Digital Society

B56133

The Science Magazine of the Max Planck Society 4.2018

Digital Society

POLITICAL SCIENCE ASTRONOMY BIOMEDICINE LEARNING PSYCHOLOGY Democracy in The oddballs of A grain The nature of decline in Africa the solar system of brain children’s curiosity

SCHLESWIG- Research Establishments HOLSTEIN Rostock Plön Greifswald MECKLENBURG- WESTERN POMERANIA Institute / research center Hamburg Sub-institute / external branch Other research establishments Associated research organizations Bremen BRANDENBURG LOWER SAXONY The Netherlands Nijmegen Berlin Italy Hanover Potsdam Rome Florence Magdeburg USA Münster SAXONY-ANHALT Jupiter, Florida NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA Brazil Dortmund Halle Manaus Mülheim Göttingen Leipzig Luxembourg Düsseldorf Luxembourg Cologne SAXONY DanielDaniel Hincapié, Hincapié, Bonn Jena Dresden ResearchResearch Engineer Engineer at at Marburg THURINGIA FraunhoferFraunhofer Institute, Institute, Bad Münstereifel HESSE MunichMunich RHINELAND Bad Nauheim PALATINATE Mainz Frankfurt

Kaiserslautern SAARLAND Erlangen “Germany,“Germany, AustriaAustria andand SwitzerlandSwitzerland areare knownknown Saarbrücken Heidelberg BAVARIA Stuttgart

postings.”postings.” Publisher‘s Information MaxPlanckResearch is published by the Science Translation MaxPlanckResearch seeks to keep partners and friends of the and Corporate Communication Office of the Proverb oHG Max Planck Society up to date on the latest research conducted at Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science. Marktplatz 12 the Max Planck Institutes. Four editions of the magazine are pub- Legal headquarters of the Association: Berlin. 70173 Stuttgart lished in German each year, all of which are translated into English. ISSN 1616-4172 Tel. +49 711 164090-0 At present, the English version has a circulation of 10,000 copies JobsJobs for for bight bight minds minds e-mail: [email protected] ( : 85,000 copies). It is free of charge. None Publisher’s mailing address MaxPlanckForschung Hofgartenstraße 8, D-80539 Munich Art Direction of the views and opinions expressed in MaxPlanckResearch may academics.comacademics.com is is the the No. No. 1 1 job job listings listings site site for for science science and and research research in in Germany, Germany, Austria Austria Tel. +49 89 2108-1719 / -1276 (Fax: -1405) Julia Kessler, Sandra Koch be interpreted as representing the official views of the Max Planck e-mail: [email protected] Voßstraße 9, 81543 Munich Society and its associated bodies. Reprint of texts is permitted only andand Switzerland. Switzerland. Visit Visit academics.com academics.com and and discover discover a a rich rich variety variety of of attractive attractive positions positions at at The magazine as ePaper: www.mpg.de/mpresearch Tel. +49 89 27818770 with the prior approval of the publisher. Photographic rights may App for free download: www.mpg.de/mpr-mobile e-mail: [email protected] be granted by agreement. The Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissen- Lithography universitiesuniversities and and other other organisations, organisations, plus plus comprehensive comprehensive career career advice. advice. Content Authority schaften e.V. (Max Planck Society) comprises 84 institutes and KSA Media GmbH Dr. Christina Beck (-1276) research facilities where around 23,400 employees, including Zeuggasse 7, 86150 Augsburg Editors-in-Chief some 6,700 employed scientists, work and conduct research. The Printing & Distribution RegisterRegister now now and and bene bene t tfrom from our our free free job job o o ers ers and and services services at: at: www.academics.com www.academics.com Peter Hergersberg (Chemistry, Physics, Technology; -1536) annual budget for 2018 is 1.8 billion euros. Research activities of the Vogel Druck- & Medienservice GmbH Helmut Hornung (Astronomy; -1404) Max Planck Society focus on basic research in natural sciences Leibnizstraße 5, 97204 Höchberg and the humanities. The Max Planck Society is a non-profit Editorial Staff Advertising organization registered under private law as an Dr. Elke Maier (Biology, Medicine; -1064) Beatrice Rieck incorporated association. Its central decision- Dr. Harald Rösch (Biology, Medicine; -1756) Vogel Druck und Medienservice GmbH making body is the Senate, with members Mechthild Zimmermann (Culture, Society; -1720) Leibnizstraße 5, 97204 Höchberg from the world of politics, the scientific comu- Photo Editor Tel.: +49 931 4600-2721 (Fax: -2145) nity, and the professional public, providing for Susanne Schauer (-1562) e-mail: [email protected] a well-balanced partnership.

MaxPlanckResearch is printed using FSC®-certified and other controlled materials.

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 83 ON LOCATION

Spacewalk for research

The International Space Station (ISS) orbits the Earth around 16 times a day from an altitude of approximately 400 kilometers; each orbit takes a good 90 minutes. The ISS, which is about the size of a football field and has been manned continually since November 2000, is constantly being converted and expanded – also in the services of science. On August 15, 2018, during an outboard mission that took almost eight hours, the two Russian cosmonauts Sergei Prokopyev and Oleg Artemyev installed the antenna for the Icarus system on the outside of the ISS. Now all the Icarus components on board are complete and the test phase, which will last several months, can begin. Icarus (International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space) – a joint project involving the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, the Russian space agency Roskosmos, and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Space Administration – is intended to provide a new, improved understanding of animal migration worldwide. Even small animals such as songbirds can be fitted with the Icarus transmitters without altering their behavior. Although they weigh less than five grams, these so-called tags not only record the animal’s location but also collect data on acceleration, ambient temperature, and orientation relative to the Earth‘s magnetic field. When the ISS passes overhead, the tags send the recorded data to the space station. The space antenna can simultaneously record data on many hundreds of animals – in other words, whole flocks. The goal is to find out more about the lives of animals on Earth: the conditions in which they live and their migra- tory routes. Even more than a hundred years after the first birds were ringed for scientific purposes, surprisingly little is known about this in detail. The findings will not only serve the purposes of behavioral research and species protection, but will also facilitate research about the spread of infectious diseases, the effects of ecological phenomena such as climate change and ultimately, could even be used to predict natural disasters.

Photo: NASA https://youtu.be/4g12a3cmXNs (in German)

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 3

Contents

No democracy: most African states are 20 DIGITAL SOCIETY 12 ruled by dictators.

