In Touch

Science is personal.  

Science is a collective adventure: a deeply human process of questioning, doubting, and discovering. With this year's festival theme, In Touch, Berlin Science Week 2026 turns to the personal side of science: how research touches our lives, how it changes us, and how it connects us with one another.  

Following the 2024 and 2025 themes, Common Ground and Beyond Now, the festival’s focus returns to the individual: to those who do science, and to those whose lives are shaped by it. In Touch asks: What does science mean to me? How does it shape what I trust, what I believe, how I make sense of things? How does it influence my life?   

In Touch shows science for what it is: a democratic practice of shared thinking and inquiry. The scientific method belongs to everyone. It is an expression of the human drive to understand the world, one that thrives on openness, curiosity, and a willingness to learn from mistakes, and one another.  

The 2026 programme brings science that shapes your life into the room with the people behind the research. You’ll hear from researchers about what drives them, what they are passionate about, and why they couldn't stop asking. 

Event Tracks 

Where does science touch your life? 

The 2026 programme is organised into seven event tracks that represent this year's theme, In Touch. Rather than grouping events by field or discipline, each track is its own touchpoint between science and everyday life: where research meets our bodies, decisions, relationships, and everyday experiences.