Mission Fühlen

In the organizer's words:

MINT Cologne 2024

What we can learn from space psychology for our everyday lives

Author Alexandra de Carvalho in conversation with Jana Forkel.

Astronauts and people in extreme environments experience the challenges and feelings that we on Earth also have to face every day with particular intensity. So why not learn from those who have to cope for months or even years in isolation from friends and family in a hostile environment? After all, loneliness, fear of the future and stress have dominated social media channels, protest campaigns and therapy rooms around the world for years, while needs such as togetherness and participation seem to have receded into the galactic distance. What does it take to create connections with other people despite distance? How can we ensure good cooperation in teams and at home? What works well in space - and where do even the bravest Mars pioneers fail?

Alexandra de Carvalho, born in 1989, is a psychological psychotherapist and researcher in the still young field of space psychology. She has led the "Human Factors" team at the Austrian Space Forum since 2015 and conducts selection and training processes for analogue missions in various organizations. She also provides psychotherapeutic support for people and gives workshops and courses on the subject of the psyche in extreme environments.

Jana Forkel, born in 1988, grew up in the Ruhr area and studied communication science and television journalism. She has been a reporter on the children's program "Neuneinhalb" since 2017 and has also been a presenter on "Der Sendung mit der Maus" since 2018. In 2018, she was awarded the Prix Jeunesse for her program "Weltreise Deutschland". Since the beginning of 2024, she has been dealing with the Middle East conflict for the history format "Past Forward"(ARD).

An event as part of MINTköln2024, the Cologne City Library's festival on mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology.

Price information:

Admission costs 8 euros, concessions 6 euros, 4 euros with a disabled pass.