Together with the Carl Hanser publishing house, Die Junge Akademie is releasing the children’s book “Young Scientists” (German language only). The release date is 15 May 2023. The book is targeted toward children and young people age 12 and over. The goal is to spark the readers’ interest in science, to demonstrate paths into science, and to inspire them to pave their own way.

Nobody is born a researcher. But what are the actual paths (and detours) to a career in science and what questions can be posed in research? In the book “Young Scientists”, 30 researchers from a variety of disciplines share their first encounters and influential experiences in science. They talk about coincidences and decisions, errors and moments of discovery, and about what questions they are still trying to answer. Their stories show how an outsider in kindergarten can become a professor of information technology. They explain why a daughter of an illiterate mother decided to teach Islamic theology. Or why a legal scholar simply wants to know why rules are so important for our coexistence. 30 engaging life stories from scientists in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering that can spark a young person’s interest in science. Most of the people profiled are current or former members of Die Junge Akademie and are representative of the Akademie’s diversity.

Miriam Holzapfel, a cultural scientist, independent editor, and author, embarked on a journey through various scientific fields, spoke with researchers, and created their profiles. The illustrations are by Alexandra Rusitschka, Marion Blomeyer, Eva Hillreiner, Miriam Bröckel, and Beppo Albrecht.

“The paths leading to a career in science are as varied and diverse as the researchers and the research questions themselves. That is what we want to show children and young people with this book and the people featured in it. At the same time, we want to encourage them to pursue their curiosity and questions and maybe even pave their own way into science,” explains physicist Astrid Eichhorn, a member of Die Junge Akademie and a co-initiator of the publication.

The book “Young Scientists – 30 Forschende und ihre Wege in die Wissenschaft” is available where books are sold and at www.hanser-literaturverlage.de. Review copies can be ordered at PresseKibu@hanser.de. You can find an overview of the profiled scientists here.

Details about the book “Young Scientists – 30 Forschende und ihre Wege in die Wissenschaft”

• illustrated by Alexandra Rusitschka, Marion Blomeyer, Eva Hillreiner, Miriam Bröckel, Beppo Albrecht
• Release date: 15/05/2023
• recommended for ages 12 and over
• 128 pages
• Hanser publishing house
• hard cover
• ISBN 978-3-446-27579-9
• Germany: € 20.00
• Austria: € 20.60

Information about the publishing house Reading from an early age – Hanser children’s and youth books. The first Hanser children’s and youth books programme was released in the autumn of 1993. Since then, it has continued to grow and comprises picture books, novels, and non-fiction books of high literary and artistic merit for children and young people – with the consistent goal of being as prestigious as the house’s adult books.

Die Junge Akademie was founded in 2000 as the world’s first academy for outstanding young academics. Its members – who come from all academic disciplines as well as creative fields – explore the potential and limits of interdisciplinary work in new projects, aim to encourage dialogue between academia and society, and provide new impetus in discussions about scientific policy. Die Junge Akademie is supported by the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW) and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. Its office is located in Berlin.

Contact Die Junge Akademie
Anne Rohloff
Phone: +49 30 203 70-563
Email: presse@diejungeakademie.de
www.diejungeakademie.de