20 Early alert system for fake news PERSPECTIVES Controlling fake news in social media more efficiently and precisely – this is the goal of scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems. 06 An important visitor in Vancouver For this purpose, they are combining artificial intelligence processes with and Ottawa the evaluation of signals that reflect human judgment. 06 Fields Medal for Peter Scholze 26 Photo without a face 07 “Our limit value is unacceptably high” 08 Award for pioneering achievements We have hardly any control over where information about us, or even in paleogenetics photos with our likeness, are made public. However, in future we may at least be able to prevent photos of us being published on other 08 A journey through time in Dahlem people’s Facebook pages when we are not involved. The technology for 09 Award for an animal-friendly technique this purpose was developed by researchers at the Max Planck Institute 10 Max Planck Day for Software Systems in Saarbruecken. 11 The heads of the first Dioscuri Centers 32 Rules for robots 11 On the net Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly – literally as well as figuratively: robotic nurses could soon be moving into our homes. However, their VIEWPOINT behavior is still open to negotiation. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition in Munich are investigating 12 The decline of democracy in Africa how legal means can ensure that artificial intelligence adheres to Africa is a continent of dictators. human values. Elections are manipulated, the opposition suppressed. According to our author, Europe and the U.S. turn a blind eye far too often.

ON THE COVER The digitalization of our society is advancing ever more rapidly – and FOCUS requires brand new security strategies: how can we effectively control fake news in social media, for example? How can we ensure that robotic nurses equipped with 20 Early alert system for fake news artificial intelligence will act as intended by the inventor? And what about photos of us that appear on platforms such as Facebook? Max Planck researchers are looking 26 Photo without a face

to find solutions to these problems. 32 Rules for robots Cover: shutterstock; photos on this page: Aly Song/Reuters (large image), Commonwealth Secretariat (small image)

4 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 No category: No body: No textbook: researchers are some celestial bodies don’t organ-like structures can be investigating how children learn 48 fit into traditional systems. 54 cultivated in the lab. 70 actively and independently.

SPECTRUM PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY CULTURE & SOCIETY

image) 40 Birth of a planet 48 The oddballs of the solar system 70 The nature of children’s curiosity 40 Neutrino from a remote galaxy Small bodies orbiting the Sun are tra- Active, independent learning is known

(small ditionally classified either as comets to be a particularly efficient way of 41 An eye for character or as asteroids. However, some small acquiring knowledge. Researchers are Self-healing seed pods 41 cosmic objects don’t fit into either developing sophisticated tests which

Secretariat 41 Egg cell seeks sperm of these categories – and are making they intend to use to track children‘s 42 Fatty tissue causes stress astronomers think again. learning strategies. 42 Early dentistry for horses 43 A puppet show with facial BIOLOGY & MEDICINE REGULAR FEATURES Commonwealth expressions Born

43 Electrons ride plasma wave 54 A grain of brain 03 On location image), Gesine 44 In the gravity field of the black hole Scientists are able to make highly 18 Post from – Nijmegen, the Nether- specialized cells in the human body (large 44 Vaccines without eggs lands Between baby and doctorate turn back into divisible all-rounders. (center), 45 Parrots think in economic terms 78 Flashback These can be used to cultivate 45 Our fractured African roots In the blazing inferno of the Sun

Rauen organ-like structures such as brain 46 Rendezvous in the Stone Age 80 Max Planck Community Song/Reuters oids in the lab, which can in turn 80 Digital worlds at the Harnack House Aly 46 Art in the midst of competition be used to research diseases such Thomas 80 18 Max Planck scientists secure high and cooperation as Parkinson’s. page: levels of EU funding (left),

this 81 Step by step to greater sustainability on 82 Strengthened and focused Agarwal

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE J.

82 Pathways in science photos and 62 A nose for feelings 83 Research Establishments ESA Personal portrait: Jonathan Williams 83 Publisher‘s information NASA, shutterstock; Photos: Cover:

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 5 PERSPECTIVES

An important visitor in Vancouver and Ottawa

Federal research minister Anja Karliczek visits German-Canadian cooperation projects of the Max Planck Society

Interested in quantum technology: Federal Research Minister, Anja Karliczek, learned about the Max Planck Center in Vancouver from Max Planck Director Bernhard Keimer (left) and his Canadian colleague Andrea Damascelli.

Committee on Education, Research, and Technology Assessment. In Van- couver, the delegation gained insights into research projects at the Max Planck- UBC-U Tokyo Center for Quantum Materials. The Center is home to a close collaboration between several Max Planck Institutes, the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and the University of Tokyo. Two of its Co- Directors, Bernhard Keimer of the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research and his Canadian colleague Andrea Damascelli, presented the minister with an overview of initial successes that have emerged from collaboration in the area of high-temperature superconduc- tors. On the visit to the Max Planck Uni- versity of Ottawa Centre for Extreme As part of a trip to Canada, the German make key contributions to the explo- and Quantum Photonics, researchers Federal Minister for Education and Re- ration of quantum technologies and explained to the delegation how they search, Anja Karliczek, also paid a visit the international exchange of scien- are developing high-intensity laser to the Max Planck Centers in Vancouver tists,” said the minister, who was accom- sources with a view to optimizing man- and Ottawa. “The Max Planck Centers panied by members of the Bundestag ufacturing processes in the future.

Fields Medal for Peter Scholze

The new Director at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics is awarded the highest distinction in his field

The Fields Medal is considered the Nobel Prize of mathematics, Exceptional talent: Peter Scholze, and this year the International Mathematical Union chose to a professor at the University of Bonn and Director at the Max Planck award it to Peter Scholze. The professor at the University of Institute for Mathematics. Bonn’s Hausdorff Center for Mathematics and Director at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics received the award during the International Congress of Mathematicians in Rio de Janeiro. also provides the basis for many The 30-year-old is only the second German ever to receive the modern encryption methods. The prize. Peter Scholze was awarded the medal in recognition of his Fields Medal is awarded every groundbreaking contributions to arithmetic geometry. Combin- four years to recognize “outstand- ing number theory with geometry, this field of mathematics ex- ing mathematical achievement plores the properties of integers using geometrical methods. for existing work and for the This approach has been able to prove centuries-old problems, promise of future achievement.” such as Fermat’s Last Theorem, which could not be solved using Recipients must be no more than

methods based purely on number theory. Arithmetic geometry 40 years of age. Photos: UBC/Paul H. Joseph (top), Volker Lannert (bottom)

6 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 PERSPECTIVES

“Our limit value is unacceptably high”

Jos Lelieveld speaks about the lethal consequences of air pollution, especially as a result of fine particulate matter

