Science will inevitably help shape our future, but how does science benefit society, and how should society get the best from science? As our awareness of the enormity of pressing local and global challenges increases, we need to take time to consider how best to equip ourselves, and future generations, to make the most of the opportunity science offers to build a better world. Our Nobel Prize Dialogue in Rio de Janeiro offered the chance to explore these questions.

The Nobel Prize Dialogue brought Nobel Prize laureates together with a diverse selection of experts and students for a series of conversations. In the morning, participants discussed the value of science, how to make the practice of research more inclusive and how to communicate more effectively with audiences ranging from the public to policy-makers. Interactive discussions then investigated the responsibilities of scientists, the role of universities and strategies for transitioning towards a more sustainable world. In the afternoon, discussions focused on how best to work together, both within research institutions and across disciplines and sectors, and where science and scientists should go next, asking if there are optimal strategies for focusing our efforts and resources to get the most out of science, to help create the future we want.

Speakers included Nobel Prize laureates Serge Haroche, physics 2012, David MacMillan, chemistry 2021, and May-Britt Moser, physiology or medicine 2014.

Nobel Prize Dialogue Rio and São Paulo 2024 in partnership with Academia Brasileira De Ciências.

Nobel International Partners: 3M, ABB, Capgemini, EQY, H2green steel, Scania.

Event partners: Finep, FAPESP, Klabin. Supporting organisations: UERJ, USP90ANOS, FIESP.

Special thanks to Embassy of Sweden in Brazil.