CERN will host a TEDx event 24 September 2014 on the theme “Forward: Charting the future with science”. Speakers will present innovative and ambitious ideas that apply science to problems the world faces today and those of tomorrow.

A small number of places has been set aside for members of the general public to attend the event at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. Those who are interested should contact the organisers to apply. The event can also be followed live online.

Their short but inspiring talks will be grouped into three themed sessions – "adapt", "change" and "create" – according to the stance that they take on confronting global challenges such as the efficient management of natural resources or extending access to healthcare to non-urban areas. Each session will include a performance that combines art and science from artists such as musician Nitin Sawhney and dancer Andrew Nemr. Particle physicist and BBC presenter Brian Cox will host the conference.

“Science is both the exploration of worlds beyond the imagination and a part of everyday life – [it is] a vital ingredient in confronting the challenges we face today and in the future,” says Cox. “TEDxCERN will showcase ideas at the frontiers of science from remarkable people.”

Young talent – those for whom addressing future global issues is particularly important – is core to the programme. This year, a number of remarkable people – leading geneticist and molecular biologist Nina Federov, entrepreneur and scientist Danielle Fong, nanomaterials researcher Julia Greer, mathematician and philosopher John Mighton and biotechnologist Hayat Sindi, to name just a few – will take the floor.

Find out more: TEDxCERN