PoV #27 with an Astrophysicist & a Neuroscientist

A special Pint of View evening with two back-to-back lectures with sober drinks!

This session brings together two very different scales of science—one that looks inward at the brain and body, and another that looks outward toward the most energetic corners of the universe. Each lecture will run for 30 minutes, followed by a 15-minute Q&A, back-to-back, over drinks and conversations that flow naturally from neurons to nebulae.

Lecture 1: The Brain–Body Conversation with Nikolai Hoermann

How do thoughts turn into actions? How does the body talk back to the brain? And why does this constant back-and-forth matter so deeply for survival?

Neuroscientists study how tiny cells called neurons give rise to thought, behaviour, and feeling—but the story doesn’t stop inside the brain. When danger strikes, your heart races. When you fall sick, your social and physical behaviour changes. These responses emerge from a continuous dialogue between the brain and the body.

In this lecture, N. Hoermann will walk us through how new technologies now allow scientists to study activity across the entire brain at once, revealing how brain–body communication helps animals adapt moment to moment to their needs, environments, and internal states.

Lecture 2: Catching Light From the Extreme Universe with Lea Heckmann

Some of the most powerful events in the universe don’t shine in visible light. They flash instead in gamma rays—radiation millions of times more energetic than anything our eyes can see.

So how do we study them? In this lecture, Lea Heckmann will take us behind the scenes of gamma-ray astronomy, introducing Cherenkov telescopes, instruments that detect faint flashes of light created when high-energy particles from space collide with Earth’s atmosphere. These telescopes allow scientists to study extreme cosmic engines like active galactic nuclei, where jets of matter are hurled across space at nearly the speed of light.

It’s a story of invisible light, ingenious instruments and how we observe the universe at its most violent and awe-inspiring.

All of this unfolds over sober drinks by Bangalore's homegrown kombucha brand Local Ferment Co. at The Bangalore Local.

What to expect

• A lively, accessible science lecture designed for curious non-specialists
• Sober drinks provided by Bangalore's homegrown kombucha brand Local Ferment Co.
• Plenty of room for questions, discussion, and close interaction with the speaker
• A fresh perspective on urban wildlife and the species we often overlook

This isn’t an academic lecture hall experience. Think thoughtful storytelling, real research, and a warm, informal atmosphere where ideas flow as easily as the drinks.

Event Details:

📅 Friday, 9 January | 5 pm to 7 pm

📍 The Bangalore Local, Koramangala

About the Lecturers (Nikolai Hoermann)

Nikolai Hoermann is a scientist whose intellectual curiosity has driven him across disciplines and continents. Beginning as a biochemist in his native Germany, he transitioned into developmental neurobiology before ultimately finding his calling in systems neuroscience. Now, as a postdoctoral researcher at an Ivy League university on the U.S. East Coast, he explores the fundamental question of how neuronal activity gives rise to behavior and what factors shape brain function.

He works in the field of interoception, the study of internal bodily signals like heart rate and how they are sensed by the brain. This research reveals a profound truth: while the brain directs the body, the body also exerts a powerful influence on brain function. To unravel this bidirectional communication, Hoermann uses Danio rerio, a small fish native to India and neighboring regions, as a model organism, offering unique insights into the dialogue between body and brain.

About the Lecturers (Lea Heckmann)

Lea Heckmann is an astrophysicist fascinated by the most extreme phenomena in the universe. After studying engineering physics at the Technical University of Vienna, she earned her PhD in astrophysics through a collaboration between the University of Innsbruck and the Max Planck Institute for Physics in Munich. Today, she continues her research as a postdoctoral scientist in Paris.

Her work focuses on high-energy astrophysics, exploring cosmic powerhouses that push the laws of physics to their limits. Using gamma-ray telescopes in the Canary Islands and Namibia, Lea investigates active galactic nuclei: galaxies with supermassive black holes at their cores. The extreme interactions around the black holes lead to the launch of colossal jets of matter and radiation, accelerating particles to near-light speeds. By studying the universe’s most energetic signals, gamma rays, and combining them with observations across the electromagnetic spectrum, she seeks to unravel how these extraordinary objects operate and what they reveal about our Universe.

About Pint of View

Inspired by the successful Lectures on Tap community in the US, Pint of View takes this format across India for the first time. It’s where big ideas meet bar tables, and where you enjoy a drink in hand, walking out with a new way of seeing the world.

Book now & develop your own pint of view! 🍻