Three scientists walk into a bar... Approaching new audiences for informal science communication: the project “Plötzlich Wissen!” (Sudden Knowledge!)

Sudden Knowledge! (Plötzlich Wissen!), a science communication format established throughour own initiative as scientists, implemented science communication in a spontaneousconversational setting. It combined elements of guerilla science/street science, science buskingand pub science events. Between 2017 and 2020 the project - centered on marine science -was presented in 16 major German cities. This novel approach, using puppetry and hands-onexperiments sparked interest in science and reached non-academic audiences. During theCOVID19-pandemic, the format transitioned to online livestreaming on the platform twitch.tv,using video games as entry points for conversations about marine sciences. Between 2020 and2024 we performed 55 livestreams. Here we outline the development of the format, shareevaluation data and our experiences. Our main goal is to provide practical recommendations forscientists who are interested in using informal, guerilla style approaches to reach audienceswho might not be reached by traditional science communication strategies.