A historical consideration shows the development and the relationship of art and science. Differences and analogy of art and science are discussed by means of various topics such as perspective, space, nature or the relationship human-animal. Today’s synergies between art and science are illustrated for relevant examples.

The lecture treats the social intercourse with risks of technical systems. The notion of risk and the perception of risk are discussed by case studies (e.g. nanotechnology) and socio-political instruments for decision-making are presented. Methods are presented that can be applied to deal with environmental risks and how they can be used for sustainable innovation.