Newsletter: December 2015

Let’s celebrate the winter in a traditional German way. Challenge your knowledge every day until the 24th December on our Facebook page. You can participate without having a Facebook account. Just click on the link and answer the question behind the door. You can win great prize.

Animal species are becoming extinct, plants are disappearing for ever and ecosystems are becoming unbalanced. In many cases we humans are to blame, yet it is in our own interests to preserve natural biodiversity. After all, biodiversity is closely linked to vital aspects such as our food sources and clean water. In our interview, Professor Johannes Vogel explains what German researchers are doing to foster biodiversity.

As anyone who has ridden a mountain bike through a forest will know, the bike will be so mud-splattered by the end that it will be hardly recognizable. What you probably did not know is that the mud on the bike also transports plant seeds to other areas. Researchers from Freiburg have been exploring the impact this has on biodiversity. 

Foxes in the garden and wild boar on the doorstep are an increasingly common sight in Berlin. Leibniz Association scientists are researching how these animals live in the city and what impact their new habitat has on nature and biodiversity.

Tourmaline is a mineral that comes in countless colours, which is just one of the reasons why Eleanor Berryman finds it so fascinating. A doctoral student, she is focusing in her PhD on how this mineral can help us study the Earth’s geological history. In our interview, she explains exactly what she is researching and why she chose to do her doctorate in Germany. 

In Germany, outstanding research is also pursued by numerous companies. Would you like to know more about your career opportunities in industry? We have put together a few useful tips for you.

The Heidelberg Laureate Forum offers selected young mathematicians and computer scientists the opportunity to meet the leading scientists in their fields. The closing date for applications to the 4th Heidelberg Laureate Forum is 3 February 2016.

The DAAD makes it possible for postdoctoral researchers of all nationalities and disciplines to combine a period of research abroad with a research phase in Germany. What is special about this programme is that it offers real jobs rather than scholarships. The closing date for applications is 1 February 2016.

A dream comes true: a hoverboard designed by Dresden scientists allows the rider to float through the air. All thanks to magnetic levitation.

Many people already start to shiver when the temperature falls to around zero. There are some places in the world where temperatures can plunge much lower – down to below minus 270 degrees Celsius. German researchers use these extreme temperatures to conduct important experiments.