SOCRATES Workshop: Making Sense of Uncertainty in Science and Policy
Uncertainty permeates decision-making and scientific inquiry, yet our ability to conceptualize, quantify, and communicate it remains surprisingly limited. This one-day workshop delves into pressing questions at the heart of uncertainty studies: What conditions enable the quantification of uncertainty? Is probability always the best tool for this task, or are alternative frameworks needed? How should we approach cases—like those in climate science—where uncertainty resists straightforward quantification? Crucially, are we ready to confront the limits of our mastery in understanding and articulating uncertainty? Join us for a day of rigorous discussion and fresh perspectives as we rethink the foundations and frontiers of uncertainty.
This event is supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation, DFG) – Project 470816212/KFG43.
Schedule
June 16th, 2025
09:00 - 09:30 | Coffee and mingle |
09:30 - 09:50 | Margherita Harris (Leibniz University Hannover) Introduction |
09:50 - 10:50 | Joel Katzav (University of Queensland) (online) |
10:50 - 11:10 | Coffee Break |
11:10 - 12:10 | Futura Venuto (University of Bern) Communicating Uncertainty about Climate Projections: Why Prefer Possibilities to Probabilities |
12:10 - 13:30 | Lunch (catered, vegan) |
13:30 - 14:30 | Jakob Ortmann (Leibniz University Hannover) Not even wrong – Performativity of Science as an Edge Case for Uncertainty Talk |
14:30 - 14:50 | Coffee Break |
14:50 - 15:50 | Tyler DesRoches (Arizona State University) Climate Nudging, Climate Catastrophe and Cost Benefit Analysis |
16:00 - 16:30 | Panel Discussion Facilitator: Joe Roussos (Institute for Futures Studies, Stockholm) |
16:30 - 16:40 | Closing |
18:30 | Conference Dinner |
Workshop Information
Getting to the workshop
The workshop will take place on the campus of Leibniz University Hannover in room 001 (ground floor), building 1105, the building of the Exzellenzcluster PhoenixD. Click on the following link for the building location: Welfengarten 1A, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
The closest airports are Hanover, Bremen, Hamburg, and Berlin; the closest train station is Hannover Central Station (Hannover Hauptbahnhof). We at SOCRATES have taken a climate pledge and thus would like to encourage you to travel by train if at all possible, or otherwise to choose a flight with minimal stopovers by an eco-conscious airline.
See here for directions to Leibniz University Hannover by car, public transport, and plane.
Hotels
Click here to download a list of hotels in Hannover city.
Lunch
Lunch is free of charge for registered participants. All food is vegan. Several of the dishes are also gluten-free. Please see the menu for more information on the day.
Conference Dinner
The workshop dinner (self-paid) on June 16th at 18:30. The dinner location is Biergarten Lindener Turm, Am Lindener Berge 29A, 30449 Hannover.
Accessibility
The building and workshop room are wheelchair-accessible. Follow the signs from the workshop room to the accessible toilet on the same floor.
Speaker/s
-
Tyler DesRoches (Arizona State University)
-
Margherita Harris (Leibniz University Hannover)
-
Joel Katzav (University of Queensland)
-
Jakob Ortmann (Leibniz University Hannover)
-
Joe Roussos (Institute for Futures Studies, Stockholm)
-
Futura Venuto (University of Bern)
Event organiser/s
This event is organised by SOCRATES Fellows Margherita Harris (Leibniz University Hannover) and Joe Roussos (The Institute for Future Studies, Stockholm) as well as SOCRATES Coordinator Leonie Wiemeyer. They are supported by team members Ilvie Prince, Kiki Schindler, Timur Bekusanov, Anni Bukowski, Saeid Ebrahimi, Magnus Manthey, Nina Wilhelm, and Jan Wünsch.
Date
16. Jun. 2025Contact information
Dr. Leonie WiemeyerInstitut für Philosophie / SOCRATES
Lange Laube 32
30159 Hannover
Tel.: +49 160 9247 0508
leonie.wiemeyer@philos.uni-hannover.de
Location
Leibniz University HannoverBuilding: 1105
Room: 001
Großer Seminarraum
Welfengarten 1A
30167 Hannover