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

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June 16^th, 2025

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.