In each episode, journalist and podcaster Larissa Vassilian has different researchers from the Clusters of Excellence as guests. In the current episode, it is mathematicians Andrea Walther from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Sebastian Pokutta from Technische Universität Berlin. Both conduct research in the field of mathematical optimisation and have been spokespersons for the MATH+ Cluster of Excellence since October 2024. In the current episode, they talk about how mathematical methods can contribute to a more economical use of resources.
What does the podcast cover?
"Exzellent erklärt" regularly reports from the 57 Clusters of Excellence that are funded as part of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments. The journey takes us all over Germany, and the topics are just as diverse as the locations: from A for African Studies to Z for Future of Medicine.
Who is the target audience?
All podcast fans aged 14 and over who are interested in science and research. No prior knowledge is necessary. The range of topics is so broad that there is something for everyone.
Who are the makers?
The podcast was initiated by ten science communicators from the Clusters of Excellence. Antje Nestler from the Cluster of Excellence "Matters of Activity", which is based at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, was involved from the very beginning.
What is the current episode about?
In the episode "Overcoming boundaries and changing worlds with mathematics - a focus on sustainability and AI", Prof Dr Andrea Walther from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) and Prof Dr Sebastian Pokutta from Technische Universität Berlin (TU) talk about how the application of mathematical methods can help us to use resources more sparingly. For example, how can wings or flight routes be optimised so that aircraft consume less paraffin? How should large language models best be trained and used so that they require as little power as possible? At the MATH+ Cluster of Excellence, the mathematics research centre of Berlin's universities, they want to develop mathematical models and optimisation methods that are as generally valid as possible and can then be applied to a wide variety of problems. MATH+ has set itself the goal of further developing application-orientated mathematics. The focus here is on mathematical methods that make the constantly growing amount of data in the life and material sciences, in energy and network research as well as in the humanities and social sciences usable.
Who hosts the podcast? Who are the guests?
The podcast is hosted by Larissa Vassilian, journalist and podcast pioneer. For each episode, she interviews scientists from one of the 57 Clusters of Excellence.
What happens next?
In the upcoming episodes, the podcast will first focus on the "RESIST" Cluster of Excellence at Hannover Medical School, where research is being conducted into how to protect particularly susceptible people from infections. Then, at the turn of the year, we will take a look at the sky with astrophysicists from the Cluster of Excellence "Dynaverse".