Beilstein Dialogues Symposium - Representation and Realtity: Rethinking Scientific Models
Do mathematics and computation serve as the natural language of science, or as frameworks that guide scientific inquiry?
Date
23–25 June 2026
Location
Ruedesheim, Germany
Scientific models stand at the heart of discovery. They enable us to conceptualize intricate mechanisms, render complex systems intelligible, and translate empirical observations into coherent explanations. Yet models do far more than merely represent the natural world: they shape what we take reality to be. This symposium invites a critical examination of that dynamic relationship.
This symposium brings together scholars from chemistry, biology, mathematics, computer science, and philosophy to explore how we construct, interpret, and evaluate scientific models. Across three days of focused discussion, participants will examine profound questions at the foundations of scientific practice.
Do mathematics and computation function as the natural language of the sciences, or should they be viewed instead as enabling frameworks guiding inquiry? What constitutes a successful model of a chemical or biological phenomenon? How do abstract mathematical, computational, and verbal representations interface with empirical experimental work? And can we identify principled ways of navigating among these diverse modes of reasoning?
The Beilstein Dialogues are designed to promote genuine interdisciplinary exchange among researchers who rarely have the opportunity to engage in sustained conversation. The intimate format encourages open, rigorous, and occasionally provocative discussion, often yielding insights that transcend disciplinary boundaries.
Set on the heights of the Rheingau, overlooking both the historic town of Rüdesheim and the Rhine river, the symposium will offer an intellectually vibrant environment in which to reconsider the foundations and future of scientific modelling. We warmly invite participants to join us for a meeting that aims to challenge assumptions, inspire new collaborations, and deepen our understanding of how scientists render the complexity of nature comprehensible.
Deadlines
Committees
Santiago Schnell
Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
United States
Vanessa Seifert
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Greece
Carsten Kettner
Beilstein-Institut, Frankfurt am Main
Germany
Event details
Hotel Jagdschloss Niederwald
Hotel Jagdschloss Niederwald, Niederwald 1, Ruedesheim, 65385, Germany
Dr. Carsten Kettner
Beilstein-Institut
Trakehner Str. 7 - 9 60487 Frankfurt am Main Germany