A Brainstorm of Light and Spirits

Many people know the effects of alcohol, but the processes behind them in the brain and body are far from simple. Why can the same amount feel very different depending on the situation? What happens in the brain during intoxication, and why do some effects only appear hours later, for example the next morning? And why can the body’s response to stopping alcohol be both stabilizing and challenging? In this talk, Ann-Kathrin Stock presents insights from experimental alcohol research and connects laboratory findings to everyday experience. Using clear examples and an accessible approach, she shows how brain research helps explain familiar effects in a new way.

Semiconductors made from organic molecules have revolutionized the display industry and are now the technology of choice for high-end smartphones and TVs. This is based on organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), which can be applied to plastic films to create luminous sheets thinner than a human hair. This talk explores how such flexible light sources could transform medicine, for example, as sensors inside the body to study and control brain activity with light. The technology could enable much more precise research into neurological diseases and may one day help treat blindness and deafness.