What a night at the 11th Vienna Ball of Sciences in Vienna: we brought two recipes to the dance floor, including Mezze Maniche Rigate Cacio e Pepe “The Perfect Pasta.” 🩰🍝
“Perfect” because there’s science behind this Roman classic: ISTA physicist Fabrizio Olmeda and his team studied how to achieve the right creaminess, earning the Ig Nobel Prize 2025 for their work. The key is adding the right amount of starch (about 2–3% of the cheese weight) to stabilize the sauce, prevent clumping, and keep it smooth and silky.
We were proud to help bring this tasting to the @sciball — 3,500 guests strong, including Vienna’s mayor, city leadership, national ministers, and the ambassadors of Hungary and the United Kingdom, alongside the city’s vibrant scientific community, universities, and so many students. And we loved celebrating what connects tradition and place: Gragnano, our heritage since 1789, and the quality of pasta “made in Italy” with Pasta Garofalo. 🇮🇹
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#SciBall26 #PastaGarofalo
With the image of a bucket of cold water, the Vienna Lecture on Science Communication was summed up on the evening before the ball, right after German Professor of Political Science Astrid Séville finished her talk. Many guests described her reflections on kitsch and the crisis of science communication, held in the grand hall of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, as „refreshing and sobering at the same time.”
The event, held on 23 January 2026, opened with welcome remarks by Oliver Lehmann, Chair of the Ball Committee, and Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heinz Faßmann, President of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, @oeaw.at . The introduction was delivered by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Andreas M. Scheu, head of the research group „Science Communication and Science Journalism” at the Institute for Comparative Media and Communication Research (CMC) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and @uniklagenfurt , before the lecture itself was given by Prof. Astrid Séville of Leuphana University Lüneburg, @leuphana .
#SciBall26 #ViennaLectureOnScienceCommunication
✨ What a special night with our data rockstar! ✨
After a string of highlights in recent months – from the Information is Beautiful Award to being featured in an exhibition at the Wien Museum – Liuhuaying Yang @4trees.viz brought her magic to the Vienna Ball of Sciences @sciball at the Rathaus this past weekend.
Liu has a rare talent: she transforms data that’s often invisible to many into experiences everyone can grasp. At the ball, she showcased two examples:
1️⃣ 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 – based on Ljubica Nedelkoska’s research, this visualization explores how open countries are de facto to immigration.
2️⃣ 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 – based on Peter Turchin, Jenny Reddish, and Daniel Kondor’s research, it shows how increased agricultural productivity and advancements in military technology from 10,000 BCE to 1800 CE fueled the growth of societies in scale and complexity.
Usually, Liu lets her visualizations speak for themselves, allowing the data to tell the story. At the ball, however, she appreciated the chance to engage directly with the audience: “I really enjoyed seeing people take their time with the visualizations, ask questions, and stay curious throughout the evening. I was also really happy to do this with the team,” Liu reflects.
We were honored to share the evening with so many interested guests, including Federal Minister for Justice Anna Sporrer, Federal Minister for Women, Science and Research Eva-Maria Holzleitner, Mayor of Vienna Michael Ludwig, and City Councillor Veronica Kaup-Hasler @veronicakauphasler 👏
@stadtwien@bmfwf.gv.at
🖼️ L.Schedl/SciBall and private
What a #SciBall26 🌟 Thanks for coming and participating!
More pictures are available on our homepage, link in bio or https://www.wissenschaftsball.at/en/pictures-2026/
Photos taken by our ball photographers Ludwig Schedl, Franz Reiterer, Manuel Prett, and Christian Haas.
Was für eine Nacht!🥂
Es ist uns eine riesige Freude und Ehre, erneut den Ball der Wissenschaften @sciball betreuen zu dürfen. Wissenschaft trifft Wiener Walzer — und wir sind stolz, mittendrin zu sein!
✨🔬💃🏽 So schön war der 11. Wiener Ball der Wissenschaften - @sciball : Als Schnittstelle von Forschung und Stadtleben, als Schaufenster für internationale Forscher*innen, als Fest der Teilhabe und des Dialogs, Vielfalt und Sichtbarkeit für Wien.
Mit dem Wissenschaftsball ermutigt die @stadtwien Menschen zur Teilnahme an der Wissenschaft. Denn Wissen verbindet — es stärkt Gesellschaft, demokratische Prozesse und unsere Innovationskraft.
✨Ballorganisator Oliver Lehmann hat mit seinem Team das Rathaus in ein motivierendes Fest der Wissenschaftskommunikation verwandelt und die Gäste um eine unvergessliche Ballnacht bereichert. Vielen Dank an alle, die dieses Fest in wochen- und monatelanger Vorbereitung ermöglicht haben!
Auf die Wissenschaft!🧑🔬 🎉
📸 Stadt Wien/ Christian Jobst
#wienerbälle #stadtwien #ballderwienerwissenschaften #wissenschaft #wienliebe
Der 11. Wiener Ball der Wissenschaften hat gestern eindrucksvoll gezeigt, wofür unsere Stadt steht: ✨ Fortschritt, Internationalität und ein gutes Miteinander.
🎓 Mit rund 200.000 Studierenden ist Wien nicht nur die größte Universitätsstadt im deutschsprachigen Raum, sondern auch ein führender Wissenschaftsstandort. Im aktuellen Times Higher Education World University Ranking nach Studienfächern haben es Österreichs Universitäten neun Mal unter die Top 100 geschafft. Unsere Exzellenz in Bereichen wie Quantenphysik, Computerwissenschaften, Molekularbiologie, Sozialwissenschaften, Geisteswissenschaften und Geschichte beweist: 💯🤝Wien gehört zur Weltspitze. Zudem haben wir uns als dynamischer Life-Sciences-Hub mit mehr als 650 Unternehmen und Forschungseinrichtungen sowie über 45.000 Beschäftigten etabliert.
