In the organizer's words:

How nature shapes our world through cooperation. The author in conversation with Marija Bakker

Cooperation shapes the world. It is where our future lies. The renowned natural scientist Dirk Brockmann is convinced of this. He creates an impressive panorama of the power of nature: what it has invented over billions of years and what it knows about the art of cooperation.

We learn how bacteria influence our nervous system and how molecules negotiate, who invented photosynthesis and triggered the greatest mass extinction of all time. We learn how animals, plants, fungi and bacteria communicate with each other. We hear about cute viruses and animal solar systems. And we marvel at the fact that each and every one of us is "many". Symbioses and cooperative connections between living beings form the foundation of life.

Dirk Brockmann, born in 1969, is the founding director of the Synergy of Systems Center at the Technical University of Dresden. He previously taught in the USA and was then a professor at the Institute of Biology at Berlin's Humboldt University. After studying theoretical physics and mathematics, he became interested in complex phenomena outside the traditional boundaries of physics at an early stage.

Marija Bakker, born in 1972, is a freelance journalist. Among other things, she presents the science program "Quarks" and the literary magazine "Bücher" on WDR 5 and is not only professionally involved with the topics of sustainability, climate and the mobility transition.

Price information:

Admission costs 8 euros, concessions 6 euros, 4 euros with a disabled pass. Tickets are available in advance from kölnticket. Remaining tickets may be available at the Box Office.