In the year 2015, air pollution caused the pollutants, primarily as a result of poor diet premature deaths of some 4.5 million peo- and inadequate medical care. Action is ple worldwide, including 237,000 children. therefore needed on three different fronts. This is the conclusion reached by a team Of course, the air needs to become cleaner, working under Jos Lelieveld, Director at but improvements are also needed in diet the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, in and medical care. In India, for example, this a study in the journal Lancet Planetary approach has already yielded positive re- Health. By way of comparison, smoking sults: although air pollution increased be- causes around 6.4 million premature deaths tween 2010 and 2015, the mortality rate for Jos Lelieveld each year. Researchers have found the most children fell by 30 percent. Indeed, children dangerous pollutant to be fine particulate in India probably develop pneumonia more matter with a particle size of less than 2.5 often nowadays, but improvements in med- Why does this problem primarily affect old micrometers – this alone was responsible ical care mean it’s less likely to be fatal. people in our society? for the deaths of 4.3 million people in 2015. The excellent medical care available here Are politicians doing enough to tackle means that children very rarely die of pneu- Mr. Lelieveld, how do you know which air pollution? monia. Similarly, older people generally airborne pollutants lead to which diseases That’s not the impression I get. Unlike with don’t die of pneumonia brought on by air- and how many deaths they cause? malaria and HIV, the problem of air pollu- borne pollutants, but rather of cardiovas- Jos Lelieveld: The method we use is the tion is yet to register with politicians, par- cular diseases. Arteriosclerosis, the main same as that for determining the number ticularly in Africa. In many poorer coun- cause of such diseases, develops over the of premature deaths due to smoking. It is tries, refuse is burned on almost every course of many years. based on cohort studies involving over a street corner, partly due to the absence of million people, primarily in Europe and the a proper system of waste disposal. Here, it What is your assessment of the EU’s limit U.S. These studies record the conditions in would help to explain to people that this is values? which people live and the risk factors they putting children’s lives in danger. On top of The limit value for fine particulate matter are exposed to, taking account not only of that, many deaths among children could be is 25 micrograms per cubic meter of air. In environmental factors but also of diet, for prevented with simple, economical pro- comparison, the limit is 12 in the U.S. and example. Statistical methods are then used grams, such as the use of clean fuels for 10 in Canada, which is also the figure rec - to attribute the diseases to the risk factors. cooking and heating. This has been shown ommended by the WHO. However, we only to work in India, where the widespread talk about truly clean air at levels below 2.5 In 2013, you estimated the number of deaths burning of cow dung was a major contrib- micrograms per cubic meter. Our limit val-

due to air pollution to be 3.3 million. Why are utor to air pollution. The government there- ue is therefore unacceptably high, and it is death rates considerably higher now? fore provided people with better ovens and even more unacceptable if it is exceeded in The epidemiological data has improved access to clean fuels, often with support some German cities. A limit of 25 micro- considerably since then. That being said, from private donors. If it wasn’t for this, the grams is not sufficient to prevent diseases. our figures are still very conservative. There country’s air pollution would probably be are indications that death rates due to air even worse today. Are we setting the right priorities with the pollution are even higher in India and China, debate surrounding nitrogen oxides from diesel for example. In some parts of China, India, According to your study, many people still cars? and Africa, the air is far more polluted than die as a result of air pollution, even in The debate isn’t really getting us any- in the U.S. and Europe, where the cohort Central Europe. Has the region’s air quality where. In my opinion, fine particulate mat- studies are conducted. The effect could not improved? ter is a bigger problem. Generally speak- therefore be even greater. It also turns out Although air quality has improved signifi- ing, diesel vehicles are very dirty. Cars that we have not yet considered all the dis- cantly since the 1970s, it still isn’t good. meeting the Euro 6 standard are much eases that could – at least partly – be caused Moreover, the high population density cleaner, but I’m worried about how effec- by air pollution. means that many people are exposed to tive they’ll be at reducing emissions in ten poor-quality air, and so the mortality rate years’ time. Besides, although fine partic- What needs to happen in order to reduce in Central Europe is similar to that in India. ulate matter is partly formed by nitrogen the number of premature deaths, especially This is also because the air quality here is oxides from traffic, there are also other among children? generally poor – unlike in India, where sources – especially coal-fired power plants In poorer countries, such as in Africa, many there are areas with very bad air but also and agriculture.

Photo: Thomas Hartmann children die of pneumonia due to airborne some with cleaner air. Interview: Peter Hergersberg

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 7 PERSPECTIVES

Award for pioneering achievements in palaeogenetics

Max Planck Director Svante Pääbo receives the lucrative Körber Prize 2018

Award ceremony in Hamburg: Svante Pääbo (center) is awarded the Körber Prize 2018 by Max Planck President Martin Stratmann (left) and Lothar Dittmer, chairman of the executive board of the Körber Foundation.

Leipzig, has been awarded the Körber European Science Prize 2018. One of his most important scientific achievements is the decoding of the Neanderthal genome. “His work has revolu- tionized our understanding of the evolutionary history of modern humans,” the jury said in their decision. They also cited the major role that his work has played in the realization that Neanderthals and other extinct hominids contributed to the evolution of modern humans. Even as a doctoral student, Pääbo succeeded in proving that DNA can survive in ancient Egyptian mummies. In the mid-1990s, Pääbo and his colleagues were the first to decipher part of the mitochondrial DNA of a Nean derthal. In 2014, the team in Leipzig succeeded After making a name for himself with his revolutionary in- in completely reconstructing the Neanderthal genome. The sights into the origins of humankind, he has now received Körber Prize, which Pääbo received in Hamburg in Septem- another prestigious science award: Svante Pääbo, Director at ber, is one of the most lucrative research prizes in the world, the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in carrying EUR 750,000 in prize money. Berlin‘s economy A journey through time in Dahlem

A new smartphone app provides users with information about the science hub in Berlin is booming.

The Dahlem research campus in southwest Berlin made scientific far as to say it felt like being in “science heaven”. Like many col- history in the early 20th century. From 1912 onwards, it was the leagues working in the vicinity, Butenandt received a Nobel Prize birthplace of numerous Institutes of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, for his research. To this day, traces of the site’s checkered past can the forerunner to the Max Planck Society. Adolf Butenandt, a bio- still be found in Dahlem. Now, a new smartphone app allows any- chemist who conducted research in Dahlem in the 1930s, went so one to discover the campus for themselves. The illustrated audio Research and development with guide takes in ten locations, which visitors can find easily thanks expert knowledge from universities to a map featuring GPS tracking. The audio texts provide informa- and research institutions are an tion about historical buildings and tell the stories of those who worked there and their discoveries. Examples include Otto Hahn important driving force. and Lise Meitner, Albert Einstein, and Fritz Haber. The now legend- Berlin Partner promotes cooperation ary German uranium project at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics brought the possibility of a German atomic bomb within between science and industry and reach during the National Socialist era. The reason why this never supports the establishment of science- happened is revealed in the app, called DahlemTour Berlin. based companies in Berlin. We want every good idea to become a reality. The former home of many great minds: among others, the researchers in Dahlem included Lise Meitner, Fritz Haber,

and Albert Einstein. Photo: David Ausserhofer; collage: digitale frische, Cologne, with photos from the Archives of Max Planck Society Get in touch with us. www.berlin-partner.de 8 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 [email protected] PERSPECTIVES

Award for an animal-friendly technique

German agriculture ministry presents Animal Welfare Research Prize to Max Planck scientists

Dirk Görlich and Tino Pleiner from the structures, that can be formed in the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical blood of camel-like animals such as Chemistry in Goettingen have suc- alpacas. Once these nanobodies have ceeded in developing a technique that been extracted from a small blood eradicates the need for large numbers sample taken from an alpaca, they can of laboratory animals. For this work, be reproduced in the laboratory on any the two scientists have been awarded scale and as often as necessary using this year’s Animal Welfare Research bacteria. Until now, large-scale anti- Prize from the German Federal Minis- body production has required the use try of Food and Agriculture. They de- of tens of thousands of laboratory an- veloped what are known as secondary imals each year. In addition to their nanobodies, which can replace the natural function of affording protection most widely used antibodies in medi- against disease-causing organisms, an- cine and research. As a result, signifi- tibodies are indispensable tools in bio- cantly fewer animals will be needed for medical research and in medical diag- antibody production in the future. nostics and treatment. For example, Special immune system: the antigens that Nanobodies are fragments of mini- they are used in pregnancy tests and to alpacas form in their blood can be reproduced

Photo: Swen Pförtner/Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry antibodies, with particularly simple establish blood groups. in the laboratory using bacteria.

Berlin‘s economy is booming.

Research and development with expert knowledge from universities and research institutions are an important driving force.

Berlin Partner promotes cooperation between science and industry and supports the establishment of science- based companies in Berlin. We want every good idea to become a reality.

Get in touch with us. www.berlin-partner.de [email protected] Berlin: party with live chemistry show. chemistry live with party Berlin: Professors” on the underground.the on Professors” “Flying the by talks Hamburg: a bar evening with short talks. short with evening bar a Frankfurt: “Thirst for Knowledge” – PERSPECTIVES 10 MaxPlanckResearch 4 MaxPlanckResearch | 18

Max PlanckDay Eighty-two Institutes present their research as part of a nationwide initiativenationwide a of part as research their present Institutes Eighty-two large crowds–amountingtosome22,000peopleintotal. alsoreported 5,000 visitors.Likewise,MaxPlanckInstitutesacrosstherestofcountry ated agreatdealofinterest,withthesciencemarketinMunichaloneattractingover ments, scienceslamsanddebates,children’s activities,andquizzes.Theprogramgener- citizens toexperienceresearch firsthand.Eventsincludedtoursandinteractiveexperi- Max PlanckDayintherun-uptofestival,whichsawatotalof82Institutesinvite used thislogoandthequestion“Whatareyoulookingfor?”tospreadwordabout cities held a series of events centered around this colorful hashtag. The MaxPlanck Society From Freiburg to Rostock andfrom Cologne to Dresden: on 14 September 2018, 35 German Hanover: trying on cleanroom suits. cleanroom on trying Hanover: and an on-stage program. on-stage an and featuring market science Munich: 20 Institutes Stuttgart: science stand-up Vince Ebert. Vince stand-up science Stuttgart: for children.for interactive experiments Duesseldorf: maxplancktag.de diskutiere livediskutiere mitunsaufdemMax-Planck-Tag Max-Planck-Tag am14.9.2018 Forschung beiMax-Planck erleben. Stelle DeineFragenStelle und online am www.wonachsuchstdu.de 14.9.2018 auchinDeinerNähe! Auf demMax-Planck-Tag

Photos: Thomas Eisenkrätzer, O. Burmeister, Yasmin Ahmed Salem, MPI für Eisenforschung, Friedemann Bayer, Axel Griesch, MPI for Empirical Aesthetics, Johanna Detering/MPI for Comparative and International Private Law (clockwise from top left) PERSPECTIVES

The heads of the first Dioscuri Centers

Aleksandra Pekowska and Grzegorz Sumara will each set up a group at the Nencki Institute in Warsaw

The leaders of the first two Dioscuri Centers have been cho- sen. In the selection procedure, Aleksandra Pekowska and Grzegorz Sumara prevailed against 45 applicants from all over the world. The Dioscuri program was initiated by the Max Planck Society and aims to establish internationally competitive research groups with the support of German partners, initially in Poland and potentially also in other Central and Eastern European countries at a later stage. Starting next year, Aleksandra Pekowska will establish the Dioscuri Center for Evolutionary and Functional Genomics of Astrocytes – specific cells in nervous tissue – at the Nenc- ki Institute for Experimental Biology in Warsaw. Pekowska is currently conducting research at one of the U.S. National In- Strengthening Polish research: Aleksandra Pekowska is moving from stitutes of Health. Grzegorz Sumara’s Center, which is also the U.S. to Warsaw, Grzegorz Sumara from Wuerzburg. being established at the Nencki Institute, will focus on the elucidation of signaling pathways that play a role in meta- period of five years. The costs will be shared equally between bolic diseases. Sumara is currently working at the University the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and of Wuerzburg. Each of the Dioscuri Centers of scientific ex- the Polish government, with the host institutions in Poland cellence will be financed with up to EUR 1.5 million for a providing the infrastructure.

On the net

Harnack Lecture 2018 Research is curiosity Kaleidoscope of science This year’s Harnack Lecture – an honorary “What are you looking for?” was the A collection of 30 striking photographs event organized by the Max Planck Society question posed by the Max Planck from the MPG’s Images of Science ex to commemorate Adolf von Harnack (1851 Society this summer, when it called on hibition is currently on show at the to 1930), the German science reformer – people to put their questions to acad Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of was delivered by Steven Pinker on 24 Octo emia. At the same time, the two video Science in Miami Florida, presented ber in the packed Goethe Hall of Berlin’s bloggers MrWissen2go and Doktor by the Max Planck Florida Institute for Harnack House. Pinker’s speech was a Whatson went on a Germany-wide Neuroscience. The images, which will passionate plea for an optimistic world tour to visit various Max Planck Insti be shown from December 15, 2018 – view as well as an appeal to the assem tutes. The pair met scientists to dis June 16, 2019, showcase the scientific bled scientists to dare more optimism. cuss interesting topics at a series of research from some of the MPG’s work Pinker believes that thinking positively is unusual locations, such as the value of around the world. In addition to a pure far from being a naive hope, but rather goods in a wine store or gravitational ly scientific documentation of research grounded in facts. He argues that the waves at a flooded gravel pit. The 16 objects, sometimes images are created world has become progressively better in resulting videos can be found on the that feature surprising aesthetic forms the last three hundred years. Ultimately, wonachsuchstdu (“whatareyoulooking and structures — abstract works of art the driving force is science, the findings of for”) website along with the submit from a world normally hidden to the which have not only led to an improve ted questions and the Max Planck re human eye. The images will be on dis ment of living conditions, but also to searchers’ answers. The site also invites play from December 15, 2018 – June 16, the humanitarian ideas that have made readers to browse and ask questions of 2019. A short by trailer by Max Planck human. You can watch his lecture on the their own. Florida introduces the exhibition. MPG’s YouTube channel. www.wonachsuchstdu.de (in German) https://youtu.be/9ajksGC3VRU

