Science up close and understandable

This winter, those hungry for knowledge can once again look forward to the University of Jena's public lecture series "ChemGeo aktuell": researchers from the Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences will be guests and will take a look at current topics in Chemistry, Geography and Geosciences in four generally understandable lectures. They will also report on their scientific work and present current research findings.

The programme includes four exciting lectures - starting on 7 December

The programme kicks off on 7 December 2024 with social geographer Jun.-Prof. Dr Simon Runkel: Against the backdrop of climate change, scientists are calling for a new perspective on our planet and thus for a new Copernican revolution. Simon Runkel will look at these debates from a social science perspective and explain the different points of view.

We will continue in the new year: on 11 January 2025, the focus will be on the geological subsurface and its various uses by humans. Geologist Prof. Dr Thorsten Schäfer will talk about the search for a suitable site for the storage of highly radioactive waste and present the latest research findings.

On 1 February 2025, chemist Prof. Dr Felix H. Schacher will be our guest: his lecture will highlight chemical relationships relating to the topic of taste. Finally, on 22 February 2025, chemist Prof. Dr Wolfgang Weigand will ask about the origin of life and present the theory of the "iron-sulphur world".

All interested parties are welcome

The lectures start at 10.30 am. The venue is the lecture theatre of the Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry (Humboldtstraße 8, 07743 Jena). All interested parties are welcome - whether they are students, working or already in retirement. Admission is free. Some lectures will also be recorded and will be available as a video afterwards.

The "ChemGeo aktuell" lectures in the winter semester 2024/25 at a glance:

• 7 December 2024, 10:30 a.m.
  Inside the Earth of Capital: Planetary Futures and the New Copernican Revolution from a Social Science Perspective
  Jun.-Prof. Dr Simon Runkel, Institute of Geography
• 11 January 2025, 10:30 a.m.
  The geological underground as a storage space: from geothermal energy to the search for a repository
  Prof. Dr Thorsten Schäfer, Institute of Geosciences
• 1 February 2025, 10:30 a.m.
  ... where the pepper grows - the chemistry behind spice, heat and flavour
  Prof. Dr Felix. H. Schacher, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry
• 22 February 2025, 10:30 a.m.
  Possible origin of life in an iron-sulphur world
  Prof. Dr Wolfgang Weigand, Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry

Please note: The lectures will be in German.

More information about the lecture series "ChemGeo aktuell" de