Berlin – Future – Futurium

The future has arrived in Berlin! Or so, the exhibition in the „Futurium„, a building with a (of course!) futuristic-looking design, attempts answers to the question: „In what kind of future do we want to live?

Naturally, there are many possibilities and even more challenges like climate change and overpopulation, just to mention two. The overwhelming crowds of visitors give a good sense of the latter. This can occasionally make it difficult to approach the well-done exhibition. One can easily lose track and feel overwhelmed. Is that the fear of the future?

So staying optimistic is imperative. Sustainability does take a little longer than fast food! Waiting for the opportunity to test one of the many interactive media sites is definitely worth while. Graphs, short and understandable texts and clips of scientists explaining their field of expertise all help to elucidate the diverse topics presented.

The intent of the exhibition is to show opportunities mankind has to shape the future in the three domains nature, man and technology.

Take, for example, the miracle substance „graphene„. It could revolutionize processors for computers. But it could also be used to coat buildings and cars to produce electricity, just like solar cells do. However, research is still needed to establish whether the structure, consisting of only one layer of carbon atoms, could pollute groundwater, as it has the properties of aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene.

Now that was a very theoretical aspect. A more practical approach is the presentation on insect breeding as a solution to the food problem. Insects could replace livestock for meat production, requiring a much lower input of resources such as water, soil and energy. I can already see myself breeding mealworms in a Berlin backyard to supply the Futurium restaurant with „mealworms-burgers“.

Ok, that may still take some time. However, it is no doubt worthwhile to re-visit the Futurium now and again. Aside from the fact that there is no entrance fee, the Skywalk has become one of my favorites: it offers a great view of the Spree river loop with the government quarter, the Tiergarten and the architectural silhouette of PotsdamerPlatz in the background. By the way, almost the entire supply of electricity and heat for the facility is generated right on the roof top using solar energy.

Conclusion: I will definitely include the futurium as a further highlight in my Berlin tours by car.

Posted by our guide

Jochen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictures: Jochen Wiesenberg