,” says the physicist who has been working on the question of how to get young people interested for her subject for years. “Light & Schools” primarily connects theory and experiments – try it yourself, is what the school lab stresses. “But science is always related to hard work,” admits Schirok. In her opinion a sudden brilliant idea – a scenery often used in movies – leads to the wrong illusion. This is also a point in ‘Sturm des Wissens’.
The movie project was initiated by the science society [Rostock denkt 365°]. Rostock is one of ten winner towns in the 2012 contest ‘Stadt der Wissenschaft’ (Town of knowledge) initiated by the Association for the Promotion of Science and Humanities in Germany. To view the soap: http://www.sturm-des-wissens.de/daheim/