Focus on the Universe – GSI/FAIR's lecture series “Wissenschaft für Alle” in the second term of 2026
03.08.2026 |
GSI/FAIR will continue its popular public lecture series “Wissenschaft für Alle” in a hybrid format in the second term of 2026. Interested parties can either attend the event in the lecture hall of GSI/FAIR following a registration or dial into the broadcast of the event via video conference using an internet-enabled device such as a laptop, cell phone or tablet. The program begins on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, with a lecture by Professor Hannah Elfner on the cosmic origin of matter.
Theoretical physicists attempt to model the processes that occurred 13 billion years ago during the formation of the Universe using mathematical models. According to current understanding, the so-called quark-gluon plasma formed about one microsecond after the Big Bang. It was only later, through a universal phase transition, that this plasma gave rise to the atomic matter as we know it today. Such a transition can be imagined “like water boiling,” when water changes from a liquid to a gaseous state. But what existed before the cosmic “kettle” began to boil? Did it arise from nothing and begin operating beyond any physical reality known to us — without a cause, outside of space and time? In the lecture, current research questions in the field of theoretical heavy-ion physics at high densities will be explained and placed within the broader context of the fundamental questions regarding the existence of matter and the origin of mass.
Professor Dr. Hannah Elfner (née Petersen) studied physics at Goethe University Frankfurt and subsequently earned her Ph.D. from 2006 to 2009 at the same university as part of the “Helmholtz Research School on Quark Matter Studies.” After completing her dissertation, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Helmholtz International Center for FAIR before spending a year as a Feodor Lynen Fellow in the Department of Physics at Duke University (USA). From 2011 to 2012, she also served as a visiting assistant professor there before returning to Germany to lead a Helmholtz Young Investigators Group at GSI and FIAS. Since 2013, she has held a W2 professorship at Goethe University Frankfurt and was a FIAS Fellow (2013–2026). Starting in 2018, she also headed the “Transport and Experiment Simulations” group at GSI/FAIR; since 2021, she has been head of the “Hot and Dense QCD Matter” division and coordinates the “Theory” pillar. In 2016, she received the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize from the DFG, followed in 2021 by the “Scientist of the Year” award from the Kassel Foundation.
The events in our Universe will remain a central focus throughout the rest of the lecture program: Dr. Sonja Bernitt will discuss the wide-ranging applications of high-precision X-ray spectroscopy in atomic physics, astrophysics, and metrology, and Dr. Tim Wagner will demonstrate how cosmic rays can be generated using a particle accelerator to simulate their effects on humans and spacecraft. In addition, Dr. Wolfgang Heenes from the Hessian AI Research Center hessian.ai will discuss just how smart artificial intelligence really is. Finally, Dr. Daniel Severin, together with colleagues from the research community, will provide an overview of the experiments conducted in 2026 using the GSI/FAIR accelerator facility.
The lectures start at 2 p. m., further information about registration, access and the course of the event can be found on the event website at www.gsi.de/wfa.
The lecture series “Wissenschaft für Alle” is aimed at all persons interested in current science and research. The lectures report on research and developments at GSI and FAIR, but also on current topics from other fields of science and technology. The aim of the series is to prepare and present the scientific processes in a way that is understandable for laypersons in order to make the research accessible to a broad public. The lectures are held by GSI and FAIR staff members or by external speakers from universities and research institutes. (CP)
Current program
- Wednesday, 19.08.2026, 2 p.m.
Warum existiert nicht einfach nichts?
Hannah Elfner, GSI/FAIR/Goethe-Universität Frankfurt
- Wednesday, 16.09.2026, 2 p.m.
Wie schlau ist die KI wirklich? – Eine Übersicht über die Entwicklung der KI und das hessische KI-Ökosystem
Wolfgang Heenes, hessian.ai
- Wednesday, 21.10.2026, 2 p.m.
Hochpräzise Röntgen-Spektroskopie – Neue Perspektiven für Atomphysik, Astrophysik und Metrologie
Sonja Bernitt, GSI/FAIR/Helmholtz-Institut Jena
- Wednesday, 18.11.2026, 2 p.m.
Vom Weltraum ins Labor – Kosmische Strahlung mit dem Teilchenbeschleuniger herstellen
Tim Wagner, GSI/FAIR
- Wednesday, 09.12.2026, 2 p.m.
Wer strahlte denn da? – Einblick in den wissenschaftlichen Experimentierbetrieb an GSI/FAIR in 2026
Daniel Severin, GSI/FAIR, et al.