Photos: NCN/Michał Niewdana https://youtu.be/YUNSdy9esio

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 11 VIEWPOINT_Political Science

Democracy in decline in Africa

Despite some gains in the past decade, democracy is in trouble in Africa. Only nine countries on the continent are currently classified as democratic according to the Economist, with more than half under authoritarian rule. Elections are habitually manipulated, the opposition is harassed, civil society is suppressed, and demonstrations are violently dispersed. Autocrats are also increasingly relying on modern technology and foreign “consultants” to maintain power – and are largely allowed to do so undisturbed. As our author critically notes, Europe and the U.S. far too often look away out of fear of instability. This allows incumbents to cling on to power and gradually erode the institutions and expectations sustaining democracy.

TEXT ELENA GADJANOVA

lectoral landslides, particularly in newly- Sudan (95%), Salva Kiir of South Sudan (93%), and democratizing states, are often a sign of Teodoro Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea (94%). trouble. Scholars of comparative democra- Kenya’s opposition boycotted the poll, turn-out tization have long noted that the margin of was a meagre 35% (in comparison, close to 80% of victory in national elections is inversely re- eligible voters cast a ballot in August the same year), lated E to a country’s quality of democracy. In October and clashes between the police and opposition sup- 2017, Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya’s incumbent president, porters resulted in a number of deaths in opposition strongholds. Things looked very different just a month ear lier, in September 2017, when there was widespread Optimism in Kenya optimism that Kenya would firmly set out on a quickly turned to cynicism, pro-democracy path. The country’s Supreme Court annulled the August 2017 presidential election be- apathy and fear cause of “massive irregularities and illegalities”, and ordered a new vote. The move was historic and was widely heralded as a triumph of the rule of law and won 98% of the vote in a repeat election after the one in August was invalidated by the country’s Supreme Lenient monitors: electoral observers from the Commonwealth Court. Uhuru’s ‘victory’ makes him a member of the found no irregularities in the presidential election in Kenya in rather dubious club of Paul Kagame of Rwanda, August 2017. Four weeks later, the Kenian constitutional court

re-elected with 98.8% of the vote, Omar al-Bashir of annulled the election. Photo: Commonwealth Secretariat

12 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 Photo: Commonwealth Secretariat VIEWPOINT_Political Science 4 | MaxPlanckResearch MaxPlanckResearch 18 13 VIEWPOINT_Political Science

due process over political impunity. Kenyan citizens where a last-minute petition to halt the October poll were told by their own court that they could and was not heard for lack of quorum because only two should expect more from their institutions and poli of the seven justices showed up. ticians. This was important because elections in So it is that the few remaining institutional safe guards of democracy in Kenya are being eroded one by one. The Electoral Commission and Parliament were put in the service of the regime, and it appears Analog monitoring tools that the courts are being neutralized. There is evi are no longer suitable dence that the police engaged in ethnic profiling and violence targeting communities believed to support for digitalized vote counts the opposition. Dozens of people were shot. Civil so ciety organizations are stifled on a daily basis. The media, which in the past was regarded as one of the Africa often suffer from ‘the tyranny of low expecta freest and most objective in Africa, have been turned tions’: lower standards are tolerated because of fears into a mouthpiece for the ruling party. of political instability. Foreign election observers fre The optimism of September 2017 quickly turned quently overlook irregularities and rubber-stamp con to resignation, cynicism, apathy, and fear. Thus, de tests in Africa that would not be tolerated elsewhere mocracy in Kenya retreated back several decades because of the perennial expectation of violence and over the course of a few months only: the speed of political unrest. This allows incumbents to subtly ma this transformation was remarkable. Autocrats else nipulate the vote and is deeply subversive to efforts where on the continent felt emboldened in turn. to hold elected officials fully accountable. Kenya’s election drama and autocratic retrench Kenya’s Supreme Court decision invigorated ment over the last year provides a template for the pro-reform forces in the country and across Africa. decline of democracy in the rest of Africa. Democra At least for a brief moment, there was hope that jus cy’s prospects suffer when moments of hope and op tice would triumph over the desire to maintain the portunity are squandered because a regime refuses to stability of the political system at all costs. But measures designed to ensure free and fair re peat elections were never put in place. Citing “lack of time”, the electoral commission was not reformed It appears that the courts and the same election officials who had botched the August poll were allowed to oversee the repeat elec are being neutralized tion. Provisions were not made to better safeguard the security of the election transmission system, loosen its grip on power. We see this bleak scenario which had been severely compromised in August. currently play out in Togo, where protesters against The ruling Jubilee Party rammed a new election law Faure Gnassingbe, whose family has been in power through parliament, which limits the ability of the for the past 50 years, were beaten and shot at, in Bu Supreme Court to annul elections in the future and rundi, where President Nkurunziza’s move to extend stipulates that if a candidate withdraws from the his tenure to 2034 led to violent clashes, and in election, the other candidate automatically wins. Uganda, where a vote to remove the presidential age Supreme Court judges were intimidated to the point limit descended into a physical fight on the floor of

