Outreach
Reaching out to the local and regional communities establishes a strong base and is geared toward getting people excited about the sciences. Exhibitions and film festivals are organized to capture the interest of the public in and around Heidelberg. Experiencing and understanding mathematics and computer science is the motto of the Mathematics Informatics Station (MAINS), which opened in 2017. Various activities for all ages are organized throughout the year: interactive and photo exhibitions, film screenings, lectures and much more. MAINS is a project of the Heidelberg Laureate Forum Foundation, which strives to show how exciting mathematics and computer science can be and how important their role is in today’s world. Additionally, each year an exhibition with a mathematical or computer scientific core runs parallel to the HLF as part of the accompanying program.
Accompanying Program 2025: MAINS on tour
Running parallel to the 12th HLF, the Heidelberg Laureate Forum Foundation presents a selection of interactive exhibits that are on display at the Mathematics Informatics Station (MAINS) as part of the exhibition “Secret!”, created by the Mathematikum Giessen. The success story of modern, mathematically based cryptography began soon after the Second World War. Without these new methods and asymmetric cryptography, today's internet applications, electronic payment systems, mobile communications, digital tax returns and general data protection would not be feasible, and in some cases even unimaginable. But secrets are also very important in everyday life: They range from simple hiding places, such as a key under the doormat, to private diaries and agreements, contracts or wills that need to be protected from unauthorized persons. The interactive exhibition invites visitors to explore these topics.
In addition, we are presenting the exhibition “Wild Dynamics” by Pierre Berger, a mathematician from the IMJ-PRG research institute in Paris. Using interactive computer simulations and metal sculptures, he explores the fascinating behavior of “wild” dynamical systems, which are difficult to describe using traditional statistical methods.
The exhibition is open Sunday, September 14 through Thursday, September 18, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday, September 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
It is located in the Senate Hall of the Old University, Grabengasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg.