Eset CEO Richard Marko (l), Nobel Prize laureate Emmanuelle Charpentier (c) and designer Tony Fadell (r) during a press conference on the 2024 Starmus festival in Bratislava on May 11, 2023. (source: TASR - Jaroslav Novák)
Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May, biologist Jane Goodall who studied primates, and the science populariser Bill Nye. These are just three of the many names that the Starmus festival, which combines science, art and music, will bring to Slovakia next year.
The event will take place from May 12 to 17, 2024 in several Slovak towns and universities.
The Slovak cyber security company Eset is the main partner to bring it to Slovakia.
Focus on the planet
While the previous editions focused on space, this time the event will look at the only home that humans own in it. The theme will be the future of the Earth, with Starmus exploring how the world can address challenges such as climate change, artificial intelligence, genetic engineering and more.
"I think it's really important for us to understand that we are part of the natural world. It's tragic that humans have become increasingly divorced from nature. And the very ecosystems we depend on are collapsing," said biologist Jane Goodall.
"How strange that the most intellectual being that ever walked the planet, presumably, is destroying its only home."
The event will consist of lectures by Nobel laureates, scientists, astronauts and technologists, as well as a festival in the streets of Bratislava and concerts.
Brian May, one of the founders, said during a press conference that "science and art are a continuum, and when their individual thought processes come together, they can create unique perspectives."
Politicians not allowed
No politician will speak at the event. There is a reason for it.
"We have seen conferences between political representatives of countries looking for solutions. But of course, inevitably, whether they come up with strategies or not, they are influenced by political motives and the selfish interests of countries they represent. There is also the issue of following through," said Brian May, adding that the goal of Starmus is to bring together scientists and artists in a completely unbiased way.
The hope is to come up with a set of strategies that could save all the creatures that inhabit the Earth.
Tickets for the seventh edition of Starmus will be available from October 2023.