14 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 the parliament. In Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe’s fir- Countries have adopted electronic registers and ing of his vice-president in November 2017 in order vote counting techniques that allow for tampering to install his wife as successor precipitated an army on an entirely different scale, and which is much coup. At the time of writing, the army is shooting at harder to detect. It also occurs after the ballots are protesters in the capital Harare after the opposition cast and often after election observers have already disputed the results of the July 30 election. left the country. In Zambia, which appeared to make strides to- To paraphrase Kenyan analyst, writer, and blog- wards democracy in the late 1990s, key democratic ger Nanjala Nyabola, the international community institutions such as the judiciary, civil society orga- still uses analog monitoring tools for Africa’s in- nizations, the police, and the Electoral Commission creasingly digital vote counts. For effective democ- have gradually been co-opted, threatened, or si- racy promotion in Africa and beyond, the interna- lenced. Those in power show obvious disrespect for the rule of law and intolerance of any opposition voices. In result, the population has lost trust both in elected politicians, and in the democratic process as Cambridge Analytica influenced a whole. This growing apathy among voters is deep- elections to benefit those in power ly corrosive to democracy in the long run. In Tanzania, President John Magufuli’s administration banned political activities and demonstra- tional community needs a change in expectations, tions and moved to jail key leaders of the opposi- tools, and methods. Withdrawing from observing tion. Abduction, torture, and political assassinations elections, as the majority of missions did with Ken- have been noted by civil society organizations and ya’s repeat poll in October 2017, is not the answer churches since 2016. In a sign of desperation, oppo- either. It emboldens autocrats and further curtails sition members marched to the offices of the Euro- pro-reform forces internally. pean Union delegation in Dar es Salaam in February Another deeply subversive foreign influence on 2018 to seek protection and support. African democracy has been the increased involve- It has also become painfully evident over the ment of international campaign “consultants” in past year in Africa that the international communi- the elections in various countries. The now notori- ty needs to rethink its role in and approach towards ous Cambridge Analytica is the most well-known, “democracy promotion” on the continent. There but far from the only example of this phenomenon. was a collective failure of multiple election observ- Boosted by novel micro-targeting techniques, the er missions – by the EU, African Union, and U.S.- international campaign consulting business when based NGOs alike – to detect and sound the alarm combined with local autocrats and lax to non-exis- on irregularities in the August 2017 Kenyan elec- tent privacy protection is highly dangerous. Hired tion. The preoccupation with stability and the ten- by incumbents in Kenya and Nigeria, Cambridge dency to overlook irregularities that has been com- Analytica planned and executed a campaign of eth- mon to election observation missions in Africa in nic fear-mongering and intimidation targeting the the past decade is part of the explanation. But an- opposition. It spread rumors and false information other factor is that monitoring tools are no longer through social networks and targeted text messag- suited to the electronic process of tallying the vote es. In a country with a history of ethnic violence

Photo: Commonwealth Secretariat count characterizing present-day African elections. around elections, this is particularly sinister. >

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 15 The harvesting of personal data from social net- façade of elections in order to legitimate their rule, works without users’ knowledge and consent and its but gradually and relentlessly undermine the insti- use for micro-targeting in election campaigns has tutions supporting democracy – the courts, elector- become a global problem with far-reaching implica- al commissions, media, civil society – from within. tions for governance and democracy worldwide. Foreign election consultants are allowed to operate Cambridge Analytica was also involved in the 2015 Nigerian election, the June 2016 Brexit referendum, and Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign. The firm’s work has exposed an underlying gap between Unregulated micro-targeting the spread and growing importance of social net- in elections as problem works in political communication and the lack of proper regulation of this increasingly popular infor- for democracy worldwide mation medium. The implications of this gap are only now beginning to play out. To what extent it was able to sway election results is questionable, but with impunity and have further tilted the playing it certainly contributed to a climate of fear and mis- field in favor of incumbents. Citizens have grown information, which undermines people’s faith in the increasingly cynical, resigned and apathetic, and democratic process. there is evidence support for democracy is dwin- And in a striking parallel to the double standard dling across the continent. Voter apathy and fear in that election observers have long applied to elections turn mean that increased authoritarianism is not in Africa, while Facebook issued a formal apology to met with outrage and counter-mobilization, allow- its users in the U.S. and the UK for allowing person- ing it to continue with impunity. al data to be used by election consultants, no such Still, it is very important to note that democracy apology was forthcoming in Kenya, Nigeria, or any- is not in decline everywhere in Africa. After a pro- where else. Facebook was effectively signaling that longed political crisis threatening to rip Ethiopia on the global marketplace for personal data, some apart along ethnic lines, the country’s new prime minister expressed support for multi-party democracy, committed to holding elections, decriminal- ized opposition parties, and ruled out prolonging Autocrats undermine the his tenure. It is clear that suspending human rights institutions from within and civil liberties at a time of crisis is a political choice, not a security imperative. Ghana held its sixth consecutive peaceful elec- users should receive better treatment and deserve tion resulting in the third turn-over of power in the more protection than others. This is a boon to auto- country in December 2016 when the opposition par- crats seeking to bend the rules to remain in power, as ty won the presidency and a majority in parliament. they can add an additional powerful tool to their al- Elections have been very closely fought between two ready extensive manipulation toolkits. relatively consolidated and evenly matched politi- In sum, incumbents intent on clinging on to cal parties. In 2008, the margin of victory in the power by any means is the biggest threat to democ- presidential race was less than 0.5%, with 2% in

racy in Africa and beyond. Autocrats maintain the 2012 – 2% and 9% in 2016. Yet the results were Photo: Commonwealth Secretariat

16 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 VIEWPOINT_Political Science

accepted by the losing sides and all incumbents stepped down after being defeated at the ballot box. This was in large part because the Electoral Com- mission enjoys significant confidence and is seen as effectively managing the electoral process in the country. Botswana’s incumbent also recently stepped down after his term limit of 10 years in office was reached. Elections in the country are scheduled for 2019. In general, incumbents relinquishing power when their terms in office are over or after being defeated at the ballot box is the one key difference between Africa’s democratic success stories and its fail- ures. It builds confidence in the election process and in institutions, diffuses social tensions, and en- courages all sides to invest in connecting to voters THE AUTHOR within existing democratic structures, not outside Elena Gadjanova is a Lecturer in Politics at the University of them. Today’s election losers believe they can be of Exeter and associate faculty at the Blavatnik School tomorrow’s winners, so they have an incentive to of Government, University of Oxford. Previously, she was continue playing the game. Voters in turn are reas- a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for sured that they can demand accountability and af- the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Goettingen. fect change through the ballot box, so becoming Her career has also taken her to Princeton and Geneva. Her research focuses on political communication, elections, and ethnic politics in Sub-Saharan Africa. Gadjanova is also the Suspending human rights is not co-editor of the interdisciplinary journal New Diversities. a security imperative

protective of the system. Ghana’s democracy has become a great source of pride locally: in a survey I fielded in December 2016 asking people what makes them proud to be Ghanaian, many quoted the country’s track record of free, fair, and peaceful elections. When a regime type is seen as a value in itself and becomes integral to a positive national self-image, attacks and efforts at subversion are not likely to be tolerated and are less likely to be at- tempted. Resilient democracy thus requires a commitment both to its intrinsic value and to its pro-

Photo: Commonwealth Secretariat Photo: private cesses and institutions.

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 17 Post from Nijmegen, the Netherlands

Between baby and doctorate

Scientists from 100 countries work at the Max Planck Institutes. Here they write about their personal experiences and impressions. Julia Misersky, doctoral student at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen, recently started her maternity leave. Here she introduces her research topic, explains how she plans to juggle her doctoral studies with motherhood, and talks about her commitment to improving conditions for young parents.

