“I need more drama” – What I learned in the science communication certificate program

November 2023, I am standing on the big stage in “die Pumpe” an event centre in Kiel. In front of me, there are about 200-250 people, the seats are all occupied and a bunch of people are standing. They are willing to stand for two hours to experience young scientists explaining their research in an […]

Back to school with Rent-a-Scientist 2023

My experience with teaching geophysics to high-school students It all started with a rather inconspicuous email with the subject title: Do you fancy primary schools? I got quite confused. Why would I get such a message? I am not a teacher. Hmm. Luckily, I decided to read the email anyway. It said something about a […]

Science – at the edge of knowledge

One of the biggest realizations during my PhD so far was that doing science means that literally nobody has ever done whatever you are doing. Duh! That’s kind of the point of science, isn’t it? Generating new knowledge? Yes, but I was somewhat unaware of the consequences for me as a scientist. In a nutshell: […]

Why a hackathon has nothing to do with coding!

If you  received  an invite to a “Hackathon” event – would you sign up for it? Chances are, if you’re not a programmer by training, studied IT or went far down the rabbit hole called modelling for your research, your answer will be thanks for the invitation, but no thanks. “No way!” was my first reaction […]

Beneath the Surface: A Glimpse into Our Internship in Marine Research

Hello dear readers! We are Rania and Mélanie, two 21 year old students studying geophysics at l’École et l’Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre in Strasbourg, France. We took our first step into the world of internships this summer at GEOMAR and we’re happy to share this experience with you! Strasbourg being far from any […]

A New Beginning: Embracing Parenthood and Academic Pursuits

Some people say family and a scientific career are not a good match, others say there is no better time to become a mother than during your PhD. Follow along as we, Katharina and Kim, share our journey of balancing motherhood and continuing our doctoral research project. How it all began: Katharina: Since I was […]

The lovely German tradition of crafting graduation hats

Who does not know those American graduation hats?  They are traditionally worn at the ceremony after successfully completing a degree or doctorate. Black and consisting of a flat, square board of stiff material to which a tassel is attached in the centre, these graduation hats are also known as mortarboards. Worn festively together with a […]