#HZBzlog – the new series highlight – is now online. Don’t miss an episode!

Television is not the only source for exciting stories told episode by episode. The Internet is suited more than ever. The first project of this kind is not a thriller or your daily soap opera, but comes instead from the world of science. Presented in HZB Future Logbook (#HZBzlog) that was broadcast today at 2:00 p.m.

HZB is opening a new interactive window to science through #HZBzlog. In contrast to traditional presentations about the sciences, this one does not present pre-fab results. Instead, you experience people up-close and personal, doing science. And you experience along with them the challenges they face every day and how they conquer them.

#HZBzlog is a mix of group blogs, magazine-style presentations and long-term documentary. It is open to user-generated content while at the same time following an overall story line syncopated by dramatic turns. The theme of the series is futuristic projects just in the planning stages or already being set up.

You can read, listen to, and watch the project via parallel story threads, with the narrative is divided into episodes. There is always as specific challenge for the team of scientists and engineers at the core of each episode. In this way, you can follow the successive developments in each of the individual futuristic projects at a pace matched to each project’s tempo. A live, holistic picture of all the activities in each project develops over time.

“We are pleased we've been able to persuade the scientists to appear”, says Ina Helms, Head of Communications at HZB, who is also responsible for editorial content of the #HZBzlog in collaboration with external partners. "Only together with the  members of the projectteams the portal can be alive. If they let us look over their shoulders, talk to us and also post themself, the portal can deliver what it promises. We are very excited to report virtually live, or at least close to the projects."

The High-Field Magnet team was at the centre of events in the first episode of #HZBzlog. Following about six years of planning and construction, the main component for the High-Field Magnet coming from Tallahassee (USA) arrived in Berlin a couple of days ago. You can follow this prequel in Episodes 1 and 2. Now the project team needs to set up the magnet and connect it to the neutron guide. Episode 3 in the #HFM thread will focus on this challenge.

And last but not least: everyone can participate via Twitter and over other channels to give feedback and commentary. Tweets will be incorporated in near-real time during a later phase of development, and there will be further additional futuristic projects. The High-Field Magnet, BESSY-VSR and setting up the EMIL Solar Laboratory will be featured in the initial episodes.