Niels Bohr – what he said and why it matters

The event attracted more than 300 participants (250 were listening online) on the 26 November at the JRC Ispra site, and a few dozens on 27 November at the JRC Ispra Clubhouse. Researchers, staff members, and guests from the local area joined an inspiring journey through the advancements that Niels Bohr made to science, reflecting on their relevance even for the present moment.

The talk by Dr. D. Wilkinson explained the crucial leap forward made by the Danish physicist Niels Bohr in the context of how science had addressed the question “what is the world made of?” since the time of the ancient Greeks. Wilkinson explained Bohr’s original idea on the internal structure of the atom and how Bohr then cultivated a network of European scientists to develop the fields of first quantum mechanics and then nuclear physics, both of which dramatically influenced our everyday lives today.
Bohr went on to encourage international collaboration on the development of the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the further development of European research in sub-atomic high energy physics. In conclusion the talk will introduce for discussion three relevant ethical questions on the role of scientists in the sphere of geopolitics.

After the main presentation, Dr Wilkinson answered a series of questions from the audience, addressing both scientific aspects and the broader implications of Bohr’s work for today’s technological and societal challenges.