Videos
Will we be able to tap into alternative energy sources and thus avert climate catastrophe? Will our democracies be able to rise to the challenges posed by new forms of communication and artificial intelligence? Will we be able to provide medical care for an ageing society? In search of answers to these and many other ‘questions about the future’, Patrick Cramer visited the 84 institutes of the Max Planck Society before taking up his post as its President. In doing so, he met scientists passionately engaged in their research and gained an insight into future worlds that are only just beginning to take shape in their minds. From astronomy and climate research, through biomedicine and artificial intelligence, to energy research – Cramer takes us behind the scenes of research and offers exclusive insights into the science of tomorrow. Patrick Cramer has been President of the Max Planck Society since 2023. He obtained his PhD in chemistry in Heidelberg and completed his habilitation at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, where he was later appointed Professor of Biochemistry and Director of the Gene Centre. In 2014, he was appointed Director of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, where he has since headed the Department of Molecular Biology.
Death is so frightening that we usually suppress the thought of it throughout our lives. Yet it is inevitable – at least until now. We are currently witnessing a veritable revolution in biological research: we now understand why some species live longer than others. Can we use this knowledge to overcome disease or even death in the future? Or does death perhaps even serve a biological purpose? Nobel Laureate Venki Ramakrishnan presents the latest breakthroughs in biological research and explains how genetic modifications to our DNA can extend our lifespan – and whether we should be playing with death. Venkatraman ‘Venki’ Ramakrishnan studied physics and biology, obtained his PhD from Ohio University, and has conducted research at institutions including Yale University and Brookhaven National Laboratory. Since 1999, he has been working at the Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. In 2009, Venki Ramakrishnan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry jointly with Ada Yonath and Thomas A. Seitz. Ramakrishnan served as President of the Royal Society until 2022.
Our Sun trembles – and so do many other stars. These vibrations travel through the entire star and can be measured. Just as earthquakes tell us what is happening inside the Earth, the vibrations of stars reveal how their interiors are structured. Using asteroseismology, researchers can literally ‘listen’ inside stars: They can determine how large and heavy a star is, and how much hydrogen it has already fused into helium at its core. The award-winning astrophysicist Conny Aerts is regarded as a pioneer of asteroseismology. She explains exactly how the measurement of stellar quakes works and what secrets about our universe can be uncovered through this method. Prof. Dr Conny Aerts studied mathematics at the University of Antwerp, then switched to astrophysics and obtained her PhD in 1993 at the Catholic University of Leuven. She subsequently worked as an independent postdoctoral research fellow in several European countries, as well as in Chile and the USA, before returning to KU Leuven in 2001. Her research into asteroseismology has received numerous awards, including the Franqui Prize – known as the ‘Belgian Nobel Prize’ – in 2012, the Kavli Prize in 2022 and the Crafoord Prize in 2024. Language: English
On the importance of reach and attention for science journalism and science communication. Science communication is subject to an ‘attention paradox’. On the one hand, the principle is: no attention, no impact. On the other hand, too much public attention undermines the objective communication of science, as it becomes a victim of sensationalism and populism. How can we escape this paradox? As Germany’s best-known science communicator, Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim is confronted with this issue on a daily basis. She demonstrates how high-profile science communication can succeed without polarisation. Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim holds a PhD in chemistry and is a science journalist and author. She became known to a wide audience through her YouTube channel, maiLab. In 2021, she launched her own science programme, Maithink X – Die Show, on ZDFneo. Her multi-award-winning book *Die kleinste gemeinsame Wirklichkeit* (2021) was on the *SPIEGEL* bestseller list from the very start. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the Hanns-Joachim-Friedrichs Prize, the Federal Cross of Merit, the Grimme Prize and the Henri Nannen Prize.
