Full House at the "Horizonte" Lecture: “How Particle Physics Is Changing Our Lives”

On July 9, 2026, Room N101 at the Markgraf-Ludwig-Gymnasium in Baden-Baden was filled to capacity: Prof. Dr. Markus Klute from the Institute for Experimental Particle Physics (ETP) at KIT was a guest speaker as part of the “Horizonte - Bildung im Dialog” series and spoke on the topic “Neugier als Motor - Wie Teilchenphysik unser Leben verändert”, addressing the big questions of modern physics. Using concrete examples - ranging from the World Wide Web and cloud computing to silicon detectors in cancer therapy - he demonstrated how basic research at CERN gives rise to technologies that have an impact far beyond the laboratory.

The evening took on a particularly personal touch thanks to a connection: one of the doctoral students at the ETP had himself graduated from Markgraf-Ludwig-Gymnasium, a wonderful example of how the curiosity sparked in Baden-Baden can lead young people all the way to the forefront of international research. Following the lecture, lively discussions ensued with the audience, making it clear that interest in the big questions of physics - and in how science concretely changes our everyday lives - remains as strong as ever.