Ticket presale Geist Heidelberg from July 18
On Thursday, July 18, 2024, from 3 p.m., we will open advance ticket sales for our 14th International Science Festival – Geist Heidelberg. From October 18 to December 15, 2024, top-class national and international scientists – including four Nobel Prize winners, well-known science communicators and talented young researchers – will once again discuss the pressing issues of our time. In this context, the latest research findings will be presented on topics such as neuroscience, digitalization and AI, biology, philosophy and astrophysics.
Opening Geist Heidelberg on 18.10.24
The festival will be opened on Friday, October 18 at 8 p.m. by the President of the Max Planck Society, Patrick Cramer, who will provide exclusive insights into the scientific operations of various Max Planck Institutes.
Nobel Prize winners
This year, four Nobel Prize winners will be guests: Venki Ramakrishnan will speak on Friday, October 25, at 8 p.m., about the possibility of eternal life from a biological perspective and the chemist Benjamin List will give a lecture on Thursday, November 7, at 8 p.m., about catalysis as the most important technology of mankind. Biologist Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard will explain on Friday, 17 November at 5 pm why beauty is essential for survival in the animal world, and biochemist Aaron Ciechanover will provide insights into the possibilities of personalized medicine on Saturday, 30 November at 8 pm.
Well-known science communicators
Astrophysicist Harald Lesch will reflect on the current tense relationship between science and society on Friday, November 8, at 8 pm. YouTube star and author Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim will talk about the pitfalls of science communication on Friday, November 29, at 8 pm. Journalist Lucy Cooke will explain on Saturday, December 7, at 3 pm why the sloth’s way of life should be a role model for us, and at 8 pm she will take a fresh feminist look at femininity in the animal world.
Further highlights
Cosmologist Conny Aerts will provide insights into the interior of stars and suns on October 24 at 8 pm. Philosopher Julian Nida-Rümelin will reflect on the threat to our civil culture and democracy on November 15 at 8 pm. At this year’s Empathy Conference on November 23, experts, including cultural scientist Aleida Assmann, will shed light on the topic of public spirit from various perspectives. Neurotechnologist Surjo Soekadar will explore the ethical limits of the use of AI and robotics in the brain on November 20 at 8 pm. How rapid digitalization is blurring the boundaries between the real and virtual worlds will be discussed by Heidelberg philosopher Thomas Fuchs and writer Doris Dörrie, among others, at the Virtuality vs. Reality symposium on 14 December. The festival closes with sociologist Eva Illouz, who will shed light on the political camp of the progressive left on December 15 at 5 pm.
Tickets & Infos
Das gesamte Festivalprogramm und die Tickets gibt es ab dem 18.07. online unter dai-heidelberg.de sowie an allen bekannten Reservix-Vorverkaufsstellen.