On Monday, 8 June 2026, the CIE science communication project “Understanding Science – Understanding Light” concluded with the public lecture “Light at Night – A Blessing or a Threat?“ and a discussion on light pollution. The project concluded in a particularly prestigious setting: as part of the Wiener Vorlesungen lecture series, in the great Festsaal of Vienna City Hall. Organised in cooperation with the Wienbibliothek im Rathaus, the event attracted strong interest from the Viennese public, with around 250 participants attending in person.
The evening opened with remarks by Ms. Anita Eichinger, Director of the Wienbibliothek im Rathaus, followed by welcome words from Dr. Diana Wernisch, Secretary General of the CIE, and the leader of the CIE project “Understanding Science – Understanding Light.”
The lecture was delivered by Dr. Florian Stuker, Head of Laboratory Optics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS) and expert in CIE Division 2: Physical Measurement of Light and Radiation. His talk addressed the benefits and challenges of artificial light at night, including its role in safety, mobility and culture, as well as its impacts on human health, ecosystems and the night sky. The lecture highlighted the need to balance useful outdoor lighting with responsible lighting design, reducing unnecessary light pollution while preserving safety, functionality and quality of life.
- The recording is available in German on YouTube here.
- Dr. Stuker’s presentation slides can be downloaded here.
- A short interview conducted by Wien 24 on the occasion of this event is available to watch here.
This final event marked a core milestone in CIE’s engagement in effective science communication and public outreach. Through a series of dedicated events, “Understanding Science – Understanding Light”project reached more than 1,000 people directly, bringing scientific knowledge on light and lighting closer to wider audiences, raising awareness of the CIE and creating opportunities for exchange between experts, new stakeholder groups and the public.
A key factor in the project’s success was its cooperation with established public communication and event platforms, including the Wiener Vorlesungen and VHS Wien, whose networks and outreach structures helped attract broad and diverse audiences. Combined with the targeted invitation of new groups and stakeholders, this approach helped strengthen communities around light-related topics and demonstrated the value of accessible, well-connected science communication.
The project also leaves a lasting legacy through several recordings, which are freely available on our Vimeo Channel and can continue to be used for education, outreach and public engagement.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all Austrian and international experts who contributed to the “Understanding Science – Understanding Light” project. This includes Stefanie Suchy (Tyrol Competence Centre for Light Pollution and Night Skies – Helle Not), Johannes Weninger (Bartenbach GmbH), Günther Wuchterl (Kuffner Observatory), Gerald Wötzl and Gerhard Grasnek (MA 33 – Wien Leuchtet, City of Vienna), Iris Podgorschek (PodPod Design), Wilfried Gröblinger (MA 34 – Bau- und Gebäudemanagement, City of Vienna), Manuel Spitschan (Technical University of Munich and Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics), Florian Stuker (METAS), Gudrun Schach (LTG), Constantinos Bouroussis (METAS), as well as our main implementation partner, VHS (Die Wiener Volkshochschulen). Their contributions helped demonstrate the breadth of lighting-related topics and the importance of communicating scientific knowledge beyond specialist communities.
Visit the project page on the CIE website to learn more about this project, revisit past events, and access available recordings and slides.
This event was part of the CIE project “Understanding Science – Understanding Light”, featuring one of its key topics, Light Pollution. This event was supported by the Vienna Business Agency. A fund of the City of Vienna.