SILBERSALZ Science & Media Festival

Scientific discoveries and innovations fundamentally shape society. Recent years, however, have seen a move away from knowledge grounded in science in both society and politics. Many scientific fields are growing increasingly complex and ordinary people have the hardest time grasping the in-depth knowledge required for decision-making. Populism, fake news, and conspiracy theories are increasingly dominating public discourse and dividing society. To counteract this trend and strengthen the general public’s trust in science, people’s knowledge of science must be improved. Those who know more have an easier time participating in the conversation, leading to informed decision-making and greater participation in the democratic process. SILBERSALZ aims to support these efforts, by offering formats in which experts and members of the public can meet on an equal footing, learning from talking to one another. With its combination of open-to-the-public event, film festival, and conference program, SILBERSALZ boosts scientific discourse, bringing current research and media to the audience.