To conclude the Leopoldina symposium “Science, Opinion, and the Public” („Wissenschaft, Meinung und Öffentlichkeit“), ProLOEWE will be visiting the German National Academy of Sciences in Halle on November 28 with its science simulation game “Knowledge versus Opinion.”

“The idea for the simulation game arose in turbulent times, when we are facing major challenges worldwide,” explain the initiators. “Our main concern is to teach schoolchildren the importance of critical thinking and reliable sources.”

We were therefore all the more delighted to receive an invitation to the Leopoldina, where we are guests at the annual class symposiums with our simulation game on the topic of artificial intelligence.

The ProLOEWE simulation game on artificial intelligence follows a simple but effective principle: under the guidance of a game leader, young people slip into roles from science, business, media, NGOs, and politics. In the scenario, medical professionals discover a new method, the business community examines its marketing potential, the media reports on it in a factual or emotional manner, an ethics institute evaluates the consequences, and the public sector decides on funding or regulation. This creates a lively discussion forum that draws the students into the dynamics of research, public opinion, and politics—and at the same time into the tension between knowledge and opinion.

The program concludes with a simulated talk show in which the participants defend their positions. The debate is often passionate and heated, which impressively demonstrates how deeply the students immerse themselves in their roles and how emotionally involved they are.

At the end, the roles are dissolved, the experience is reflected upon, and everyone comes to a shared understanding. What remains is an understanding of how complex social decision-making processes are—and how important it is to be able to distinguish between opinion and proven knowledge.

The initiative pursues several goals with the implementation of the simulation game: On the one hand, current topics in cutting-edge research are to be communicated in an understandable and exciting way. On the other hand, young people experience democratic processes firsthand: respect for other opinions, collective decisions, and fact-based debates.

The simulation game “Knowledge versus Opinion AI” was developed jointly by LOEWE-WhiteBox, Science Birds, and ProLOEWE and implemented in Halle at the end of November.

The “ProLOEWE Simulation Game” project was launched in early 2024: The LOEWE Center DRUID (research: tropical infectious diseases), the LOEWE focus areas Minority Studies (research: minority languages) and LOEWE-Whitebox (AI research) have teamed up with ProLOEWE (network of LOEWE research projects) and the Science Birds to develop a science simulation game, which they have been taking to schools in Hesse under the title “Knowledge versus Opinion.”