Annual-Report-2024 - Flipbook - Page 80
4th Lindau Online Sciathon
A Forum for New Ideas
In April 2024, ten teams comprised of Lindau Alumni and Young Scientists were given
48 hours to develop ideas for how physics can contribute to sustainability. Three of the
groups with the most promising proposals workshopped their ideas during the
Sciathon Forum at the 73rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.
The 4th Lindau Online Sciathon (19–21 April 2024) built
on the successful hackathon-style events that have been
organized by the Lindau Meetings since 2020. Once again,
the group of participants was comprised of Lindau Alumni and Young Scientists who had been selected for the
73rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. In this way, Lindau
Alumni could meet and mentor the newcomers who had
the opportunity to participate in a Lindau Alumni event
before even having attended the Meeting. The updated
format of the Lindau Online Sciathon seeks to identify
ingenious solutions to some of the most thorny problems
currently facing humankind.
In early 2024, Lindau Alumni were invited to submit
project ideas on the topic “Physics as a Driver of a Sustainable World”. After a brief review, ten groups were accepted for the Sciathon. About 50 scientists from all over the
world worked intensively in these groups led by Lindau
Alumni. Opening and closing sessions moderated by
Brian Malow bookended the weekend. The opening livestream featured a short interview with Lindau Alumnus
Tilmann Herberger about the project Biosheets, which
has been in development since the 3rd Sciathon.
After 48 hours, all groups successfully submitted a
brief report summarizing their ideas. Together with a
short video, these materials were the basis for the evaluation by an expert jury chaired by Council Vice President Heiner Linke. Three promising projects received the
unique opportunity to workshop their ideas on issues
78 | Connecting Bright Minds
ranging from sustainable open-source software to plastic
pollution and safer pesticides during the 73rd Lindau
Meeting.
The focus of the Sciathon Forum was on the discussion
between the groups, an expert panel, and the audience
on how to improve these ideas on their way to a viable
(business) concept. After brief presentations on stage, each
team received feedback from a panel comprised of prominent experts in the field. Afterwards, Lindau Alumni,
Young Scientists, and guests had ample opportunity to
continue the conversations. We would like to thank all
participants for their input, in particular the expert jury
and expert panel (see below and next page).
For more information on the projects and past Sciathon results, please see sciathon.org.
Physics as a Driver of a Sustainable World
Expert Jury
• Heiner Linke (Chair), Vice President of the Council and
Scientific Co-Chair 73rd Lindau Meeting
• Kiana Aran, University of California, San Diego
• Jürgen Kluge, Chairman of the Board, Foundation
Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings
• Karl-Georg Schlesinger, Lindau Alumnus 1994,
Co-Founder Marvel Fusion, BoS GmbH
