Hidden histories: memory & evolution

How do we know dinosaur colours and skin types? Fossils are often incomplete, usually preserving only hard parts like bones. However, some exceptional sites called Konservatlagerstätten preserve entire organisms, including soft tissues like skin, eyes, and feathers. These rare fossils give palaeontologists valuable clues about how extinct animals looked in life and help us better understand evolution and the history of life.

Our bodies are patrolled by trillions of tiny, Y-shaped proteins called antibodies — highly specific molecules, designed to trap intruders. They are our ultimate defense against viruses, bacteria, and even deadly poisons. But what happens when these elite guards make a mistake and start a war against a peanut or pollen?
In this talk, we’ll explore the dual nature of antibodies: how they protect us, why they 'glitch' to cause allergies, and how modern medicine 'hacks' this power. We’ll discuss everything from vaccines that block the effects of drugs to the use of antibodies as precision tools in the lab and targeted treatments for a broad range of diseases.