Will we soon be using DNA as a hard drive for our data? How does a fungus think, and what can we learn from it? And what can a sustainable base on Mars teach us about life on Earth? These questions might sound like they come straight out of the script for the next science-fiction blockbuster. But the congress is about much more than that: At the eighth edition of the “Next Frontiers – Where Science Meets Fiction” Future Congress, researchers, entrepreneurs, artists, writers, and science-fiction creators gathered at the University of Stuttgart to explore knowledge-based future scenarios addressing the pressing challenges of our time.
Why science and science fiction go hand in hand
Through entertaining and engaging formats – ranging from a science slam and “highlights” to live drawing and comic book presentations – conference attendees joined the speakers in exploring exciting visions of the future. They soon realized that looking to the future does more than just provide stability and direction in uncertain and crisis-ridden times. Visions of the future are, above all, an opportunity to let your imagination run wild. Across a wide range of fields – from complexity research and artificial intelligence to nanotechnology and space exploration – they provide the impetus for smart solutions that are being developed today to make an impact tomorrow.
Save the Date: April 22 and 23, 2027
In April 2027, “Next Frontiers” will return to the University of Stuttgart. All interested parties are warmly invited to join scientists, science-fiction authors, and industry experts in exploring solutions to the pressing challenges of our time, as well as emerging opportunities and new perspectives.
The “Next Frontiers” future congress is jointly organized by the International Center for Cultural and Technological Studies (IZKT) at the University of Stuttgart, Next Frontiers gUG, and the Stuttgart Public Library, with support from the state capital Stuttgart.
