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On November 13, 2025, the Forum Wissen in Göttingen presented the Forum Wissen Award was presented for the second time at the Forum Wissen in Göttingen. This year, the award went to Prof. Dr. Astrid Eichhorn, theoretical physicist at Heidelberg University and committed advocate for modern science communication. The Lichtenberg sculpture was presented by SerNet Managing Director Reinhild Jung.
Ursula Haufe, chairwoman of the Förderkreis Forum Wissen e. V. (Forum Wissen Support Association), opened the evening. She skillfully and lively guided the audience through the program and summarized: “The Forum Wissen is the place to want to know, to pass on knowledge, and to come back.” She also reminded the audience of the close connection between SerNet and the creation of the award, which goes back to the chemist Ernst Puschmann, who died in 2024.
Prof. Dr. Axel Schölmerich, President of Georg August University of Göttingen, and Prof. Dr. Christoph Bleidorn, Director of Forum Wissen, welcomed the audience as hosts. Bleidorn bridged the gap between the award winner, the UNESCO Quantum Year 2025, and the special exhibition “Was zum Quant?!” (What's a quantum?!) at Forum Wissen. Prof. Dr. Stefan Kehrein gave the laudatory speech for Prof. Dr. Eichhorn. He praised her services to science communication and described the Forum Wissen as a forward-looking place where trust in scientific work can grow.
Explaining and listening: Science with a clear message
Astrid Eichhorn's lecture formed the core of the evening. She provided entertaining and understandable insights into her field of research: the open questions of quantum physics, the fundamental building blocks of the universe, and the standard model of particle physics with its 19 known particles.
Just as important as her research was her view of science communication. Science must “go out, explain, and listen.” Only in this way can it take on an advisory role and accompany complex social challenges. She presented her involvement in the podcast “wissen ... handeln?” and talked about the balance between activity and passivity in communication and her involvement in projects such as the ALLEA report on the climate sustainability of the academic system.
She cited attracting future generations to science as one of her key goals. Her message was clear: every unanswered question can become a research question. Anyone can become a scientist—even without the “Einstein gene.” Her participation in the book “Young Scientists. 30 Researchers & Their Paths to Science!”
Lichtenberg sculpture donated by SerNet
The Forum Wissen Award is endowed with 5,000 euros and comes with a bronze statue of Lichtenberg. The motif has a special history: Ernst Puschmann had the statue designed by Ulrich Mekiska back in 2021. The depiction picks up on one of Lichtenberg's research findings that was particularly important to Puschmann. A large-format wooden version has been on display at the Physics Institute of the University of Göttingen since 2023; Puschmann donated the first bronze figure to the Physics Cabinet.
This later gave rise to the idea of making the sculpture the symbol of the Forum Wissen Award. To ensure the award's long-term future, SerNet GmbH financed the production of five bronze figures. This year, Reinhild Jung presented the sculpture to Prof. Dr. Astrid Eichhorn, thus continuing the initiative that Ernst Puschmann played a key role in shaping.
