27 October 2025
Children’s University Lectures 2025Voyages of discovery, from outer space to below the sea

Photo: University of Hamburg / von Wieding
What is the Big Bang? What lurks beneath the sea floor? Why are spiders important? And how can we live more sustainably? These are the questions that 4 researchers at the University of Hamburg are discussing this year in their lectures for young guests, as they take them on a voyage of discovery.
For example, back to the Big Bang: Even if Prof. Dr. Jan Louis didn’t witness the event himself, of course, he can explain what space looked like then. Prof. Dr. Christian Hübscher is more familiar with the world beneath the sea floor. Anyone who has ever dreamed of riding a research ship should attend his lecture. Eek! Spiders! Or are they cooler than we think? Dr. Danilo Harms knows the craziest facts about the 8-legged creatures, who have a lot to teach us humans. And Dr. Larissa Gebken will turn anyone who listens into a sustainability detective with her talk about why ChatGPT requires so much energy.
The lectures take place Mondays for a consecutive 4 weeks: 10 November (Big Bang), 17 November (sea floor), 24 November (spiders), and 1 December (sustainability). All talks begin at 5 pm and last an hour, including a Q&A session. The venue is the University of Hamburg’s largest lecture hall: Audimax, Von-Melle-Park 4, 20146 Hamburg.
No registration required. Young children attending the Children’s University Lectures must be accompanied by adults. If you wish to attend more than one lecture, pick up a stamp card in the Audimax reception area and have it stamped for each talk. There is a small surprise on 1 December for anyone who attended 3 talks.
See the University of Hamburg’s homepage for more information. The Children’s University Lectures are funded through the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments.