4 / 2022 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS 7
“ We are not at the turning point yet ”
The Weizsäcker-Prize winner Antje Boetius on her research and communicating about it
Every two years , the Stifterverband and the Leopoldina award the Carl-Friedrichvon-Weizsäcker-Prize worth 50,000 euros . It honours researchers who have made a scientific contribution to solving important challenges in society . This year ’ s prize winner is marine biologist Antje Boetius ML . In her interview she talks of her fascination for the subject and why she has become involved in policy advice and science communication .
The Carl-Friedrich-von-Weizsäcker- Prize recognises both your scientific work and your social commitment to science communication . Do the two go hand in hand ? Antje Boetius : My research on unknown regions of the earth , such as the deep sea , is about discovery and gaining fundamental insights into the energy sources of life , their distribution and function . In some aspects Earth is still like an alien planet to us . On the other hand , we see traces of human activity that are changing habitats everywhere . The job of communication is important so that people can make connections : What we discover needs to be reported quickly , so that we know what we should and should not do to protect ourselves and the network of life on Earth . The purpose of my communication is to create a picture of the unknown , an understanding of what we are dealing with , for example in the case of icefish or deep-sea
Marine biologist Antje Boetius is Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute , Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research ( AWI ), in Bremerhaven / Germany and has been a member of the Leopoldina since 2009 .
Image : Esther Horvath | Alfred Wegener Institute
microbes . If you look at the long list of things that have changed since our childhood due to climate change and the overuse of resources , the oceans and polar regions are already suffering tremendous damage .
You are also involved in policy advice .
AWARD OF WEIZSÄCKER-PRIZES AND CHRISTMAS LECTURE
The Carl-Friedrich-von-Weizsäcker-Prize 2022 will be awarded on the occasion of the Leopoldina Christmas Lecture in Halle ( Saale )/ Germany on 12 December . The special edition 2021 of the Carl-Friedrich-von-Weizsäcker-Prize will be awarded at the same time . With this prize the haematologist , oncologist and immunologist Christoph Huber is honoured . His work in the field of cancer immunotherapy has served as a basis for the development of mRNA vaccines . The laudation will be given by the Nobel Prize winner Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard ML . The Weizsäcker-Prize winner 2022 , marine biologist Antje Boetius ML , will give the Christmas Lecture on “ Ocean Life ”.
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Weizsäcker-Prizes and Christmas Lecture
Does this fall on fertile ground ? Boetius : Published papers already show that the language of politics has changed significantly : It recognises scientific knowledge and has become more ambitious in terms of goals . But unfortunately its impact is still largely non-existent , CO₂ and methane emissions continue to rise and more forests than ever are being destroyed worldwide . We have not yet noticed a change in direction , even though there are some hopeful signs , such as a slowdown in the world ’ s use of coal . We have good knowledge , we know the levers , we can talk about it , but we are not at the turning point yet .
How do you deal with this ? Boetius : I am mostly concerned about the slowness of change . From a scientific point of view it is a race against time until climate targets are exceeded . We know from research on social trust and the development of democratic processes that it is difficult for people when political goals are ramped up but then not met . It is very important to have hope , to keep moving forward little by little and to talk about it . I do not see much of this in the political arena .
What is your personal view of the sea and the polar ice regions you are researching ? Boetius : I agree with Alexander von Humboldt , who talked about his unconditional feelings for nature as a prerequisite for research but at the same time carried out scientific measurements meticulously and tirelessly . It is possible to do both : to hold a thermometer in the ice and integrate data worldwide , and then find an empathetic way of talking about our experiences in a foreign landscape . Expeditions are particularly helpful for combining these two experiences .
■ THE INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED BY ADELHEID MÜLLER-LISSNER