Chinmaya Mishra, Koen de Reus and Selim Sametoglu at InScience Film Festival 2026

This year’s thematic programme, Things We Do For Love, explores how love - for people, animals, science and knowledge, ideals, or the planet - drives care, commitment, curiosity, and sometimes difficult choices.
 

Chinmaya Mishra, Furhat and Sex Robot Madness

As loneliness and technological progress increasingly develop side by side, the world-premiering documentary Sex Robot Madness ventures into the Uncanny Valley of ethics and desire. The film explores the blurred boundaries between human intimacy and artificial lovers, raising pressing questions about technology, connection, and care.

Following the screening, an after talk dives deeper into one central question: what is the real difference between an AI and a human expert with years of experience? On stage, Chinmaya Mishra will be joined by Furhat, a social robot, and Tila Pronk, Associate Professor at Tilburg University and widely known for her specialist role in Married at First Sight. The audience sets the agenda: the public asks the questions, and the panel provides the answers. In addition, Chinmaya will take the stage to explain how AI is currently being used and what developments we can expect in the near future.

More information on Sex Robot Madness - InScience.

Stand Up Science with Koen de Reus and Selim Sametoglu

Want to experience a wide variety of scientific research in a short amount of time? Then Stand Up Science is for you. At Café Lux, grab a pair of headphones and immerse yourself in fast-paced, accessible science talks. Researchers Koen de Reus and Selim Sametoglu will both be on stage.

• 11:50: Ever wondered what seals say when no one’s listening?
  In this lively talk, Koen de Reus dives into the fascinating world of seal communication. From curious pup calls to surprisingly complex seal conversations, he shows how harbour seals use sound, rhythm and turn-taking,  features once thought to be uniquely human, and what this can teach us about the evolution of human language.
   
• 13:05: Beyond doomscrolling: what science says about it
  What does social media really do to our wellbeing? Selim Sametoglu presents an eye-opening stand-up science talk based on twin research. He explains why simple conclusions about “doomscrolling” miss the mark, and how genetics and individual differences play a surprisingly large role in shaping both our online behaviour and our wellbeing.
   

See Stand Up Science - InScience for more information.