Helmholtz Talks – Science and Politics in Conversation
29.01.2026
From energy policy to sustainable mobility and the challenges facing coastal cities, what key issues are shaping our future? The Helmholtz CLIMATE dialogue platform, in partnership with the Research Institute for Sustainability, will launch a new season of the podcast “Helmholtz Talks – Science and Politics in Conversation,” on 29 January 2026. This German-language podcast brings together politicians and researchers to discuss critical societal challenges and explore solutions emerging through closer cooperation between science and policy actors.
This first episode of the new season will focus on the topic of "Freedom or bondage? The car as an emotional paradox". Coinciding with the podcast launch, the petition “Car-free Berlin” will be launched in January 2026, advocating for limits on the use of private vehicles in the central districts of Germany’s capital city. This provides a timely opportunity to examine our relationship with the car. Cars are often seen as symbols of status and personal freedom, and our culture is saturated with images that evoke strong emotions. But are these images still relevant, or even misleading? Johannes Kraft, transport policy spokesperson for the CDU parliamentary group in Berlin, and Tobias Rausch, a theatre director and former RIFS Fellow (2025), will join the conversation.
Future episodes will feature fortnightly conversations with politicians and researchers from across the Helmholtz Association’s diverse research fields, focusing on sustainability, climate, and the environment.
"Helmholtz Talks – Science and Politics in Conversation" is a cooperation between the Research Institute for Sustainability and the dialogue platform Helmholtz KLIMA and builds on the success of two previous seasons. You can find all of the episodes here.
The podcast was developed by Sébastien Vannier (Helmholtz KLIMA) and is hosted by radio journalist Julia Vismann.