Giulia Enders & Guests: Mucus

All of the body’s major internal surfaces are covered in mucus! But why? The mouth and nose, lungs, digestive organs, and genitals need this mysterious substance to protect themselves while still remaining permeable. What can we learn from our understanding of mucus about other forms of boundary-setting? We call it “sucking up” when someone pretends to be someone else to curry favor with another person, but what other parallels are there to psychological or social processes of boundary-setting and accessibility? Where does our disgust for all things slimy come from, and what does that say about our society? What makes layers of mucus more permeable, and at what point does permeability become a problem? Giulia Enders and guests from the worlds of culture and science invite you to join them this evening to get to the bottom of this often-overlooked substance.

Dr. Giulia Enders is a physician and author. She has published the bestsellers *The Charming Gut* and *Organic*.

Dr. Franziska Jehle is a researcher at the Max Planck Institute in Potsdam. Her research focuses on the extraordinary properties of natural mucus, particularly snail mucus. Her work combines insights from biology, chemistry, and materials science.

Leon Engler is an author, psychologist, and lecturer. His multi-award-winning plays, radio plays, and prose works explore the boundaries of normality, perception, and identity.

Location: Stadthalle Heidelberg