Kip Thorne at ESET Science Award 2021

In the historical building of the Slovak National Theatre, Professor Thorne had a discussion with another renowned scientific mind, a British physicist, populariser of science and BBC star presenter - Professor Brian Cox. In front of the packed auditorium, they looked for an answer to the question of whether science is the solution to everything. Anyone with a question about the subject could ask it as part of the global "Ask Kip a Question" campaign. The most interesting ones were discussed on the theatre stage.

Comenius University in Bratislava presented Professor Kip Thorne with The Grand Gold Medal of the Comenius University. On this occasion, the audience had the opportunity to listen to a Nobel Prize lecture, which dealt with the results of the scientific work of Professor Thorne and his team on observing gravitational waves on the LIGO detector. Professor Thorne, who was the main consultant to director Christopher Nolan for the film Interstellar, explained the possibility of time travel to the audience.

The festive announcement of the award winners is an annual celebration of science in Slovakia. The gala evening is attended by representatives of the domestic and foreign scientific community, ambassadors and the political elite, such as the president and prime minister. Professor Kip Thorne presented the award in the main category Outstanding Scientist in Slovakia to the materials physicist, Ján Dusza. The program was watched by thousands of viewers on RTVS TV.

Professor Kip Thorne devoted his time and interest to talented young physicists. Slovak students who won the International Young Physicists’ Tournament discussed their winning projects with the professor. The meeting was further discussed with media representatives at a joint press conference. Professor Thorne accepted an invitation to many other media interviews, and his visit was widely reported on by multiple media sources.

Is science the solution to everything? Around 80 Slovak students, scientists, and members of the general public interested in science and society considered this question in an essay competition. From the received essays, Professor Kip Thorne chose the one whose ideas he found most interesting. Its author, Roman Burič, from the Institute of Experimental Psychology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, won EUR 1,000 and the chance to meet the professor in person at the award ceremony of the ESET Science Award 2021.