From AI to quantum computers to critical design: That was the Long Night of Science 2026 at the ECDF
08.06.2026
A full house, curious questions, and numerous encounters between science and society: For this year’s Long Night of Science 2026, the Einstein Center Digital Future opened its doors on June 6, 2026, to visitors from all over Berlin. From 5 p.m. to midnight, researchers and students presented current work at the intersection of digitalization, technology, and society.
Interactive demonstrations on AI-powered water monitoring showed visitors how smart technologies, real-time data, and AI can help conserve resources in their own homes. The SimRa app also sparked great interest among visitors: Cyclists use the app to record their routes and flag dangerous situations such as sudden braking, risky passing maneuvers by drivers, or near-misses. Visitors could try out the app on-site, register as testers, and ask questions of the team led by ECDF Professor David Bermbach.
Another favorite was this year's AI quiz booth, “Who Wants to Be a MillionAIre?”, where visitors worked with an AI chatbot to solve tricky puzzles and could immediately compare their scores with other visitors. This demonstrated that humans and AI can indeed work together. A recurring highlight for young and old alike was the escape room on quantum technologies, which made complex research accessible in a playful way. Participants explored the lab in groups of three to four, found hidden clues, and solved tricky puzzles. The goal: to activate the quantum computer at the end.
Numerous displays in the exhibition “Politics of Design – Per/Forming Critique” demonstrated that ethical, social, and political considerations must always be taken into account when digital technologies are deployed. The critical design and performative works by students were created during the winter semester of 2025/2026 at the FU Berlin. ECDF professors Florian Conradi and Michelle Christensen supervised the works, which were created as part of the Master’s program in Culture and Media Management. “The exhibition showcases interdisciplinary projects based on open-source software and hardware. Over the course of the semester, students chose their own topics and developed individual exhibits based on them. This raised questions such as: What will we remember in the future? And how does AI influence not only our future but also the past? The projects are designed to stimulate reflection and open up new perspectives on technology, memory, and history.
The more than 400 visitors who attended the event and the discussions with researchers showed how interested the public is in the societal impacts of digital technologies. The ECDF’s interdisciplinary projects demonstrate that digital technologies are not an end in themselves, but rather tools for developing solutions to the most pressing questions of our time.