Frankfurt is a central location for neuroscience in Germany - several institutions are working here on fundamental research questions and innovative methods in the field of brain research.

One of their key concerns is not only to share their findings with a specialist audience, but also to allow people in the region, and in particular teenagers and young adults, to be involved in the research activities in a tangible and accessible way. 2021 the format Frankfurt hat Hirn – “Frankfurt has brain” – was created with this goal in mind.

The non-profit Hertie Foundation invited to this year’s live event at the Jugend-Kultur-Kirche St. Peter, together with the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, the Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience, the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS), the Goethe University Frankfurt, the University Hospital Frankfurt and the Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience (ICNF). The evening event, which was primarily aimed at high school and university students, was fully booked. With Johannes Sassenroth as the enthralling host, the participants were given fascinating insights into aspects of brain research and neurology through eight flash talks, short explanatory videos and the intriguing brain acrobatics of magician Dr. Harry Keaton.

The ESI was represented by Dr. Matthias Grabenhorst, who in his flash talk “How the brain predicts the future” allowed the audience to experience the key messages live themselves - also with the help of a guitar. The talk was complemented by many face-to-face conversations at the ESI booth at the Science Fair. “Frankfurt hat Hirn” thus once again provided deep insights into the world of neuroscience; and questions from curious visitors about potential career paths could also be answered.