Opening of the exhibition SHOWCASES OF RESEARCH

Overview

Clusters of excellence, high-tech, cutting-edge research: Dresden is one of the most important sites for scientific research in Germany. With the SHOWCASES OF RESEARCH, the Technische Sammlungen are opening a new series of exhibitions and events which will provide information on current research projects at Dresden institutes, on the aims, methods and results of the research, and on the innovations from Dresden and invite visitors to engage in dialogue. Interactive exhibits have been developed and built for this purpose together with the scientists.

 

Science and research are more present in the public eye than they have been for a long time. More and more people want to know what scientific topics are being worked on and how the research results can change their lives. "That is why it is especially important in the Science City Dresden that research goes out into society and informs about its work. With the SHOWCASES OF RESEARCH, we are building a new educational programme and a dialogue platform together with Dresden institutes and invite our visitors to experience and discuss current research," says the Director of the Technische Sammlungen Roland Schwarz.

 

The SHOWCASES OF RESEARCH starts off with the Dresden-Würzburg Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat – Complexity and Topology in Quantum Matter and the Barkhausen Institute. For this purpose the cube-shaped portals have been constructed in close cooperation with the institutes whose presentation surfaces and interactive exhibits offer a comprehensive insight into and invite visitors to discover, explore and understand the scientific research.

 

The Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat – Complexity and Topology in Quantum Mater explores new quantum materials in high-performance laboratories in Dresden and Würzburg which exhibit surprising phenomena under extreme conditions such as ultra-low temperatures, high pressure, or strong magnetic fields. These quantum materials could, for example, be a basis for superfast quantum chips that consume hardly any energy and have gigantic storage capacities – provided their special properties can be made applicable under everyday conditions.

 

Purpose-built for the exhibition, the seven interactive exhibits from a hairy donuts to a frustrated magnet help to playfully explore the mysterious quantum world.

 

“For the SHOWCASES OF RESEARCH, we have translated our highly complex science into interactive formats that are at least as much fun as our research. It was an exciting process through which we learned a lot. We are delighted to open a door to our world with this exhibition and to engage in a dialog with all interested visitors. To accompany the exhibition, we have launched an online service that is gradually being expanded,” says Prof Matthias Vojta from TU Dresden, spokesperson of the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat.

 

At the Barkhausen Institute, scientists are working on software, processors and transmission paths that will make the fast Internet of Things more reliable and trustworthy. This is a matter of security and, not least, the protection of privacy, when robots, vehicles and household appliances communicate autonomously over the Internet in the future, taking in information from the environment, analysing it and reacting to it. The exhibition presents numerous applications of the Internet of Things and challenges to an air hockey game against a robot.

 

“The SHOWCASES OF RESEARCH is an excellent illustration of the cooperation between culture and science within the DRESDEN-concept alliance. With the exhibition and the accompanying programme, we are giving the general public an opportunity to gain insights into our research and its future impact on society. After all, digitisation can only be successful if the public gains confidence in the new technological possibilities,” says the scientific director of the Barkhausen Institute, Prof Dr Gerhard Fettweis.

 

Asking questions, getting into a dialogue, face-to-face and at eye level – dialogue events are also planned at the SHOWCASES starting in October 2020. Interested citizens can book half an hour of discussion time with a scientist from the Barkhausen Institute in the SCHAUFENSTER on a certain Saturday a month.

 

The current event dates will be posted on the social media channels of the Technische Sammlungen Dresden tagged with #TSDialog.

 

In 2021, follow-up dialogue events on the secrets and potentials of quantum materials will be held in cooperation with the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat. The events in cooperation with the Barkhausen Institute are funded by the Office for Economic Development of the State Capital Dresden.

 

 

ct.qmat

The Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat – Complexity and Topology in Quantum Matter is a leading international center for research on topological and complex quantum matter. The aim of the institution is developing a deep understanding of quantum phenomena in general and identifying materials in which those phenomena can be observed.

 

The Barkhausen Institute

The Barkhausen Institute is an independent research institute in Dresden that was established in 2017. The Institute's researchers are working on software, operating systems and transmission paths to make the fast Internet of Things more reliable and secure.

 

Contacts:

Ilja Almendinger, phone +49-351-4887254, ilja.almendinger@museen-dresden.de, www.tsd.de

 

Katja Lesser, phone +49-351-46333496, katja.lesser@tu-dresden.de, www.ctqmat.de

 

Patricia Grünberg, phone +49-351-46340866, patricia.gruenberg@barkhauseninstitut.org, www.barkhauseninstitut.org