When Water Means Life

Meet the Scientist with Michael Waltemathe

Blick auf die Erde vom Mond aus – Der blaue Planet Erde erhebt sich über der grauen Mondoberfläche vor schwarzem Weltraumhintergrund.

Water is considered one of the most important prerequisites for life, including in the search for life beyond Earth. At the same time, water in space is not merely a scientific finding or a technical resource, but also a culturally and ethically charged issue: Who has the right to use, protect, or explore extraterrestrial water resources? This lecture explores the images of life in space that are familiar to us from the media, science fiction, and public space communication—and the ethical questions underlying them. The focus is on how we can discuss possible extraterrestrial life, planetary environments, and human responsibility in space without hastily reducing these topics to categories of discovery, use, or ownership.

PARTICIPANTS

Michael Walemathe

Michael Waltemathe is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Protestant Theology at Ruhr University Bochum. His work explores the intersection of religion, education, media, and the natural sciences. His research focuses, among other things, on space travel and religion—specifically, the theological, philosophical, and ethical aspects of human spaceflight. In his lectures and projects, he explores cultural and religious interpretations of space, science fiction, and the question of how humans understand

- Language: German

- Location: Humboldt Lab, 1st Floor

- Part of: On Water

- Ticket for Lange Nacht der Museen required

Next date:

• Date Saturday, 29/August/2026 22:00
• Venue Humboldt Forum: Humboldt Labor, 1. OG
• Address Schloßplatz, 10178 Berlin-Mitte