Where science takes us: looking back, looking forward | Nobel Prize Conversations Madrid 2026

Is real progress ever predictable, how dependent is the development of our understanding on new technology, does AI change everything and what role does imagination play in scientific discovery? Join us for a conversation investigating the evolution and progress of science, and what might be to come. Featuring Nobel Prize laureates Stefan Hell and Benjamin List, we will explore the transformations in understanding they have seen in their scientific lifetimes over the past half century, and what they imagine will happen next. Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry Hell and List will be accompanied on stage by the scientific historian José Manuel Sánchez Ron, and philosopher of science Laura Nuño de la Rosa. The panel discussion and audience dialogue will be moderated by Adam Smith, Chief Scientific Officer at Nobel Prize Outreach.