The second event of the series "Contact Point” at FORTH, that was entitled “And They Lived Happily Ever After: Ageing and Well-being” took place on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, at 20:00 at FORTH’s new Science and Cultural Center, located on the corner of Averof & Zografou Streets in Heraklion, Crete. Τhis discussion sought to explore common ground between scientific research, storytelling, and the human experience.

In this special meeting, Sophia Madouvalou, author, and George Garinis, Professor of Genetics at the University of Crete and Collaborating Faculty Member at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of FORTH, explored common ground between scientific research, storytelling, and the human experience. Ageing has been approached not only as a biological process but also as a human experience: How does the body grow old? How do stories age over time? And is there something almost “fairy-tale-like” about growing older?

The discussion was open to the public and was moderated by Anthi Strataki, coordinator of the epikoinonITE initiatives.

The promotional video of the event can be found here: https://youtu.be/aqTRkQtrsmk

Free admission

The event was also live-streamed on the ground floor.

Special thanks to “Domaine Paterianakis” for their kind sponsorship.

With the SUPPORT of the Region of Crete and the Regional Development Fund of Crete.

Watch the full event video here

Please find below the photos of the event: