The Secret Communication of Bacteria

The Secret Communication of Bacteria: Monday 2 November 2026, 19:00–20:30, Tingbjerg Bibliotek\Kulturhus, Copenhagen. Admission is free.

Researcher and author Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi presents a lecture on the hidden communication of bacteria - and what these microscopic beings can teach us about communities, selfishness, and survival. Through her research, she has developed methods to "hear" bacteria whispering to each other and has uncovered that they live as social creatures in advanced societies with their own survival strategies.

The lecture explores questions such as: Does it pay to cheat? What happens to a society if everyone stops cooperating? And what can bacteria tell us about the meaning of life?

Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi is a research leader and lecturer at the Department of Science and Environment at Roskilde University with a Ph.D. from the Technical University of Denmark. She has received awards including the Lundbeck Foundation Talent Prize, the L'Oréal-UNESCO Prize for Science, and Inspire them Young by Albright. In 2019, Forbes named her one of Europe's "30 under 30" in science and health. In 2024, Berlingske recognized her as one of Denmark's 100 greatest talents. Her TED talk has been viewed by over 2 million people, and she has just published the popular science book "Obsessed with Bacteria" (Politikens Forlag, 2026).

The event is part of Copenhagen Libraries' festival "Wild About Science", running throughout October-November at libraries across Copenhagen municipality. The lecture takes place on Monday, November 2 at 7-8:30 p.m. in the Hall at Tingbjerg Library\Culture House. Free admission - registration via Billetto.