For his research findings on the historical activity of the Sun, the European Space Weather and Space Climate Association has honored Dr. Theodosios Chatzistergos from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany with the Alexander Chizhevsky Medal. The award was presented yesterday during the European Space Weather Week in Coimbra, Portugal. In his research, the scientist looks into the past of our star and uses historical…

The path to climate-compatible flying involves energy-efficient aircraft, low-emission engines and optimised flight paths. Digitalisation can accelerate these developments, for example by simulating the airflow around an aircraft – requiring high-performance computers to process vast quantities of data. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has now demonstrated how machine learning and artificial…

This year, the German University Medicine Award goes to a research team for a globally unique approach: the ‘heart patch’ – a therapy using stem cells to repair the heart muscle and strengthen the heart permanently.The study is a prime example of translational research, from the laboratory to clinical application, and takes a completely new approach to the treatment of one of the most common heart diseases: Patients with heart failure were…

The Solar Physics Division of the European Physical Society (EPS) has honored Prof. Dr. Sami K. Solanki, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), with the Zdenĕk Švetska Senior Prize. The award recognizes the leading role that the Göttingen scientist has for decades played in solar research. During this time, Solanki not only enriched his field of research with significant results regarding the Sun's magnetism and…

Junior Professor Johannes Walker, University of Göttingen, has been awarded an Exploration Grant from the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation. Walker teaches and carries out research at the Institute for Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry. The award of 180,000 euros will enable Walker and his team to develop new approaches to synthesizing new compounds. “The aim of our project is to develop new strategies for the synthesis of a particular group of…

A study by the German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research and Leipzig Zoo shows the remarkable adaptability of the critically endangered Cat Ba langurs. Despite low genetic diversity, the langurs have retained key genetic traits that help them survive in their isolated environment on Cat Ba Island in Vietnam. One of these remarkable adaptations is the ability to drink salt water. The study is dedicated to the genetic…

A research team led by the University of Göttingen found that the label ‘climate neutral’ makes food appear significantly more climate-friendly than it actually is. Even when information about how the damage to the climate is being offset was explained, this did not stop consumers having the wrong perception about the product. In contrast, a traffic light labelling system – from red (meaning very harmful to the climate) to green (meaning less…

Approximately four weeks after the successful Moon and Earth flyby of ESA’s space probe Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE), the scientific and technical teams at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany have analyzed the first observational data from their two instruments on board. The data not only reveal that both the Submillimetre Wave Instrument (SWI) and the Jovian Electron and Ion Sensor (JEI) of the Particle…

Ensuring the survival of 20 Asian langur species is the goal of an international team of primate experts and conservationists. In their recently published action plan, they identify the most important endangerment risks and show ways to prevent the species from becoming extinct. Habitat loss due to massive deforestation, hunting for the animals' meat, poaching for the pet trade and climate change are the biggest problems for the animals. The…

Non-reciprocal interactions allow the design of more efficient molecular systems. In their new paper, scientists from the department “Living Matter Physics” at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) propose a mechanism on how energy barriers in complex systems can be overcome. These findings can help to engineer molecular machines and to understand the self-organization of active matter. In both physics and biology,…