Researcher and author Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi takes you into the microscopic world of bacteria, where far more is going on than the naked eye can see. Through her research she has learned to, in a sense, hear bacteria whisper to one another, and what she has found is a surprisingly social world of communication, cooperation, conflict and survival strategies.
The talk asks what bacteria can teach us about people: whether cheating pays, what happens to a community when everyone stops cooperating, and what bacteria might tell us about the meaning of life. Even if bacteria do not mean much to you at first, you are likely to leave with a fresh view of communities, self-interest and cooperation.
Fatima is a research leader, lecturer and entrepreneur known for her work on bacteria and nanotechnology. She has received several prestigious awards, including the Lundbeck Foundation Talent Prize, and was named one of Europe's "30 under 30" in science and health by Forbes in 2019. Her TED talk has been viewed by more than two million people worldwide.
She also has other bacteria-themed events coming up in Copenhagen in November 2026, including at Kulturhuset Islands Brygge.
