ÜberMorgen - the future chat

A Painful Future – Do We Want to Feel Pain?

Headaches, a broken leg, or a chronic illness—pain repeatedly affects our quality of life. A future in which we no longer have to endure pain therefore sounds tempting. But is it really? In science fiction, this vision tends to give rise to rather frightening stories that deal with control and power.

Let’s talk about it: How desirable is a pain-free future? How realistic is this scenario? And what would we be missing if we could no longer feel pain? We’ll discuss the (potential) future of pain with experts from the fields of medicine, psychology, and culture. Join the discussion!

Guests:

Nora Gomringer (Director of the International Artists’ House Villa Concordia in Bamberg)

Prof. Dr. Dr. Axel Hueber (Paracelsus Medical University and Head of the Rheumatology Department at Nuremberg Hospital)

Peter Mattenklodt (Chief Psychologist at the Pain Center at Erlangen University Hospital)

Moderation:

Dagny Müller (Deutsches Museum Nürnberg )

Date: 19. Mai 2026 – 7 p.m.

Free admission, in German only