Category Archives: Ball 2022

8th Science Ball 2022 cancelled

Omicron dynamics not calculable • Organizing committee follows research findings •  New date planned for January 2023

The current Covid forecasts leave us no choice but to cancel the Science Ball in January 2022 and to consider a new date on Saturday, January 28, 2023.

As a science ball, we are committed to research and its findings. Due to the omicron variant, it is currently very difficult to predict the dynamics of infection development. Therefore, we as the organizing committee have decided – like our colleagues from the TU-, WU-, Blumen- or Opernball – to cancel the Science Ball for this season.

We would like to thank all the artists, scientists, ball ambassadors and contributors who have participated in the planning with great energy. We thank all the experts with whom we developed an excellent security and access concept. And we would like to thank all our customers, whose bookings have once again demonstrated their enormous interest in the Science Ball. Tickets can be canceled free of charge until early February. As of February 10, 2022 the tickets are transferred to the 2023 ball.

We hope that as many people as possible will be vaccinated or boostered in the coming weeks. In this way, they will protect themselves and their fellow human beings – and ultimately enable us all to enjoy a ball season in the winter of 2022/23.

Johanna Pirker: Kick-off for interplay

“At this moment we can see how important different disciplines are in overcoming a crisis. This illustrates how crucial it is that science, society and politics cooperate. We need to give the public sphere a better understanding of science and educate society in order to reduce fears and skepticism. Science – in all areas – must become more accessible, visible and open, and society must become more enlightened.”

Johanna Pirker is assistant professor, software engineer, and director of the research group Game Lab Graz at the Institute of Interactive Systems and Data Science at Graz University of Technology. Her work focusses on games research, data analysis and immersive environments (VR). She has received various awards for her research, the most recent addition being the Hedy-Lamarr Award by the City of Vienna

Antonia Weberling: stop the funding cuts!

Photo: https://www.snappysnaps.co.uk/cambridge/

“Decades of independent research have made it possible for scientists to develop not only one, but several vaccines against Covid-19 in a record-breaking span of time. In order to stop climate change and hit the 1.5-degree-target, scholars and scientists work together, as we need to reach a fundamental change in the way our society thinks and acts in addition to finding or optimizing alternative, renewable sources of energy. Instead of learning from the pandemic and the climate crisis and encouraging independent research so that we can build upon foundations for the next crisis, funding has been massively withdrawn.  Continue reading Antonia Weberling: stop the funding cuts!

Nicole Amberg: gender equality as driving force

Foto: Peter Rigaud

“An inherent feature of science is to ask questions leading to a better understanding of the world. However, the scientific system immediately has to be questioned regarding its accessibility for different individuals, since societies and academic institutions still lack homogenous access to education, opportunities and chances. Thus, science is depleted of diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity and ultimately and most importantly: mindsets. Continue reading Nicole Amberg: gender equality as driving force

Elke Ziegler: reason to celebrate

Ursula Hummel-Berger, ORF

Science is the basis of a sustainable modern society. It provides the tools to understand the dimensions of the challenges we face. It proposes solutions, highlights their potential and thus prepares the ground for reasoned political action – from pandemics to climate warming to species extinction. Trust in science means understanding the path to knowledge and appreciating results. This basis should be put beyond dispute in the political debate – then science and society would have reason to celebrate far beyond the pandemic.

Elke Ziegler is science editor with Ö1 and was awarded the Robert Hochner Prize 2021 for her coverage of the pandemic in journals, features and podcasts. The jury found that Ziegler had “tirelessly prepared the sometimes contradictory wealth of information for radio listeners in a factual, comprehensible, balanced, level-headed and always cutting-edge manner”.

The Power of Science

The 8th Vienna Ball of Sciences will take place on January 29, 2022 at the Vienna City Hall. Under particularly strict Corona rules. And thanks to the power of science.

The one piece of good news: according to the current rules, the ball will take place. Why are we, as the organizing committee, daring the experiment? Because we are imposing particularly strict rules based on the findings of science. Continue reading The Power of Science