| Conferences and scientific meetings are as old as science itself. The ancient Greeks where
(in)famous for organizing so-called symposiums. During a symposium (from Greek, drinking
together), attendees followed a program that contained both social and scientific aspects,
focused around a certain topic. Whilst drinking and eating, all participants were expected to
share their vision on the topic of interest by giving an oral presentation. The goal of these
meetings was to arrive at a new common understanding and to come closer to the truth. Plato
et al. knew very well how to organize an effective scientific conference, which should
make use overthink the way we are organizing present-day conferences. Scientific
meetings aim to connect researchers, share research and unravel the truth. The
question is now: how do we get this done effectively? Plato knew that discussing
science with strangers is difficult and he believed that talking about heavy matter
could be done best when combined with social events. What if we try to go back to
the times of Plato and model our conferences after the ancient symposiums? We
might drop laying on couches and covering ourselves in ivy and flowers. However, a
mix of social and scientific events will contribute to achieving the ultimate goal
of why scientists go to conferences: to connect, to share and to unravel the truth. |