Starmus VI festival of science and art kicked off today in the Sports and concert complex named after Karen Demirchyan. The official opening was announced with a press conference. The speakers of the press conference were famous scientists and Nobel Prize laureates, who spoke about the importance of the festival and their expectations.

The editor of "Astronomy" David J. Eicher mentioned in his opening speech that it is exciting for them to be here because the festival is an exceptional scientific event.

 "We can say this is the golden year of the jubilee, and we hope that you will experience the same excitement from the academic lectures and events that will be held during the festival," he said.

He emphasized that there will be various specialized lectures, and people will have the opportunity to look at the universe from the observatory.

David J. Eicher

Climate science professor Chris Ripley also noted that science, art, and music are connected. 

"They are about our emotional response, the experience lived in the world and space, which is very inspiring. Science is the process through which we do not look at the world on an emotional level, but try to understand the true nature of the universe," he said.

Ripley emphasized the importance of climate science to the world. 

"In this week's lectures, I will talk about the role of science in understanding the climate system. We have understood the problem for decades. I worked with neuroscientists, marketers, and social scientists to break down the barrier between the natural and the social sciences, and to give people the message that they need to act," he noted. 

Chris Ripley

Nobel laureate astrophysicist Michel Mayer, one of the discoverers of the 51 Pegasի b exoplanet, emphasized that the festival is a unique opportunity to talk to people and explain how the universe and the body are interconnected. 

"We are now living in a very important time. In the recent era, serious successes have been recorded in astrophysics. One of the reasons I am here today is that I have been working with Garik Israelyan for 20-30 years and we are studying exoplanets. Even Greek philosophers discussed the multiplicity of the universe. Today, we live in a very unique time, when technology gives us the opportunity to answer long-standing questions. I am very happy that Starmus in Armenia helps to explain to people what is happening in various branches of science," he stated.

Mayor added that he learned a lot from various scientists after participating in Starmus in Norway 4 years ago, and now he is happy that he has the opportunity to share his experience with the public. According to him, Starmus provides a good opportunity to learn about what is happening in the field of science.

Michel Mayer

Nobel laureate, microbiologist, and biochemist Emmanuel Charpentier also said that it was very nice to be in Armenia and emphasized that he has Armenian roots. 

"The purpose and meaning of the festival are important to me. It combines music and science. When I was young, I was involved in classical music, I was a pianist and a ballet dancer. That is why I see a connection between science and art. One of the reasons I'm here is that we don't celebrate science very much, and combining it with music here is very important, it's also interesting for science," he said.

Emmanuel Charpentier

Charpentier also emphasized that scientists from different fields will have the opportunity to unite on one platform and evaluate each other's work. 
"We have the opportunity to show our work in our presence, to involve young scientists in the field of science," he added.