From climate change to the environmental crisis, from the ethics of artificial intelligence to genetic engineering, Starmus VII, in collaboration with ESET, will focus on the future of our planet
Starmus, the global science communication festival – the brainchild of astrophysicist Garik Israelian, PhD, and Queen guitarist Sir Brian May, who also has a PhD in astrophysics – has announced that it will turn its gaze from the stars to the future of planet Earth, bringing its seventh edition to Bratislava in 2024.
Yesterday, Sir Brian May and Dr Garik Israelian announced the festival's theme, “Starmus Earth: the future of our planet”, at an event at the Royal Society in London. They were joined by world-renowned ethologist and conservationist Jane Goodall, (who now joins the Starmus Advisory Board), cosmologist Sir Martin Rees and Global Governance Professor Mary Kaldor, who led an exclusive discussion, moderated by Dr. Israelian, on how to solve some of our planet's most pressing challenges.
Microbiologist and Nobel Prize winner Emmanuelle Charpentier joined the panel remotely from a parallel launch event on the Danube River in Bratislava, along with iPod inventor Tony Fadell and Richard Marko, cybersecurity expert and CEO of ESET, main partner del festival.
“Starmus has traditionally focused on interrogating the mysteries of the universe, looking upward to inspire and educate the next generation of explorers and regenerating the spirit of discovery, bringing together art, music, and the world's greatest scientific and artistic minds to enhance scientific communication,” said Starmus co-founder Dr. Garik Israelian. As the old saying goes, “the Earth is a planet too!”. We are a privileged part of the cosmos and, as living beings, we are made of stellar matter. The very atoms of our body were forged in the very early days of the universe or in the death of low and high mass stars. The Earth is in the universe and is as much a part of it as the stars."
"Climate change could make life on Earth unsustainable, and we are already seeing signs of this rapid evolution. We must take steps to care for our world, and Starmus offers an important voice calling attention to the urgency," said Dr. Jane Goodall.
In 2024, Starmus will turn its gaze closer to us and analyze how to address the challenges that most threaten Earth's future, from threats to the environment and climate to large-scale technologies such as artificial intelligence, genetic engineering and cybersecurity, as well as humanitarian crises caused by armed conflicts around the world.
"Since 2011, the STARMUS conferences have brought together scientists and artists to look with attentive eyes at the space around us and celebrate the wonders of the Universe. This year more than ever, aware of the current threat of extinction of life in the biosphere, for the first time STARMUS focuses on our home planet. By bringing together many of the largest and freest minds from all countries, we will seek to find new answers to the questions we must ask to save life on Planet Earth," he said Sir Brian May, legendary Queen guitarist, co-founder of Starmus and member of the Advisory Board.
This year Starmus is collaborating with ESET – a global European cybersecurity company based in Bratislava – to inspire young people in Slovakia and around the world to take responsibility and contribute to the future of our planet, using scientific research and the most advanced technologies.
"ESET's role is to provide cutting-edge technologies and innovations that protect the progress of society. We believe that this progress is driven by science," said Richard Marko, CEO of ESET. “We are proud to partner with Starmus and join its efforts to inspire new generations of scientists and those who appreciate its values.”
Starmus Earth will welcome world-renowned scientists, artists and environmentalists to share groundbreaking discoveries, discuss big questions, and inspire new generations of scientists, technologists and activists. The Starmus Advisory Board will announce the full list of scientists, artists and musicians later in the year, but among the more than 40 speakers confirmed for Starmus Earth are Apollo 16 astronaut and moonwalker Charlie Duke, former president of Ireland Mary Robinson, physicist Donna Strickland and legendary American science TV presenter Bill Nye. (full list on https://www.starmus.com/)
The festival, as in previous editions, will also award the Stephen Hawking Medal for scientific communication in four categories: Music and Art, Scientific Writing, Film and Entertainment and Career.
In addition to launching its seventh edition, Starmus has also released previously unreleased musical performances from past editions of the festival: “Who Wants to Live Forever?” from Starmus V, performed by Sir Brian May, Hans Zimmer, Vittorio Grigolo, Steve Vai and Rick Wakeman with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra; and “Smoke on the Water” from Starmus VI, featuring Sir Brian May, Jeff Scott Soto, Derek Sherinian, Simon Phillips, Ric Fierabracci and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal.
Next year's festival will be the first Starmus since September 2022, when it was held in Yerevan, Armenia, to celebrate 50 years of humanity's exploration of Mars. Previous editions of Starmus have seen the festival travel to Zurich, Switzerland, Trondheim, Norway, and the Canary Islands in Spain.
Tickets for Starmus Earth, which will be held in Bratislava from 12 to 17 May 2024, will go on sale in October. For more information, visit Starmus.com
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