November 2019 − Inspiring Science
To the Limit
Only approximately four percent of the land mass on Earth is habitable for us humans. Scientists, however, frequently push forward into the most extreme corners of the planet and even into space. Four projects illustrate how it is possible to work in such places – and endure. ...
November 2019 − Inspiring Science
Unique
With his microscope, biologist Gary Greenberg discovers the world anew
each day. His favorite object: sand. ...
November 2019 − Inspiring Science
Thinking in Algorithms
Computers can only do what we teach them – but what can we learn from them? Efficient problem solving is one example. However, “
computational thinking” is a learned skill. ...
November 2019 − Inspiring Science
Our Fascination with the Unknown
Curiosity helps children understand the world. Later in life, it is essential for successful learning. In the fields of science and economics, it drives innovation. ...
November 2019 − Inspiring Science
A Peek Behind the Scenes
They are enthralled by the unknown and by the as-of-yet impossible: for scientists, curiosity and creativity are the driving forces that allow them to think one step ahead and get to the bottom of unanswered questions. Three scientists share how curiosity inspires their everyday research. ...
November 2019 − Inspiring Science
Awake Your Curiosity!
Children know no censorship and no taboos. These four tips can help you activate your inborn urge to explore. ...
November 2019 − Inspiring Science
Bacteria Paint Pictures
For the past 20 years, Erich Schopf has collected single-celled organisms that are invisible to the naked eye. The inventor of “Bacteriography” ensures their transformation into visible art. ...
November 2019 − Inspiring Science
But Seriously, it’s Science
For off-the-wall science that at first strikes you as funny, Marc Abrahams has invented the Ig Nobel Prize, the Anti-Nobel prize. At Harvard University®, Abrahams celebrates the winners in a flamboyant ceremony. Why? ...
November 2019 − Inspiring Science
Start-up With Courage
All over the world, doctoral students are working on innovative technologies. Perfect conditions for setting up companies. ...
November 2019 − Inspiring Science
Noah’s Ark for Plants
The threat of environmental disasters and wars surrounds us, and crop plants disappear. Seed banks promise a solution – a backup for eternity? ...
November 2019 − Inspiring Science
Academia's Forgotten Footnote
In my third year of grad school, everything seemed to fall apart. I was dealing with my grandmother’s death, and then my girlfriend and I broke up. ...
April 2019 − Inspiring Science
Global Beauties
Cosmetics firms send their scientists out into the world for the purpose of researching ethnic personal care traditions. ...
April 2019 − Inspiring Science
The Business of Science
Entering the keywords "science fake" into an Internet search engine will yield 760 million results. ...
April 2019 − Inspiring Science
Science Facts, not Science Fiction
Artificial intelligence is on the rise. In this interview, Dr. Ulrich Eberl explains where machines already surpass us – and the limits within which they operate. ...
April 2019 − Exploring Life
My Microbiome
Our bodies – inside and out – are practically teeming with microscopic life forms, which together make up our microbiome. ...
April 2019 − Guest Contribution
My second Chance
I thought that attending a top-ranked university in the West, and especially the United States, would be a guaranteed ticket to success. ...
April 2019 − Exploring Life
Keepers of Microbes
The scientists at the Leibniz Institute DSMZ in Braunschweig conduct their research in the realm of the invisible. ...
October 2018 − Inspiring Science
With Prudence and Foresight
Science is not the preserve of the groves of academe; it operates right in the heart of society. ...
October 2018 − Inspiring Science
The Alternative is Liquid
Greenhouse gas-reduced E-Fuels will be able to contribute significantly to climate protection. ...
October 2018 − Inspiring Science
Diversity at the Top
Superb science needs diversity. According to studies, mixed teams produce better research results and women broaden the spectrum of topics. ...
October 2018 − Inspiring Science
Peak Cognitive Performance
They recognize words and numbers, they display skill and they plan ahead: how animals baffle science. ...
October 2018 − Inspiring Science
Brainless and Bright
Do trees communicate with their neighbors? Do plants react to music? ...
October 2018 − Exploring Life
Who Wants to Live Forever?
Those who are curious about the inner workings of life must take a closer look inside the cell. ...
October 2018 − Exploring Life
Scientific Myth
Science generally fulfills the notion that it will refute myths and legends by either logical or experimental means. ...
October 2018 − Exploring Life
A Quantum Leap
The quantum computer is supposed to be able to break any given code, process massive amounts of data and solve complex problems. ...
October 2018 − Exploring Life
Respect your Food!
Crooked carrots, brown bananas, expired pasta – every day, edible foods end up in the garbage instead of on the plate. ...
April 2018 − Exploring Life
Loose Goods
Firing neurons, useful errors: how we learn and why mistakes made by our brains are a prerequisite for creativity and fresh ideas. ...
April 2018 − Exploring Life
Foreign Green
Lost in the woods, clueless in meadows and fields; we humans have lost touch with nature, and valuable knowledge is being irrevocably lost. ...
October 2017 − Inspiring Science
Buzz, buzz, buzz ...
Honey producer, economic factor and indicator of a healthy environment: bees are important. Are they also endangered? ...
April 2018 − Exploring Life
A Deeper Look into Ice Cold Molecules
Those who are curious about the inner workings of life must take a closer look inside the cell. Cryo electron microscopy delivers a high quality which had never been achieved before. ...
April 2018 − Inspiring Science
From Inspiration to Final Product
A fruit serves as a model for a safety helmet and heart implants are made from the silk protein produced by a spider: in the research field of bionics, ...
October 2017 − Exploring Life
Harnessing Super Plants to Combat Eco-Sins
Heavy metals burden the soils of our planet. Researchers have identified more than 500 super plants that independently clean the earth and may even generate raw materials. ...
October 2017 − Exploring Life
In Every Nook and Cranny
By the year 2050, more plastic garbage than fish will swim in the world’s oceans – if industry and society are not going to change their ways. Herein, we will explore the origins of microplastic pollution and its consequences. ...
October 2017 − Inspiring Science
It’s All in Your Head
Firing neurons, useful errors: how we learn and why mistakes made by our brains are a prerequisite for creativity and fresh ideas. ...
October 2017 − Exploring Life
The Desert is Alive
Inhaling, smelling, sniffing – the human nose is capable of detecting the most diverse aromas. However, the act of smelling encompasses more than the simple scent. If something bothers us, “it stinks”. How are our actions influenced by what lies in the air? ...
October 2017 − Guest Contribution
The Transcontinental Scientist
I suppose my penchant for crossing international borders started when I was just 3 months old. That's when my twin brother and I flew across the ocean ...
April 2017 − Exploring Life
How Safe Are Gene Scissors?
The genome editing method Crispr is currently a worldwide topic of discussion. Never before has it been so easy to alter the genome of bacteria, plants, animals and humans. The method raises high hopes – but also ethical concerns...
© Plainpicture/Jasmin Sander
April 2017 − Exploring Life
The Lily of the Desert – the Myth Never Dies
For thousands of years, Aloe vera has been credited with healing powers. Viewed through a scientific lens, however, the plant can seldom do its legendary reputation justice...
© Getty Images/Michele Constantini
October 2016 − Inspiring Science
The Power of Fragrance
Inhaling, smelling, sniffing – the human nose is capable of detecting the most diverse aromas. However, the act of smelling encompasses more than the simple scent. If something bothers us, “it stinks”. How are our actions influenced by what lies in the air? ...
© iStock/johavel
April 2017 − Inspiring Science
Paper Writing Gone Hollywood
So you want to be a writer?” one of my professors asked me when he learned I was interested in a career as an academic scientist – a pointed warning that a life of science is also a life of writing...