Publication: Energy Arts, Power, and Perception: Artistic Interventions in the Context of Climate Change
A new article titled “Energy Arts, Power, and Perception: Artistic Interventions in the Context of Climate Change” by c:o/re fellow Hannah Star Rogers has just been published in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia for Natural Hazards.
As energy systems are increasingly understood as underlying practical and existential risks, artists are responding with new modes of artwork addressing many energy-related questions and concerns. Energy arts is a field of artistic practice focused on the concepts, materials, and societal impacts of energy systems. Spanning visual art, performance, installation, and design, it explores the physical properties of energy, its political and economic structures, and its environmental consequences. Artists make visible energy’s often-invisible flows, critique dominant systems such as fossil fuel dependency, and propose alternative futures through renewable energy, speculative design, or reuse of obsolete infrastructure. Engagement with energy builds on a broader history of artists responding to natural hazards and technological change, revealing the interdependence of human-made and natural systems. Works range from material-based installations, such as Richard Wilson’s petroleum-filled 20:50, to activist projects like Olafur Eliasson’s solar-powered Little Sun, and wind-powered sculptures such as Theo Jansen’s Strandbeests. Jessica Segall’s Human Energyaddresses the embodied and cultural dimensions of energy consumption, while critical explorations of waste are exemplified by the performance and sound work of Sarah Ancelle Schönfeld and Louis-Philippe Scoufaras. Others, like the Land Art Generator Initiative, combine art and engineering to propose renewable energy infrastructures. Energy art overlaps with environmental art and eco-art but is distinct in centering energy systems as cultural and aesthetic concerns. By reframing energy as more than a technical issue, these works foster public engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and new ways of imagining energy transitions. Energy art helps expand public understanding and increase questioning around energy’s materiality, infrastructures, and futures in a climate-changed world.
Find the article on the publisher’s website here.
Publication: Computing Cultures
A new volume by c:o/re senior researcher Arianna Borrelli and Helena Durnová is out now: Computing Cultures. Knowledges and Practices (1940–1990).
Highlighting the diverse and fragmentary nature of the so-called “digital turn,” this volume offers a glimpse into the landscape of different computing cultures which emerged side by side between the 1940s and the 1990s, at times sharing some features, yet remaining essentially independent from each other. Some of these cultures disappeared, some thrive until today, but understanding all through their knowledges and practices, interconnections and broader historical context, is essential to deal critically with the visions and dreams, fears and tensions characterizing digital practices in today’s knowledge societies.
The volume is available as open access on the publisher’s website.
Ten years of PD14: milestone model shapes digital neuroscience and AI research
You can find the original article on FZ Jülich’s website here.
Neuronal circuit models help researchers better understand how nerve cells in the brain work together and can be used computationally to advance brain research. A key step toward computational neuroscience was the model of early sensory cortex developed by Dr. Tobias Potjans and Prof. Markus Diesmann, known as PD14. Published in 2014, it has become a research standard – as a basis for more complex brain models, as a testbed for computational methods, and as a benchmark for the performance of new computer systems.
In April 2024, researchers from around the world met at the Käte Hamburger Kolleg: Cultures of Research (c:o/re) at RWTH Aachen University to reflect on the model’s importance for work in computational and theoretical neuroscience on the occasion of its tenth anniversary. The results of the symposium have now been published in the journal Cerebral Cortex. In this interview, Prof. Markus Diesmann and Prof. Hans Ekkehard Plesser, lead author of the report, discuss the significance of PD14 and the opportunities and challenges of digital neuroscience, as illustrated for example by the European research platform EBRAINS.
Why was the PD14 model so successful?
Diesmann: We originally developed PD14 to better understand how the structure of neuronal networks affects their activity patterns. Over the past ten years, PD14 has inspired many lines of research. Researchers have used it as a building block for larger brain models, as a reference model for theoretical analyses, and as a benchmark for novel neuromorphic computer systems. This was made possible by systematic support for technology projects from the European Union over the last 20 years. Projects such as the Human Brain Project (HBP) have brought neuroscience into the realm of large-scale research and made EBRAINS possible. Within these projects, shared standards for the sharing and documentation of models were established. As a demanding use case, PD14 was selected as a demo already in the EU project BrainScaleS and has since driven further development.
“Sharing” is a key word. Why is this still so difficult for the community?
Plesser: Even today, many neuronal models are implemented in general-purpose programming languages such as MATLAB, Python, or C. This often limits their potential for reuse. Nevertheless, in the ten years since PD14 was published, neuroscience has made great progress in scientific software development. Research code is now created according to modern software-engineering principles, and the new field of Research Software Engineering (RSE) is gaining international importance. While hardware is usually replaced about every five years, scientific software such as the NEURON or NEST simulators remains relevant for decades. As a result, scientific software must be seen, operated, and funded as a permanent research infrastructure – a point that funding bodies have so far only partly addressed.
Where did this change in thinking come from?
Plesser: Large initiatives such as the Human Brain Project have changed how the community thinks. Models and simulation systems are now treated separately: simulation codes are provided as stable infrastructure, while researchers can investigate very different networks on the same platform. Open repositories such as OSB, ModelDB, or the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph make these models accessible worldwide, and standardized model description languages such as PyNN and NeuroML ensure compatibility.
Impact of the PD14 model
The model of the cortical microcircuit (center) had an impact on five aspects of research (clockwise from top): conceived to provide neuroscience insight, the model became a building block of more advanced models, served as reference for the validation of mean-field theories, drove the development of methods for model sharing, and became a standard for benchmarking of neuromorphic and GPU systems.
How did research data develop in parallel, and what does this mean for PD14?
Diesmann: The experimental data basis for large-scale models has improved significantly thanks to techniques such as 3D electron microscopy, high-resolution electrophysiology, optophysiology, and layer-specific MRI. Projects like MICrONS provide standardized datasets that make it easier to construct data-driven models. These new datasets enable the validation and further development of the PD14 model, especially with regard to network dynamics and functional tests. PD14 already serves as a blueprint for building new, larger brain models that are composed from existing building blocks. The model helps define standards for the exchange and reuse of models and promotes collaboration between computer science, physics, biology, and engineering.
A look into the future: where are models heading, and what role does AI play?
Diesmann: Future models will increasingly represent realistic, spatially organized structures and closed functional circuits of the brain. After all, the brain does not exist just to produce neural activity but to enable rapid information processing for the organism. The original PD14 model did not yet include function – but that is what we are working on now. This brings the vision of so-called digital twins of the brain closer: virtual counterparts of biological systems that allow experiments and hypothesis testing in silico. In contrast to today’s AI, the focus here is on uncovering the mechanisms of information processing in the brain. These insights, in turn, can inform future AI systems. Conversely, AI already supports this progress by learning complex relationships from large datasets and predicting neuronal responses.
Where do you see obstacles on this path?
Plesser: Many models are still developed individually and in an ad hoc manner, often without integrating existing infrastructures – as self-written code on a laptop. Sometimes we even hear: “Everything I care about I can do on my laptop.” But a new generation of researchers, shaped by international training programs and cloud-based model platforms like EBRAINS, is working more collaboratively and using shared tools as a common foundation. This development may mark a turning point at which neuroscience evolves from a discipline of individual pioneers into a collaborative large-scale enterprise.
About PD14
The PD14 model describes the connectivity of about 77,000 nerve cells with around 300 million synaptic connections under an area of only one square millimetre of cortical surface. It consists of fewer than 400 lines of Python code and can even be simulated on modern laptops. In the spirit of open and transparent science (FAIR principles: findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable), the model has been released in several variants. One of these is based on the PyNN language and has been made available to the research community via the Open Source Brain platform. PD14 has been very successful: by March 2024 it had been used as a component in 52 scientific studies and cited in over 230 publications.
Original publication: Hans Ekkehard Plesser, Andrew P Davison, Markus Diesmann, Tomoki Fukai, Tobias Gemmeke, Padraig Gleeson, James C Knight, Thomas Nowotny, Alexandre René, Oliver Rhodes, Antonio C Roque, Johanna Senk, Tilo Schwalger, Tim Stadtmann, Gianmarco Tiddia, Sacha J van Albada, Building on models—a perspective for computational neuroscience, Cerebral Cortex, Volume 35, Issue 11, November 2025, bhaf295, https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhaf295
Publication: Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence: Optimistic and Pessimistic Views
We are pleased to announce the publication of “Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence: Optimistic and Pessimistic Views,” edited by Markus Pantsar, Frederik Stjernfelt, Gabriele Gramelsberger, and Alin Olteanu.
This book discusses, from various angles, the new trends in Artificial intelligence (AI), given the current so-called golden period that this field is undergoing. Recent progress in machine learning applications, such as image recognition and natural language processing, have raised the level of optimism that one day an AI can exhibit genuine intelligence. In games like Go and chess, human players have been surpassed by computers. As during earlier periods of AI optimism, there is increasing talk about domain-general artificial intelligence being possible. But just how intelligent are current AI systems, and what can we expect in the future? What will a world with an increasingly important role for AI systems be like? Which shifts with regard to the concept of intelligence as well as the societal order do these developments have? Authors with different views on the present and future of AI research and the role of AI in society discuss these questions, illustrating the diversity of discussions on AI and the many ways our lives are influenced by it.
You can find the book on the publisher’s website here.
Call for Applications 2026/27
Open call for applications for fellowships (postdoctoral to senior level) starting in October 2026 for up to twelve months, application deadline December 31, 2025.
Fellowships
The Käte Hamburger Kolleg: Cultures of Research (c:o/re) is an international center for advanced studies for history, philosophy, and sociology of science and technology at RWTH Aachen University. It is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space. The center invites applications from scholars from the humanities and social sciences, as well as from natural, life, and technical sciences. The focus of the center’s work is on the manifold research cultures within the sciences, their commonalities and differences, and how they are transformed through interdisciplinary discourse. We are particularly interested in exploring the concepts of ‘digitality/complexity’, ‘globality/varieties of science’ and ‘expanded STS’ together with international fellows.
For the year 2026/2027, KHK c:o/re’s research will be centered around the topic of “varieties of science”. Proposals may address
- Studies comparing countries and their respective cultural-institutional contexts in which research is performed
- Methodological approaches of how we can analyze the differences between such cultural-institutional contexts of research
- Studies of a concrete variety of science looking at relevant aspects in the system of knowledge production in a selected country
Participation and contribution to the center
Fellows will join the international center for a maximum period of 12 months (minimum 6 months), starting in October 2026. The fellowships provide a full grant commensurate with applicants’ level of professional experience, working space in fully-equipped offices, logistical support, and access to the interdisciplinary research landscape and research labs at RWTH Aachen University. Fellows who have no other regular income during their fellowship will receive a monthly stipend.
Alternatively, the center can cover costs for a teaching replacement at the fellow’s home institution.
In order to create a stimulating intellectual environment among the resident research community, regular presence at the center and participation in its weekly events are mandatory. Residency in Aachen is required and the center can support fellows in the search for accommodation.
For more information about the fellowship program, please click here.
Location
RWTH Aachen University is one of the largest universities of science and technology in Europe. Located at the borders of Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands (Euregio), it has close ties with STS institutes at the universities of Maastricht and Liège, and with the neighboring Jülich Research Center, a research campus of more than 5,000 researchers.
See for more information on RWTH Aachen University, visit their website.
Application Modalities
Applications are open to postdoctoral (PhD must be fully completed by the time of application) as well as senior researchers who have already distinguished themselves with outstanding work within the thematic focus of the center. The application (in English) includes the application form (link see below), a cover letter, curriculum vitae, list of publications, a writing sample (in English), and an exposé (max. 3 pages), in which the applicant presents her/his research project and its relation to c:o/re’s research program. An interdisciplinary outlook is advantageous. Please submit your application via our online platform that you find here.
The deadline for applications is December 31, 2025.
Female researchers and scholars from the Global South are particularly encouraged to apply. For further information please visit the FAQs on our website.
Cancellation: Digital Complexity: De-Anthropological Trends in Computing, AI, and Robotics by Gabriele Gramelsberger
‼️ Unfortunately, tonight’s lecture by Gabriele Gramelsberger has to be canceled due to illness.
We hope to see you next week for Anna Tuschling’s lecture on “Digitality as a Triad: From the Love Letter to Emotion AI”.
Lecture Series Winter 2025/26: Digital Complexity: Beyond Human Understanding
We are happy to announce that the lecture series of the winter term 2025/26 will revolve around the topic of Digital Complexity: Beyond Human Understanding.
Current developments in the fields of simulation and artificial intelligence have shown that the complexity of digital tools has exceeded the levels of human understanding. We can no longer comprehend and explain the results that AI delivers. Even AI deceptions and hallucinations are now almost impossible to detect. This raises the question of the relationship between humans and their technology anew. Are technologies as instruments useful extensions of human capabilities, as it was understood in the classical philosophy of technology, or are we now extensions of technology? Will AI dominate us in the near future?
The lecture series addresses these fundamental questions as well as ethical issues of digital transformation. It also takes a look at the development of digitality as a modern paradigm. Even though digital computers first appeared in the 1940s, there is a longer-term history of the development of digital tools and methods deeply rooted in our self-understanding as humans. Knowledge of this history makes it easier to understand current developments.
But what exactly do these current developments mean for science and society? The different lectures aim to tackle various aspects of the digital transformation of science and society from the perspective of “digital complexity.” Questions about explainable AI, about the well-being of people in a digital world, about the social and political impact of digital, social media will be explored, as well as the provocative question of who will be doing research in the future: humans or AI?
Various speakers, including the media theorist Anna Tuschling and the sociologist Dirk Baecker, will be guests at the KHK c:o/re to shed light on “Digital Complexity: Beyond Human Understanding” from different disciplinary perspectives.
Please find an overview of the dates and speakers in the program.
The lectures will take place from October 22, 2025, to February 11, 2026, every second Wednesday from 5 to 6:30 pm in presence and online.
Part of the lecture series are three keynotes, held in the context of the 8th HaPoC Conference “History and Philosophy of Computing,” hosted by c:o/re in December 2025. The conference will examine the topic of “digital complexity” in greater detail.
If you would like to attend, please write a short email to events@khk.rwth-aachen.de.
Publication: Politics of the Machines Conference 2024 Proceedings
In 2024, we had the honor of hosting the Politics of the Machines conference in Aachen. We are very happy to announce that the conference proceedings are out now!
Many thanks to Ana María Guzmán Olmos, Gabriele Gramelsberger, Laura Beloff, Morten Søndergaard, Hassan Choubassi, Joe Elias and all the other authors for their contributions.
You can find the publications online as open access online: Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.
The overall theme of the POM-conference series is the question of how the machine and technology impact and contextualize artistic and cultural production and our perception of the world. Moreover, it is aiming at investigating the histories, theories and practices of machines and technologies in-between and beyond disciplines. It seeks to question the governing ideas in the sciences and the humanities through critical engagement with and empowerment of activities of creative production in the relational field of culture – technology – umwelt.
For more impressions and recaps of the 2024 conference in Aachen, check out our blog posts.
Audio Tip: Art, Science, and the Politics of Knowledge
KHK c:o/re fellow Hannah Star Rogers sat down with Nicholas McCay for the podcast “Science, Technology, and Society” to talk about her book “Art, Science, and the Politics of Knowledge” (MIT Press, 2022).
In her research, Hannah argues that art and science are not distinct domains, but intertwined practices that both produce knowledge through shared methodologies such as visualization, experimentation, and inquiry.
You can listen to the episode on the podcast’s website.
On our blog, you can read more about Hannah’s work researching the connection between science and art.
Get to know our Fellows: Matthew N. Eisler
Get to know our current fellows and gain an impression of their research. In a new series of short videos, we asked them to introduce themselves, talk about their work at c:o/re and the research questions that fascinate them.
In this video, Matthew N. Eisler, historian of science and technology at the University of Strathclyde, shares his research on the relationship between environmental regulations, society, and everyday life. Focusing on less obvious aspects of life in a sustainable society, he investigates how green production shapes social relations and sheds light on different visions of green work.
Check out our media section or our YouTube channel to have a look at the other videos.
