Let’s find the recipe for building a habitable planet, check out the best astronaut cribs, and change our P@$$w0rD now!
We’ll see you on June 8 аt Sofia Tech Park for a full day of awe-inspiring science and curious ideas! You’ll meet international speakers with captivating tоpics that will make you search for answers and will inspire you. Of course, even the most complex concepts will be presented in an entertaining simple language.
All you need for this scientific journey is a ticket – get yours now!
TOPICS
From alien Earth-like worlds and foreign habitats to our security in the digital space, the topics of Ratio Forum are varied, so that everyone can discover something new. The schedule features four talks that we will present here to you in time.
All talks will be held in English.
RECIPES FOR THE INFANT EARTH
Our Galaxy hosts about 200 billion stars; around 20% of these are “Sun-like”, and every one has planets. There are around 17 billion worlds that have “Earth-like” characteristics in the Milky Way. If you are searching for life out there, statistics are on your side.
Scientists posit that life begins when conditions allow for matter which is not alive to undergo a suite of increasingly complex chemical reactions and reaction-product interactions to transition into a biological entity. This is termed Abiogenesis.
Since we can’t go back in time, we’re not entirely sure how Abiogenesis occurred on Earth. But finding worlds where it is happening now or has recently occurred may help us understand our own origins and calibrate the hunt for foreign civilizations.
FROM POLAR NIGHTS TO ORBITAL LIGHTS:
designing for Astronauts' Well-being and Beyond
How do you design a home away from home? We’re not talking about a cabin by a lake, but a habitat by a crater on a foreign planet. This is the question the team of SAGA Space Architects set out to answer.
This keynote will take you through the process of designing, building, and testing a prototype space habitat. To put their concept to the test, the SAGA team spent 100 days in the habitat in the hostile environment near the North Pole.
This project goes beyond simple durability and safety. The prototype was designed to enhance astronaut well-being in space and you’ll see how different elements of the space were built to do just that. We’ll also see what the future holds and how an underwater habitat will help prepare the next generation of astronauts.
CYBERSECURELY EVER AFTER
What do Nicolas Cage, Spartacus and Peppa Pig have to teach us about ensuring our security and safety in the digital space? Turns out, quite a lot!
In this talk, Luca Viganò, Head of the Cybersecurity Group at King’s College London, will share with us the lessons fictional characters can give in eavesdropping, confidentiality, replay attacks and much more. You will understand vital concepts in cybersecurity like identity, authentication, and privacy protection through the power of stories and tales. Cinderella can explain multi-factor authentication, Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves anonymity, and so on…. Did you ever imagine that?
The New Noah's Ark:
who Deserves a Place on the Ark?
Imagine the biblical great flood is about to repeat itself. What species would a modern-day Noah save on his ark? Are there animals and plants that are more crucial than others, and can the world survive without certain species?
At the Ratio Forum, Bulgarian biology experts Milena Georgieva and Nikolay Stoyanov will discuss how we might approach this dilemma today if we were in Noah’s shoes. We will explore potential strategies for identifying the most vital species for the survival of life on Earth and consider the future of humanity in the event of mass extinction.
The extinction of one species can have profound consequences for many others, highlighting the critical importance of biodiversity to our well-being. Deciding who deserves to be saved and who doesn’t is becoming increasingly complex. Join us at the Ratio Forum as we seek to find the answer.
EXHIBITS
Ratio is not just about what happens on stage. In our exhibition area, we will give you interactive experiences on scientific topics.
Expect more in this section soon.
SPEAKERS
Stephen Mojzsis
Stephen Mojzsis is an Earth scientist who uses physical, chemical, nuclear, astronomical, biological and dynamical tools to understand the natural world. His research is field-, laboratory- and modeling-based, and explores the dynamic conditions that give rise to Earth and Earth-like planets in the galaxy.
Mojzsis is a Research Professor at the HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences in Budapest, Hungary. He is also emeritus Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder in the USA, and holds joint professorial appointments at the University of Oslo (Norway), University of Jena (Germany), and the University of Vienna (Austria).
