Aktuell

• 08.05.2026

“Medicine of the Future” is the theme of Germany’s Science Year 2026. Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space, Dorothee Bär, has now officially opened the exhibition aboard the MS Wissenschaft in Berlin. The ship will bring around 30 interactive exhibits to cities across Germany, Austria and Poland, including Duisburg (7–8 July). At the opening event, Prof. Ulrike Bingel from the Collaborative Research CenterTreatment Expectation at the University of Duisburg-Essen explained to the minister and schoolchildren what the exhibit “The Power of Expectation – Use Your Body’s Own Pharmacy” is all about.

“Well, my dentist is really nice, so I’m not afraid,” a Berlin primary school student says at the interactive station on the exhibition ship. Ulrike Bingel, professor of neurology and head of the Center for Pain Medicine at Essen University Hospital, says: “Then the chances are good that it won’t hurt either.” She explained to Minister Dorothee Bär and a primary school class how expectation effects influence medical treatment.

The exhibit created by the Collaborative Research Center (CRC/TRR) 289 Treatment Expectation at the University of Duisburg-Essen invites visitors to experience the power of expectation effects firsthand in a playful way. Using a large brain model, visitors learn which brain regions are crucial for placebo and nocebo effects.

The pupils eagerly tried out the hands-on module: Which works better against pain — an injection or a tablet? “The injection!” three students immediately called out. The answer was revealed behind a sliding panel. Afterwards, the students and Dorothee Bär tested their own expectations following a doctor’s consultation. Using differently colored telephone receivers, they experienced how a doctor prescribed medication for stomach pain — sometimes in a warm and empathetic way, sometimes in a distant and less compassionate manner.

“Communication is a crucial factor in treatment success, because the better and more clearly a doctor, healthcare professional or medical staff explains a therapy, the greater the chances that it will work well and cause fewer side effects,” Prof. Bingel explained.

Exhibition Ship MS Wissenschaft
Visitors can actively explore around 30 exhibits throughout the exhibition. For example, they can test medications on an artificial organ, measure their heartbeat with a camera, or virtually step into the operating room of the future. At three stations, visitors are also invited to explore cutting-edge research on diseases such as dementia, diabetes and endometriosis. The exhibition is recommended for visitors aged 12 and older and admission is free.

More information:
https://ms-wissenschaft.de/en/visit/tour-2026/
https://ms-wissenschaft.de/en/exhibition/
https://treatment-expectation.de/en/