I recently started my maternity leave, which is somewhat shorter in the Netherlands than in Germany. Pregnant employees here are only entitled to 16 weeks. I have postponed the start of my maternity leave until four weeks before the birth date so that I can spend as much time as possible with my baby after the birth. I am also still entitled to some vacation, which I will take when my maternity leave ends. My partner will also take six weeks of unpaid vacation after the birth. As soon as we are both back at work, we will make use of the Dutch Ouderschapsverlof. This is a legally regulated enti- tlement to additional parental leave, in which employees can take unpaid vacation depending on their regular working hours. In my research, I am interested in how various linguistic backgrounds – meaning the differences in grammar and vocabulary between various languages – influence the way in which we perceive the world around us. For my doctorate, I am investigating when and how language affects perception. To this end, we are conducting experiments in which we manipulate what the par-

ticipants see, when they see it, and for how long. Graphic: iStockphoto

18 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 Julia Misersky , 30, studied psychology at the University of Sussex. After obtaining her Bache lor’s degree, she switched to Radboud University in Nijmegen and completed a Master’s degree in cognitive neuroscience. In November 2016 she joined the Max Planck Institute for Psy , guistics in Nijmegen, where she is workingch olin for her doctorate in the Neurology of Language Department under Director Peter Hagoort. Julia Misersky represents the Humanities, Social and Human Sciences Section of the Max Planck Society’s PhDnet platform.

We try to design our experiments in line with the way in which people perceive the world on a daily basis. We do this by using virtual reality methods, for example. Moreover, the participants have different linguistic backgrounds. This means that we can analyze how their respective na- tive languages influence, how the participants perceive the world, how they evaluate specific situations, and how their brains react to certain stimuli. So far I have used eye tracking and neuronal imaging techniques for this purpose. Our baby will start daycare at the crèche at the age of just three or four months – but only for two days a week. The situation isn’t ideal compared to the standards we are familiar with from Germany, but it’s a compromise we can both live with. The fact that everyone at my Institute reacted with incredible understanding and is very sup- portive is tremendously encouraging. My supervisor, for example, who has just had her second child, and the administrative staff have helped me out wherever they could. They told me about the legal situation in the Netherlands as regards work and parental leave and explained the childcare facilities offered by the Max Planck Society, the MPS Schnullerprogramm (childcare program). I am aware that my situation cannot necessarily be applied to others. In recent months, I have gathered information on the experiences of many other doctoral students on this topic – both positive and negative. Reconciling parenthood and career is ranked high on the agenda of this year’s PhDnet Steering Group, which is why we have set up a working group in cooperation with the General Administration. I am optimistic that the results will help make doctoral studies and parenthood reconcilable options for everyone involved. After my maternity leave, I still have a few years in which to complete my doctorate. For this reason, I can’t yet say what will happen afterwards. First of all, I will find out what it means to

Graphic: iStockphoto Photo: private have a family. Time will tell what happens next.

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 19 for fake news fake for system alert Early an early alert system for fake system news. alert an early combines intelligence artificial techniques and human judgments to design Manuel Rodriguez Gomez Fighting fake in and news accurately: social media efficiently more fake news on social media platforms. media social on news fake prevent help not However,would this lies. his awaygave nose Pinocchio’s era: Internet the before checking Fact Systems Planck Institute for Software Max the of

Photo: shutterstock FOCUS_Digital Society

TEXT RALF GRÖTKER

ake news is dangerous. In some cases, it is even life threatening. On December 4, Pope Francis shocks world, 2016, a man with an assault rifle entered the pizza restau- endorses Donald Trump for president rant F Comet Ping Pong in Washington, D. C. He had set out on a mission: to free the imprisoned and abused children that were supposedly held hostage in the restaurant. Just like millions of other Internet users, he had learned on the Reddit and 4chan social media platforms that the basement of the pizza restaurant was the stronghold of a pe- dophile ring. At the center of the ring, so the tale went, was Hillary Clinton, presidential candidate at the time. Donald Trump’s temporary National Security Advisor Michael T. Flynn and The claim that Pope Francis approved of Donald Trump being elected as his son were among those involved in President was shared by millions. However, it was a complete invention. This could have been revealed very simply: the website WTOE 5 News that spreading this hoax. published the news item refers to itself as a fantasy news website. The “Pizzagate” affair marks one of the high points of fake news to date. Various social networks have mean- while begun to ask their users to report fake news. Some networks are also co- “Curb” has been presented by the re- the number of users that mark a post as operating with journalist organizations searchers as a central result of their fake. These are important criteria to es- that check facts. One example of this in work. This algorithm is designed to pri- timate the speed at which a possible Germany is correctiv.org. oritize which content should be most hoax will spread. Gomez Rodriguez: Manuel Gomez Rodriguez, Group urgently checked and possibly marked “While most social media platforms are Leader at the Max Planck Institute for as fake by a limited number of human currently merely choosing to fact check Software Systems in Kaiserslautern, fact checkers, signatories of the Poyn- news items with more than a fixed pre- and his team are working on sophis- ter’s International Fact Checking Code defined number of user complaints, our ticated methods for identifying fake of Principles. The objective is to ensure method uses a dynamic threshold that news more accurately and efficiently. that fake news are read by as few people changes over time and reacts to the vi- These methods are interlinked, much as possible, before it is marked as fake. ral nature of a news item as well as the like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and likelihood of it being a hoax.” aim to analyze different aspects of the A METHOD WITH A DYNAMIC More specifically, the algorithm de- pieces of information that social me- THRESHOLD veloped by Gomez Rodriguez and his dia users receive in their news feeds, team focuses on the relation between considering their respective context. A crucial aspect of the method is that it complaints on the one hand and shares “We are using a hybrid approach,” ex- enables an elaborate analysis of the without complaints on the other hand. plains Gomez Rodriguez. “We combine ways in which users handle content. The more often a news item is propor- artificial intelligence techniques and This includes the frequency with which tionally shared without a complaint be- human judgments to design an early users share posts and the rate at which ing made, the more likely it is that it is

Photo: shutterstock alert for fake news.” such content is then spread, as well as not a hoax. However: the faster a news

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 21 FOCUS_Digital Society

Comments Voters Opinions 21 3 4 5

I like red candy!

I like green candy!

Candy is good and red is the best!

Candy is bad for you!

