From Brain Maps to Expressionist Astronomy: Lives in Science through Berlin History

This is a lecture accompanying the Ghosts and Whispers exhibition (see below)

For centuries, Berlin has been one of the global centres of science. Einstein, Planck, Virchow and many others have spent years working in the city, leaving behind the legacy of discoveries and institute buildings named in their honour. But what happens if we look beyond the grand scale of science and try to connect to the humans who made it possible?

From a married couple mapping out the human brain to an expressionist tower built to test relativistic physics, this lecture will explore stories from Berlin and its surroundings that bring scientific history back to the human scale. Learn about the Adlershof scientific building on a Rammstein album cover, the woman scientist who inspired an astronomer statue near Ostkreuz, the semi-destroyed anatomical hall preserved in the Charité hospital, and many other tales behind familiar Berlin places.

About the exhibition

From seaweed classification to chaos theory, Ghosts and Whispers is an immersive art exhibition that explores the human side of science. Through a series of paintings, it tells the stories of little-known historical figures in research, their discoveries and what we know - or don't know - about them as people. Materials in the exhibition are available in both English and German. The exhibition is open daily 2-10 November 12:00-20:00. Free admission.