Our ball-magazine 2017 may now also be found online! On 68 pages we provide insights and information about the scientific highlights at the 3rd Vienna Ball of Sciences: Where to find science in Vienna, what about the great artwork in the ball-disco, which plants provide sensual atmosphere, how to discover archaeological treasures, and what is Tom Lehrer actually singing about? Furthermore we are presenting the refugees initiative MORE, as again all earnings of the ball casino went to this institution; the “human computers” from the movie Hidden Figures, our special ball wine 2017 and many more interesting topics. Enjoy reading our ball-magazine 2017!

… the complete audience in the grand ball room of Vienna’s town hall turned to welcome President Alexander Van der Bellen as guest of honor at the 3rd Science Ball on 28 January 2017.

© PID/Christian Jobst

For the President’s words of welcome please see German version. 

At this year’s Science Ball, art and science not only merge in the ball-disco. Dancer Gloria Benedikt, Associate at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA),  framed a video-project, tracing questions on “post truth” und underlining how artists and scientist interact within this topic: “This is where they can come together: united by the quest to understand how the world works.” The short film “Post truth”, shown at Science Ball, developed out of an artistic urge to respond to the current discourse. And for all those findings you cannot express with words – here is the medium dance. 
Here you can see a short trailer:  

Science Ball is just around the corner! On Saturday starting from 20.00 we have our Science Blogger-in-residence, updating us on all happenings at the ball: molecular biologist Martin Moder from CeMM. 

Continue reading Our Science Blogger-in-residence: Martin Moder! →

“Vienna has a long ball tradition, those events are part of our city’s culture. Equally, science and research are part of our cultural tradition, though not always in such a strong spotlight. We can be proud of world-class research ‘made in Austria’, and we may show and celebrate it. The organizers of the Vienna Ball of Sciences deserve laud and gratitude for implementing this wonderful setting. I am sure that this event will become part of Vienna’s ball tradition, too.”

Klement Tockner is president of the Austrian Science Fund FWF. 

Photo: FWF / Lusser

It was already at the last two Science Balls quite obvious, that dancing scientist need more than a simple disco – they expect an extraordinary atmosphere, when shaking and listening to groovy tunes. In 2016, we made a time jump into the 13th century and danced in the Virgil chapel, a year earlier we had the quantum disco, simulating the double-slit experiment. This year’s theme: art!  

The walls of our ball disco will be designed by three young artists, all of them studying figurative painting at the Academy of fine arts Vienna. The huge paintings are designed by Linus Pamp, Maximilian Mucha and Purya Alimirzaee. They had no requirements or guidlines for their art and painting on the oversized molleton, which allowed a high creative potential. We are very much looking forward to impressive walls and a very special ambiance in this year’s ball disco! 

Photo: Christoph Rodler

“Media is not only my job, but I do love it. As a founder and editor of magazines and of course as a journalist, I am confronted by the broad sphere of science daily. Science and media are strongly linked to each other, as scientists need media for conveying their messages. Continue reading Uschi Pöttler-Fellner →

Media release: Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen is guest of honour at the 3rd Vienna Ball of Sciences • Student tickets are already sold out, regular tickets are expected to be soon • Aphrodisiac table decoration and virtual reality tours through Stonehenge highlights of programme 

Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen will be guest of honour at the 3^rd Vienna Ball of Sciences on Saturday, January 28, at Vienna town hall.

Ball organizer Oliver Lehmann: “The attendance of Austria’s Head of State only two days after his inauguration is a great honour for this event. From being a brave experiment three years ago, Science ball now became a presidential state’s ball. With this, the excellence, cosmopolitanism and diversity of universities in Vienna are strongly becoming a central focus of notice.”

Continue reading From an experiment to a state’s ball →