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The prestigious global festival of science, music and art, STARMUS, which will be held on May 12 – May 17, 2024, will bring dozens of the world's top scientific personalities and several international music stars to Bratislava. The rich main program in the Tipos Arena will include accompanying lectures by renowned scientists in the academic world. During the entire week, the SAS will host Nobel Prize laureates and other personalities of science in the main hall on Dúbravská cesta. The Academy is also engaged in Starmus Science Camp event on the Bratislava Main Square.

STARMUS City Program: Support of intellectual exchange and enrichment of the academic community

Gripping lectures by experts and researchers covering a number of fascinating topics from space exploration to environmental science will take place on academic grounds throughout the week as part of the STARMUS City program. During the festival, the Slovak Academy of Sciences will welcome five world's top scientific personalities to the main hall of the SAS on Dúbravská cesta in Bratislava.

On Monday, May 13, Emmanuelle Charpentier, winner of the Nobel Prize in the field of microbiology, will give a lecture.  On Tuesday, May 14, it will be computer scientist Bernhard Scholkopf´s turn, who is an expert in the field of machine learning. Geologist and climate scientist Maureen Raymo will be present on Wednesday, May 15. Michel Mayor, astrophysicist and Nobel Prize winner, will give a lecture on Thursday, May 16. On Friday, Chris Rapley, a climate scientist, will close the series of lectures.

Each lecture begins at 11.00 am. Participants can register for individual lectures (more information HERE). Registration also ensures seats. If the capacity of the SAS main hall is full, registration will no longer be available, but it will be possible to watch the lecture in the foyer. All those interested are cordially invited.

STARMUS Science Camp: Development of curiosity, inspiring discovery and a special program on stage with the participation of the SAS

We cordially invite all interested parties to the accompanying event STARMUS Science Camp on the Bratislava Main Square (admission is free). From Sunday, May 12 (5:00 p.m.) to May 17, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about science from the SAS environment. The following institutes will be presented at the stand during the week:

• May 12 and May 13:  Institute of Geotechnics SAS, which will present a unique technology for cleaning waters polluted by toxins;

• May 14:  Institute of Materials and Machine Mechanics, with the exhibition Innovative Materials and Technologies for a Better Future. Transport – Energy – Health – Space;
• May 15:  Institute of Experimental Physics, which will demonstrate experiments in the fields of low-temperature physics, biophysics and vacuum physics;
• May 16: Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre SAS, which will present the Innovative Study of Biodiversity at the Time of Global Changes and Species Extinction;
• May 17: Institute of Chemistry, which will demonstrate how selected plant species can be adapted to the climate crisis.

In addition, visitors can also look forward to scientific experiments performed by SAS scientists on stage.

On Monday at 4 p.m. there will be a live recording of the SAS Science podcast with host Peter Boháč. The main topic of the discussion with Miroslav Hnatek of the Centre for Advanced Materials Application SAS will be Materials of the Future.

On Tuesday at 2 p.m. neuroscientist Tomáš Hromádka of the Institute of Neuroimmunology will give a lecture on artificial and natural intelligence.

On Friday at 3:30 p.m. the visitors can look forward to a lecture by nuclear physicist Martin Venhart of the Institute of Physics about nuclear fusion.

On the square, visitors can also enjoy performances by local and international artists such as Lash & Grey, FLANGR, Montserrat Marti and Walter Schnitzellson. In addition, OuOus, Sam Handwich, Martin Valihora, NEMRA, ADONXS, Derek Shirinian and Vec & Škrupo will perform on stage.

The STARMUS festival was brought to Slovakia by ESET.  The unique festival will begin on Sunday, May 12, 2024, with a spectacular concert by Jean-Michel Jarre near the SNP Bridge. The special guest of the "Bridge from the Future" concert will be the legendary guitarist for the rock band Queen and co-founder of the STARMUS festival Brian May. Visitors can enjoy it for free.

More information about the STARMUS festival.

The STARMUS festival, which connects science, music and art, takes place in Slovakia thanks to ESET. 

Katarína Gáliková

Photo: STARMUS, Natália Feriančeková