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
Agile Science – Research in Sprints? – With Samuel T. Simon
In this episode of CAISzeit, host Dr. Matthias Begenat talks with Samuel T. Simon about agility in science. Together, they discuss how research can be organized step by step with agile methods help, without losing depth and scientific thoroughness. They also take a look at experimental formats and tools that can structure processes and create space for interdisciplinary research.
Agility in science – is that possible? Samuel T. Simon argues that agile methods are not just buzzwords but can bring advantages for research processes. Whether at CERN, NASA, or in sustainability research: agile approaches can help optimize processes, enable teams to work together more efficiently, and create space for the actual research.
The focus is above all on transparent communication, clear structures, and efficient processes: Scrum, Kanban, and other tools make project progress and responsibilities visible, create clarity, and enable a shared language. In this way, research can still be conducted thoroughly and scientifically correctly despite agility. At the same time, agile work requires competencies such as tolerance of uncertainty, a positive error culture, and transparent communication, as well as responsible process facilitation by a facilitator.
Recommendations on the topic
- Agile infrastructure at CERN for the complete restructuring of resource and configuration management of its computing centers:
- NASA’s Agile Community of Practice
- Paper “Agile by Accident” (Biely, 2024): https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-023-00823-3
- Crumbles Framework by Iikka Meriläinen & Julia Autio, University of Oulu
- ScrumAdemia, developed by seven doctoral researchers at GIGA, is an adaptation of the Scrum framework tailored specifically to the challenges of the doctoral research phase:
- “Between Worlds – A Guide to Transdisciplinary Research” by Josephine B. Schmitt and Samuel T. Simon
- CAIS Research Incubator
- Open Educational Resource course “Agile Research” at the University of Duisburg–Essen (not yet published)
Guest:
Samuel T. Simon supported the work at CAIS over the past five years in the area of the Research Incubator. There, he was involved, among other things, in developing and implementing innovative structures for interdisciplinary collaboration in digitalization research, as well as in identifying relevant research topics.
All episodes
Agile Science – Research in Sprints? – With Samuel T. Simon
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?