Willa Rubin

And that is like the dream that Stefan and his colleagues are chasing. A mini Baltic Sea right near the city center. Yes.

I'm Emily Kwong. And I'm Willa Rubin. You're listening to Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR.

I'm Emily Kwong. And I'm Willa Rubin. You're listening to Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR.

I'm Emily Kwong. And I'm Willa Rubin. You're listening to Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR.

What does it look like? Emily, this lake is huge. That was my first impression. But honestly, what really took me aback were all the birds.

What does it look like? Emily, this lake is huge. That was my first impression. But honestly, what really took me aback were all the birds.

What does it look like? Emily, this lake is huge. That was my first impression. But honestly, what really took me aback were all the birds.

Another thing that I noticed is that the sides of the lake were all boarded up. The lake itself is not open to the public yet.

Another thing that I noticed is that the sides of the lake were all boarded up. The lake itself is not open to the public yet.

Another thing that I noticed is that the sides of the lake were all boarded up. The lake itself is not open to the public yet.

When it is done, this is going to be the largest human-made lake in Germany with a shoreline of 26 kilometers or about 16 miles all around where people can go and swim and be in nature. There's also a little tourism boost as well. And it takes lots of research to get that science right. And one scientist, who has done so much work on pit lakes in Eastern Germany, is Martin Schulze.

When it is done, this is going to be the largest human-made lake in Germany with a shoreline of 26 kilometers or about 16 miles all around where people can go and swim and be in nature. There's also a little tourism boost as well. And it takes lots of research to get that science right. And one scientist, who has done so much work on pit lakes in Eastern Germany, is Martin Schulze.

When it is done, this is going to be the largest human-made lake in Germany with a shoreline of 26 kilometers or about 16 miles all around where people can go and swim and be in nature. There's also a little tourism boost as well. And it takes lots of research to get that science right. And one scientist, who has done so much work on pit lakes in Eastern Germany, is Martin Schulze.

When you see lakes in your mind, do you see all of the different chemical calculations and so forth? Are you thinking about what's really happening beneath the surface?

When you see lakes in your mind, do you see all of the different chemical calculations and so forth? Are you thinking about what's really happening beneath the surface?

When you see lakes in your mind, do you see all of the different chemical calculations and so forth? Are you thinking about what's really happening beneath the surface?

Martin is a research professor at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research. He has written a lot about post-mining lakes in Eastern Germany and around the world.

Martin is a research professor at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research. He has written a lot about post-mining lakes in Eastern Germany and around the world.

Martin is a research professor at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research. He has written a lot about post-mining lakes in Eastern Germany and around the world.

He is super passionate about it, and he is one of the people who kind of wrote this playbook about how to turn a mining pit into a lake.