Retreat 2024

On September 26, the time had finally come - we set off on our first retreat! After taking the train and the tram to our hotel TRYP by Wyndham in Halle (Saale) we were welcomed with much needed coffee, tea, mini muffins and biscuits.

To make a start, we resumed our Insi(ght)de LIST Seminar in the first two sessions and listened to presentations by some of our new members:

• Fabian Telschow talked about inferential tools from statistics which he uses to investigate various types of data on complex spaces such as activation patterns in brain imaging studies (task fMRI) or temperature data on the earth (a 2-sphere) or continents (complicated 2 dimensional "flat" domains).
• Rune Linding addressed the increasingly relevant topic of artificial intelligence (AI) in science, which triggered a lively discussion highlighting how important the topic already is and that future exchange is of great importance.
• Maite Wilke Berenguer not only introduced us to the excellent term “biomath”, but also to her passion for studying biological topics including population genetics, dormany and coordination from a mathematical perspective. 
• Rüdiger Krahe took us on a sensory journey that led us into the world of weakly electric fish and - believe it or not - electric robo-fish. I'm sure you're curious now too, aren't you?
   

As retreats are traditionally made up of alternating sessions of sitting and eating, we devoted ourselves to a little 'walk and talk'. Arriving by streetcar at the Hallmarkt, one of Halle's medieval settlement centers, we found our way to the second one - the Marktplatz. Here, we marveled at the unique Marktkirche Unser Lieben Frauen ('Market Church of Our Dear Lady'). In the 16th century, the two several centuries-old predecessor churches of St. Gertruden and St. Marien were demolished apart from the two pairs of towers and the four towers were joined together to form a single nave. What a strange idea, Cardinal Albert (it's actually Albrecht) von Brandenburg! 
As a university institution, we were naturally drawn to the Löwengebäude, the university's impressive main building, where we not only enjoyed the architecture and murals, but also took a group photo.
Afterwards, we immersed ourselves in a bit more medieval flair at the Moritzburg and then contemplated the unusual construction of the towerless Dom zu Halle ('Halle Cathedral'). Again, Albert, what is going on with your churches?! We also came across the spectacular Lebenskreis-Brunnen ('circle of life fountain') on the adjacent cathedral square. We were particularly taken with the skeletal representation of Death, who did not seem entirely satisfied with the victory of life, symbolized by a woman with her child. 
It was time to head back to the hotel, but not without the obligatory detour to the Händel-Haus, the birthplace of the famous Baroque composer and in Halle omnipresent Georg Friedrich Händel.
Along the way, there were productive conversations and exchanges about science, work as well as the beautiful architecture and history of the city.
In order to further develop ideas that had already emerged, we went into the brainstorming session, during which smaller groups discussed and put together ideas for future topics that should be investigated within the IZ LIST.

During dinner, some of us made a culinary-cultural excursion and were taught that the term 'Jägerschnitzel' which stands for a pork schnitzel with mushroom sauce in West Germany, in the (former) GDR refers to breaded, fried hunting sausage - preferably with Spirelli and tomato sauce. You never stop learning, even in your own country! ^^
After dinner, the real exchange seemed to begin, because when better to talk shop than over food and drinks?