CAISzeit – The Podcast
What kind of digital society do we actually want to live in? CAISzeit is dedicated to this very question. In the podcast of the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS), we discuss with researchers from various disciplines how the digital transformation is changing our society.
What dangers are there in the digital space and what potential does it open up? Which digital innovations will determine the future? How are digital technologies already changing the way we work, inform ourselves and form our opinions? Against the backdrop of scientific research, we look with our guests at multifaceted phenomena of digitalization. Digital transformation is more than a purely technological phenomenon. As a socio-technical process, it is already shaping politics, the economy, the media, culture and our entire social life.
In CAISzeit, we talk to researchers about the phenomena of digitization. In addition to addressing the risks, we focus on looking constructively into the future and finding possible solutions.
Dr. Matthias Begenat, Head of Science Communication
Credits
Intro/Outro Music: ccbysa4.0 tastenspieler
intro/outro narrator: Laura Habke
Editorial Team
Host: Dr. Matthias Begenat
Contributor/Research: Bjona Thaci
Current episode
Green Innovations (Un)wanted? The “Pop-Up Citizen Lab” as a New Form of Citizen Participation – With Pauline Heger
In this episode of CAISzeit, host Dr. Matthias Begenat talks with Pauline Heger about the “Pop-Up Citizen Lab” in Bochum. Together, they explore citizens’ direct experiences with green innovations and discuss how local participation formats can help shape decisions that affect people’s everyday lives and neighborhoods.
What do citizens actually think about environmentally and climate-friendly innovations? In CAIS’s “Pop-Up Citizen Lab” in Bochum, a research team investigates how people respond to green innovations – not through traditional surveys, but through innovative citizen labs that take place directly on-site and develop novel forms of participation. The focus is on the heat transition and the question: How can citizens be better involved in decisions that directly affect their daily lives and neighborhoods?
Pauline Heger speaks with host Matthias Begenat about the challenges of citizen participation, creative research methods, and why innovation is not just about technology but also about social acceptance and integration.
Recommendation on the topic
- Zaunbrecher, B. S., Kluge, J., & Ziefle, M. (2018). Exploring Mental Models of Geothermal Energy among Laypeople in Germany as Hidden Drivers for Acceptance. Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, 6(3), 446–463. https://doi.org/10.13044/j.sdewes.d5.0192. (A German study exploring acceptance of geothermal energy through mental models.)
- Boudet, H. S. (2019). Public perceptions of and responses to new energy technologies. Nature Energy, 4(6), 446–455. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-019-0399-x. (A foundational paper on the question: What is social acceptance?)
- Devine-Wright, P. (2011). Place attachment and public acceptance of renewable energy: A tidal energy case study. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 31(4), 336–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2011.07.001. (A foundational paper on the relationship between place identity and social acceptance.)
Guest:
Pauline Heger is a research associate in the CAIS research program Digital Democratic Innovations. She is pursuing a PhD on the social acceptance of environmentally and climate-friendly innovations in cities.
All episodes
Green Innovations (Un)wanted? The “Pop-Up Citizen Lab” as a New Form of Citizen Participation – With Pauline Heger
Hidden Rules, Visible Consequences: Who Moderates Our Timeline?
Exploring the Darknet: Between Safe Haven, Crime, and Conspiracy Theories
Audible Impact? How Podcasts Bring Research to the World. Guests – Dr. Charmaine Voigt and Birte Kuhle
Podcasts have long been an essential part of science communication. But what makes a science podcast successful? How can content be effectively and sustainably shared with the public? And which […]
Voting Under Time Pressure: Challenges of the 2025 Snap Bundestag Election – Guests: Anne Goldmann and Aryan Shooshtari
Can justice be programmed? Fairness and transparency in algorithms. Guest: Miriam Fahimi
Algorithms determine our lives: From the content we see on social media to the loans we are granted.
Facts or fakes: How do I recognize trustworthy content on news sites? – Guest: Prof. Dr. Hendrik Heuer
Reliable information is incredibly important for all of us.
Between Clicks and Content: How Do People Work on Digital Platforms? – Guests: Dr. Sophie Rosenbohm and Dr. Fabian Hoose
Today on CAISzeit, it’s all about digital work: How do people work on digital platforms?
Beats, Bits, and Algorithms: How Digitalization is Changing (or Has Changed) the Music Industry – Guest: Dr. Mario Anastasiadis
Today on CAISzeit, it’s all about music. Digitalization has completely turned the music industry upside down in recent decades.