In a recently published study, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization show how the slime mold Physarum polycephalum can increase its pump efficiency when exposed to harmful light. It exploits the fact that its undulating pumping motion has overtones that can pump more efficiently in a particular constellation. Like in an instrument, these waves have a fundamental frequency (fundamental) and at least one…

The threat to insects and other small creatures from rainforest clearance and the consequences for the environment in tropical regions are recognised. What has not been studied so far is whether, and how, the oil palm plantations are able to sustain the populations of tiny below-ground animals that work to keep the soil healthy. In a new study led by the University of Göttingen, scientists have discovered high levels of biological activity in…

The atmosphere of Mars - and the question whether life might have been possible there once - has been a burning issue in science for many years. While the existence of large bodies of water on early Mars is undisputed, it is still unclear whether life there was ever possible. In particular, the prevalent pH value in earlier times has yet to be researched. The pH value is an important factor that describes the amount of acid and alkali in a…

Vegetable oil biofuels are increasingly being used as an alternative to fossil fuels despite the growing controversy regarding their sustainability. In a new study led by the University of Göttingen, researchers investigated the effect of palm-oil biodiesel on greenhouse gases for the entire life cycle. The researchers found that using palm oil from first rotation plantations where forests had been cleared to make way for palms actually leads to…

Our physical and psychological condition is decisive for our well-being. Humans who have a stable network of friends and relatives are therefor generally happier and healthier than others. Monkeys consolidate their relationships by social grooming. This physical contact strengthens social bonds and minimizes stress and conflict. The downside: Physical contact is the ideal basis for the spread of pathogens. One strategy to stop their transmission…

In the first ten months since starting its scientific operations in February 2019, InSight’s seismometer SEIS has detected a total of 174 probable Martian quakes, on average a bit more than one quake every two days. The data published today by researchers including the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany provide the first comprehensive proof that Mars, like Earth and Moon, is seismically active. In terms of the quakes’…

The magnetotactic bacterium Magnetococcus marinus swims with the help of two bundles of flagella, which are thread-like structures. The bacterial cells also possess a sort of intracellular “compass needle”, meaning that their movements can be controlled using a magnetic field. This means they can be used as a biological model for microrobots. An international team from the University of Göttingen, the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and…

A new magnetic resonance method can make specific areas of molecules visible while suppressing disturbing background signals during the measurement. The method, developed by Stefan Glöggler and his team at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Biophysical Chemistry, shall in future also be used for medical diagnostics using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Nuclear magnetic resonance (short: NMR) has a massive impact on our today’s world. MRI, for…

In a brand-new paper that appeared in Nature Physics, a collaboration of the group of David Zwicker at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization in Göttingen and the group of Eric Dufresne at ETH Zürich demonstrate some surprising effects of polymer networks on droplet growth. This work may provide new avenues for manufacturing micropatterns and it may shed light on how membrane-less organelles are controlled inside cells. In…

The Solar Orbiter spacecraft has been successfully launched on its journey to the Sun. At 5.03 a.m. Central European Time, the probe took off today from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral (USA) on board an Atlas V 411 rocket. A little over an hour later, at about 6.25 a.m., the decisive signal was received: the two solar panels were successfully unfolded; the expedition to the Sun has begun. Over the course of the next seven years, Solar…