Physik-Kolloquium
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Institut für Physik der HU
Newtonstraße 15,
12489 Berlin
Lise-Meitner-Haus, Christian-Gerthsen-Hörsaal
Can critical thinking be learned?
Prof. Dr. Marek Kowalski
DESY & Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
The major challenges of our time—from climate change to geopolitical tensions—are complex and resist simple answers. At the same time, misinformation and polarization strain our ability to form well-grounded opinions. This makes critical thinking an essential competency: it helps us assess information carefully, avoid misleading inferences, and approach difficult problems with clarity.
At the Humboldt University of Berlin, we have been offering an interdisciplinary course designed to foster critical thinking for several years. Building on this experience, our new initiative Kritisch Denken Lernen aims to establish critical-thinking education systematically across all stages of learning, from early childhood through adult education.
In this talk, I will outline the approaches we use, discuss their rationale, and illustrate with concrete examples how critical thinking can be cultivated in a structured and scalable way.
The Colloquium will be held in “hybrid” format, i.e., you can join the talk in the lecture hall or via zoom.