Ricardo Fernandes wins First Place in Max Planck Day Science Slam
On Friday evening, 23 June 2023, six scientists from across the Max Planck Society competed in a Science Slam as part of the celebrations surrounding the 75th anniversary of the Max Planck Society. The public event was held in Göttingen’s Old Town Hall, with the goal of presenting scientific research in an engaging, entertaining way.
Dr. Ricardo Fernandes of the MPI of Geoanthropology was awarded first prize for his slam, titled “Fighting crime using atomic bombs.” His performance explained how radiocarbon dating methods work, and how they can be used to investigate both ancient and modern murders.
“It is great to have opportunities, such as the Max Planck Science Slam, to present our research to the general public in a fun way,” says Ricardo.
The other contestants included Sergio San Miguel of the MPI for Infection Biology, Berlin; Alina Studenova of the MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig; Monica Gobran of the MPI for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen; Varatharaja Nallathambi of the MPI für Eisenforschung GmbH, Düsseldorf; and Valentin Thoss of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching.
Ricardo leads the Systems Archaeology research group at MPI GEA, which uses interdisciplinary methods to model the dynamics of past human-environmental systems. To learn more about his research and the inspiration for the prize-winning slam, visit the group page here.