Sebastian Aristotelis
Sebastian Aristotelis is the lead architect and co-founder of SAGA Space Architects. Which specializes in 3D-printed architecture and habitation for outer space. SAGA has built projects in Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, and Northern Greenland. SAGA recently sent its first payload to Outer Space, a lamp for the International Space Station.
Sebastian was part of the two-man crew on the LUNARK expedition where he spent 100 days in isolation by the North Pole, in a Prototype Space Habitat. SAGA has won several awards and holds numerous world records for its architecture, such as the tallest 3D-printed plastic structure at 7 meters tall.
Luca Viganò
Luca Viganò is Professor at the Department of Informatics of King’s College London, UK, where he heads the Cybersecurity Group. His research focuses on formal analysis of cybersecurity and privacy, and on explainable cybersecurity, where, in addition to more formal approaches, he has been investigating how different kinds of artworks can be used to explain cybersecurity and how telling (i.e., explaining notions in a formal, technical way) can be paired with showing through different forms of storytelling.
Luca is also a playwright and screenwriter. His works have been published and produced in Italy, the UK and Russia. His first short film in English, “The First”, explores a future scenario where the rights of sentient beings clash with freedom, identity and ethical judgment.
SCHEDULE
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 10:00-11:00 | Registration |
| 11:00-11:15 | Opening remarks |
| 11:15-12:00 | Stephen Mojzsis - Recipes for the Infant Earth |
| 12:00-12:25 | Coffee break |
| 12:25-13:15 | Sebastian Aristotelis - From Polar Nights to Orbital Lights: Designing for Astronauts' Well-being and Beyond |
| 13:15-14:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00-15:00 | Coming soon |
| 15:00-15:25 | Coffee break |
| 15:25-16:05 | Luca Viganò - Cybersecurity, Nicholas Cage and Peppa Pig |
| 16:05-16:25 | Coffee break |
| 16:25-17:20 | Questions and Answers |
| 17:20-17:30 | Closing |
VENUE
We’re looking forward to seeing you at Sofia Tech Park!
Getting there
Public transport
- Coming from the city center, take busses 306, 184 and 84, trolleys 5 and 8 – you’ll need the “Sofia Tech Park” stop.
- Coming from Mladost, take busses 1, 3, 5 and 6 – you’ll need the “Sofia Tech Park” stop.
- In both directions, you can use busses 1, 3, 5, 6, 280, 294, 305 and 306 and trolleys 4, 5, 8, and 11, and get off at the “Aviation square” (“Ploshtad na aviatsiata”) stop.
By car
Sofia Tech Park has multi-level parking with a capacity of 500 places. Parking is paid, but there’s a new lower tariff on weekends – 1 lev for every 2 hours of your stay. The first 15 minutes are free of charge.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Although we have a full day packed with activities and interesting talks, you can join us later, too. The registration is open throughout the whole day, so you can come whenever you like.
Although your ticket has your name on it, that is solely used for our administration. We don’t check names at the door, so you can give the ticket to another person and you don’t need to write to us to change it. For Concession tickets we will need to verify that the ticket carrier has active student rights or has a senior card.
No, you can just download your ticket on your mobile phone and let us scan the QR code at the entrance
Sofia Tech Park’s parking is paid, but there’s a new lower tariff on weekends – 1 lev for every 2 hours of your stay. The first 15 minutes are free of charge. You will need to validate your parking ticket at the machines in the parking building and pay your parking fee before leaving.
Since the program spans several hours and most of it is happening inside, we will not be able to let in pets at the event.
Every ticket holder has access to a lunch pack provided by our partners from CoKitchen. There are vegetarian and vegan options, too. If you have other dietary requirements, please, ask the team at the lunch tables for the full list of ingredients. You can also grab a cup of coffee during our coffee breaks. Water will be available at the premises, too.
If you want to catch up on breakfast or satisfy your sweet tooth, we will have a stand with some pastries available for you to purchase. There will also be a beer bar from lunch time onwards.
TICKETS
If for whatever reason you are not able to afford a ticket to the event, drop us a line at info@ratio.bg and we will give you access to the talk recordings.
PARTNERS
If you’re interested in a partnership opportunity, drop us a line at partnerships@ratio.bg