Struck by Science

PANinWien

“Struck by Science” is a podcast series in which we aim to present contemporary phenomena, events and challenges from the scientific perspective. The purpose of the series is to explore social and political issues from an academic position. In each episode, we invite researchers from different countries and fields of science to reflect on the scientific approach to the topic of the episode. The podcast is aimed at anyone who wants to peer behind a veil of scientific knowledge and find out how different researchers see the challenges of the contemporary times.

Episodes

  1. 08/22/2025

    SE02: Community(ies) EP04: Non-Obvious Community: Language, Trauma, And Identity In Austrian Post-War Literature

    SE02: Community(ies) EP04: Non-ObviousCommunity: Language, Trauma, And Identity In Austrian Post-War Literature A discussion with Professor Adam Lipszyc Institute of Philosophy and Sociology PAS, Center for Psychoanalytic Thought   The episode features a discussion with Professor Adam Lipszyc from the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology PAS. The conversation explores Austrian post-war literature, focusing on themes of language, trauma, and identity. Professor Lipszyc discusses the distinctiveness of Austrian literature, shaped by historical catastrophes such as the fall of the Habsburg Empire, World War II, and the Holocaust. He highlights its critical approach to language, influencedby figures like Karl Kraus, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Sigmund Freud, and its role in questioning European identity and collective memory. The discussion also covers key Austrian writers, including Thomas Bernhard, Ingeborg Bachmann, Elfriede Jelinek, and Clemens Setz, emphasizing their radical, ironic, and often unsettling explorations of misfit identity, historical guilt, and the human condition. The speaker argues that Austrianliterature forms a "non-obvious community" of misfits, offering deep reflections on history, politics, and existential struggles. The episode concludes with a call to engage with Austrian literature as an essential part of European cultural heritage.

  2. 02/24/2025

    SE02: Community(ies) EP02: European Perspectives for Western Balkan Countries - Challenges and Opportunities

    SE02: Community(ies) EP02: European Perspectives for Western Balkan Countries - Challenges and Opportunities A discussion with Mag. Sebastian Schäffer Director of the Institute of the Danube Region and Central Europe(IDM) Following its latest expansion, the process of EU enlargement remains ongoing. Notably, many Western Balkan nations have been awaiting EU membership for several years, with some having been in this position for over a decade. In this episode of our podcast, we will explore the prospective EU membership of these predominantly post-Yugoslav countries. Our guest is Sebastian Schaeffer, the Director of the Institute of the Danube Region and Central Europe, and a distinguished expert on Balkan affairs.   During our discussion, we seek answers to several key questions: What challenges and opportunities do Western Balkan countries face regarding their entry into the eurozone, and how does monetary union impact their economic stability? What alternatives to EU membership are available to these countries? Should they adopt a common strategy, or would it be more effective for each country to pursue individual approaches? To what extent could geopolitical factors, such as the growing influence of Russia and China in the region, affect the EU's enlargement process in the Western Balkans? Lastly, how does religious diversity in the Western Balkans shape the political and social dynamics within the region and its integration into the EU?

  3. 09/02/2021

    Struck by Science: Die Geheimnisse der Mehrsprachigkeit

    DE: Die Folge von unserer Podcast-Reihe ist sprachlichen Fragen gewidmet, vor allem dem Phänomen der Mehrsprachigkeit und der Sprachlehr- und Lernforschung einschließlich Polnisch als Fremdsprache und als so genannte Herkunftssprache. Unsere Gäste sind:  - Assoz.-Prof. Dr. Susanne M. Reiterer, Sprachwissenschaftlerin am Institut für Sprachwissenschaft und am Zentrum für LehrerInnenbildung der Universität Wien  und  - Natalie Kosch, MA - Lektorin für polnische Sprache am Institut für Slawistik der Universität Wien und Doktorandin am Zentrum für polnische Sprache und Kultur für AusländerInnen "Polonicum" an der Universität Warschau.  Moderiert wird die Folge von Dr. Kamila Śniegocka Expertin für wissenschaftliche Kontakte am Wissenschaftlichen Zentrum der Polnischen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien.  PL: Kolejny odcinek serii Struck by Science poświęcony jest zagadnieniom językoznawczym, przede wszystkim zjawisku wielojęzyczności, oraz nauczaniu języków obcych, w tym języka polskiego jako obcego, a także jako tzw. języka odziedziczonego. Naszymi Gośćmi są:  - Ass. Prof. Dr. Susanne M. Reiterer, językoznawczyni z Instytutu Językoznawstwa i Centrum Kształcenia Nauczycieli Uniwersytetu Wiedeńskiego  oraz  - Mgr Natalie Kosch - Lektorka języka Polskiego w Instytucie Slawistyki Uniwersytetu Wiedeńskiego oraz doktorantka w Centrum Kultury i Języka Polskiego dla Obcokrajowców „Polonicum” na Uniwersytecie Warszawskim.  Moderator: dr Kamila Śniegocka, Specjalistka ds. Kontaktów Naukowych Polskiej Akademii Nauk Stacji Naukowej w Wiedniu

About

“Struck by Science” is a podcast series in which we aim to present contemporary phenomena, events and challenges from the scientific perspective. The purpose of the series is to explore social and political issues from an academic position. In each episode, we invite researchers from different countries and fields of science to reflect on the scientific approach to the topic of the episode. The podcast is aimed at anyone who wants to peer behind a veil of scientific knowledge and find out how different researchers see the challenges of the contemporary times.