Are our supposedly ‘smart’ tools actually enslaving us? Justus Schütze takes us on a journey of how our relationship with energy has evolved, from the pyramids of Egypt to caretaker robots. He argues that humans have become hyper-consumers who need to return to a group-based energy system. Relying on 3 main convivial tools, he believes […]

We have 650 different muscles in our body, built from distinct versions of the same components, each with their own individual functions. Many muscle diseases are caused by glitches encountered during the creation of the versions (called alternative splicing). To shed light on these causes, Maria Spletter studies how disrupting the regulation of alternative splicing […]

According to the World Health Organization, already more than half of the world’s population is living in urban areas, and this percentage is expected to continuously increase. Passionate about urbanization in developing countries and the challenges it presents, James Mister analyses how mega events such as the world cup play a catalyzing role in these […]

What if the key to sustainable design lies in the people and not just in the shape and aesthetics of the product? In his fascinating work as an automotive designer, Benoit Jacob shows that modern design includes more than just beauty that the eye can see. About Benoit Jacob Benoit Jacob is Head of Design […]

Can robots have muscles and brains like we humans do, and how would a future with them look like? Rafael Hostettler, PhD Student in Myorobotics at the Technical University of Munich, takes us on a fascinating journey on how an adorable humanoid robot with muscles, called Roboy, is born in 9 months, and sheds light […]

We often hear that failure is the mother of success. However, it is rarely discussed how we go from the emotional turmoil caused by failure to the learning process. Through deeply personal stories and his extensive research on entrepreneurship, Dean Shepherd sheds light on this process for both individuals and organizations, and encourages us to […]

Do the differences between your genes and my genes matter, and if so, how? What does the future of personalized health look like? Burkhard Rost, one of the leading researchers in computational biology, takes us through some fascinating findings from his research, and envisions a future where personalized health can help harness the power of […]

Are we ready as a species to face the increasing possibility of human-enhancing technologies becoming part of our society? In a thought-provoking talk, Philipp Reisinger, philosopher, theologian and future analyst, takes us on a reflective journey on what society could do to prepare itself for the disruptions that will be brought by these technologies. About […]