From the 27th to 30th of December 2024, the hacker community met for the annual congress of the Chaos Computer Club (CCC) in Hamburg. Known as 38C3, it’s one of the largest hacker conferences in the world with more than 12,000 participants. The focus is traditionally on technical and political issues relating to security, cryptography, privacy and freedom of expression on the internet. And of course there is soldering, coding and hacking. Every year, newly discovered security vulnerabilities make the headlines. At 38C3, the focus was on the new electronic patient file (ePA). In several presentations, hackers demonstrated how easily they could gain access to sensitive data using simple tricks. And even our street lighting and the control of wind and solar parks are not safe from hackers.
I spent two days travelling around the congress for RESET. What particularly interested me was the presence of topics relating to sustainability in IT. I actually heard a lot of talks on the topic, including on the big stages. The Bits & Bäume (Bits & Trees) network also had its own habitat with exciting talks, workshops and networking opportunities. Definitely a good place to go for all those who are concerned with the ecological footprint of digitalisation.
Key talks to watch from 38C3
The special atmosphere of the hacker congress can only truly be experienced in the hustle and bustle of the conference halls. But several presentations are available to watch online. Here are my recommendations – it’s worth taking a look!
Resource Consumption of AI – Degrow or Die
You probably know that the energy consumption of AI is exploding. What less people know, however, is the high consumption of resources such as water and metal. In this presentation, Thomas Fricke gives an overview of the devastating effects of data centres on our environment and presents possible de-growth scenarios. How much energy can be saved through alternative technologies?
What comes after Windows 10? Time to switch to open source software!
Extending the lifespan of hardware via free software is positive for both users and the environment. The presentation by Joseph (KDE Eco) is an invitation to venture into the open source world.
7 Years Later: Why And How To Make Portable Open Hardware Computers
The presentation by Lukas ‘minute’ Hartmann (MNT Research) shows problems and solutions in the development of open hardware laptops with a minimal budget (sound quality improves at 4 minutes).
What is genome editing, CRISPR/cas, RNAi or off-target effects? How do generative AI and generative biology come into play here? Magret Engelhard (Federal Agency for Nature Conservation) gives an overview of what is happening in laboratories around the world. And she shows how big tech is entering the bioeconomy. Titans like Google, Alibaba or Amazon are now leading this new race – without specific knowledge of life sciences.
OpenPV – Calculate the solar potential of your building
With OpenPV, the photovoltaic potential of roofs and facades can be simulated in real time using open data. In this presentation, the developers present their open source website. It deals with open geodata, physics-based simulations of solar radiation, some shady WebGL code and insights into the financing possibilities of open source projects.
From Silicon to Sovereignty: How Advanced Chips are Redefining Global Dominance
Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is a key method in creating state-of-the-art chips for our devices. But sourcing the raw materials poses challenges. The talk covers the importance of this technology and how different countries control the supply chain of EUV.