Text analysis of user ratings: Max Planck researchers from Kaiserslautern analyze the degree of differentiation or polarization of statements made online, based on agreement (thumbs up) and disagreement (thumbs down) with statements that are part of a sequence (center). They use this information to determine vectors that are used to locate the statement within the opinion space (right). The illustration shows that the statements “I like red candy” (red vector) and “I like green candy” (green vector) represent opposing views. The researchers use the candy example to illustrate their approach. item spreads, the greater the potential assuming it to represent a solid piece of The larger of the two datasets is the one damage in cases where it is a fake news information. The algorithm therefore from Weibo, with more than 4,600 in- item after all. This problem is addressed dynamically creates an optimized bal- dividual news items, which 2.8 million by Curb by simultaneously monitoring ance between the endeavor to expose users had posted or shared 3.7 million and constantly updating information as few people as possible to undeclared times. “We had information about the about distribution speed and the likeli- fake news on the one hand and effi- network structures in the dataset; that hood of a news item being fake. The al- ciency in using human fact checkers on is the number of followers of each user, gorithm’s job is to optimize the balance the other. and we also knew which news items between these two criteria. had been declared fake by the fact For example: assume a news item TESTS USING DATA FROM checking organization Snopes,” explains is shared ten times an hour, and the TWITTER AND WEIBO Gomez Rodriguez. likelihood of it being fake is fifty per- What the researchers did not know cent based on user ratings. It can then The ultimate test for Curb was an ex- was how and when the users from the be mathematically concluded that, on periment conducted with real data that dataset had flagged the posts. The re- average, five users an hour are exposed researchers from the Korean KAIST uni- searchers had to use a trick to solve this to a hoax. However, this calculation is versity had previously gathered from problem. They relied on other surveys now adjusted whenever a user shares two popular social media sites, Twitter about the number of times that users the news item in question, and either and Weibo, by means of web crawling, had flagged news that was actually flags it as a fake or does not object to it, which they made publicly available. fake. This enabled them to make well-

C C [...] [Donald Trump] has [...] Enquirersa [which] he considers a treasure trove of information. C5 0 1 C0

C1 He should change his name to Donald J Dubious.

C2 C2 [...] Trump] can be an #$%$, and Islam can be cancer [...] they are not mutually exclusive [...]

C3 Why not? Try anything. Terrorism has got to stop now!

C4 It is a great idea. Estimated C C 4 Trump familiy motto: “It‘s not a lie if you believe it.” opinions 3 C5

a National Enquirers is a well known entertainment magazine in US.

Orientation guideline within the spectrum of political opinion: the way in which users assess the comments made in an online debate about Donald Trump provides an insight into the political view on which the comments are based, which can be recorded as vectors in the opinion space.

Statements C0, C1 and C5 were clearly made by individuals whose political view is entirely different from that of the individuals who made statements C3 and C4. Illustrations: Manuel Gomez Rodriguez/MPI for Software Systems

22 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 Vote Hillary from home! Save time & avoid the line!

founded assumptions about how effectively users recognize items of fake news, and how often they also mark them as such on average. “We simply made our algorithm try out a wide spectrum of plausible flagging behavior,” explains Gomez Rodriguez.

In the experiment with real data The advertisement claiming that supporters of Hillary Clinton could cast from Twitter or Weibo, the researchers their vote by sending a text message was intended to mislead voters. from Kaiserslautern tested how effec- The advertisement bearing the Clinton campaign logo was distributed tive their algorithm was in submitting via Twitter. However, those who followed the appeal lost their vote, as it suspicious posts for fact checking was not actually possible to vote by text. compared to other methods. The methods that Curb competed against included the pseudo-method Oracle, which in the testing scenario had access to the information as to whether Despite the successful test, Gomez Ro- if users choose to sabotage the system, a news item was a hoax or not, and driguez is not yet able to predict how by flagging solid news items as fakes, or which accordingly submitted the post Curb will be used in practice in the fu- by deliberately spreading fake news? for fact checking. ture: “It remains to be seen if, at the Such extreme behavior would make it Other comparison methods em- end of the day, Curb is worth consider- hard for Curb to correctly assess how ployed simple general rules: an algo- ing as a solution, or if only certain com- urgently a post should be submitted for rithm which – like the method created ponents of our method will prove to be fact checking. Gomez Rodriguez and by the team from Kaiserslautern – de- of interest to commercial providers,” his colleagues have developed “Detec- termines the level of urgency of fact says the researcher. “However, one of tive” to address this very issue. checking based on the simple ratio be- the developers of Curb has recently The Detective algorithm is also in- tween the number of flags and the done an internship at Facebook’s fake tended to reduce the distribution of number of shares; another algorithm news team.” false information. Gomez Rodriguez’ that submits a post for fact checking as Algorithms similar to Curb can also team presented the method at the Web soon as a certain number of flags has be used in different fields. “Language Conference in Lyon this spring. While been reached; and finally, an algorithm learning software, for example, could be Curb considers all users to be equally that only considers the distribution rate optimized by methods similar to Curb, reliable, Detective aims to identify us- of a post in order to prioritize a news by improving predictions of which con- ers who object to fake news particular- item for fact checking. tent should be presented to the learners ly reliably and those who deliberately repeatedly in order to allow them to mark solid news items as fake in order FURTHER APPLICATIONS FOR memorize this content,” says Gomez Ro- to undermine the system. THE CURB ALGORITHMS driguez. Another area of application is For this purpose, the Detective al- the field of viral marketing. The basic gorithm considers the results of fact The result of the comparative tests: structure of Curb was originally devel- checking and uses these to estimate Curb was almost as good as Oracle at oped by the researchers for this type of the extent to which users are to be preventing the spreading of fake news application: to find out how posts can be considered reliable in recognizing and that had not been identified as such. spread most effectively in social media. flagging fake news. “We monitor a user The three methods based on general Nevertheless, there is one problem over a certain period of time,” explains

Illustrations: Manuel Gomez Rodriguez/MPI for Software Systems rules were less effective. that Curb fails to solve: what happens Gomez Rodriguez. “While doing so, we

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 23 24 FOCUS_Digital Society that is not recognizable as such. as recognizable not is that news fake of distribution the of prevention efficient for allow that methods of ment develop the includes team his and Rodriguez Gomez Manuel by performed work the intelligence: artificial with news fake Fighting MaxPlanckResearch 4 MaxPlanckResearch | 18 - their “friends”or“followers” areable Many usersevenfinditunacceptable if regulations,” GomezRodriguez admits. ever, thisislimitedbydata protection flagging postsasfake.“Inreality, how- their social network when it comes to reliability ofotherindividualswithin users accesstoinformationaboutthe ministrators wouldalsobeabletogive planning infactchecking. low formostefficienthumanresource tors wishingtousethealgorithmal- Curb shouldbeusefulforadministra plication, Detectivecombinedwith users’ flaggingbehavior. Inpracticalap do-algorithm thatwasfamiliarwiththe nearlyasgoodthoseofapseu- very the methodinexperimentwere flying colors.Theresultsachievedby the test with empirical data setswith machine learning. these tworequirementsbymeansof find anidealcompromisebetween Detective algorithmisitsabilityto sible. Among the achievements of the havior ofasmanyindividualspos Detective mustbeexposedtothe machine learningtechniquesusedby to achievethisstatus,however, the reliable inthepast.Forfurtherusers of thoseusersthatwerefoundtobe would betosimplytrustthejudgment The mostefficientwaytoachievethis for poststhatarelikelytobehoaxes. fact checkersshouldalsobeusedonly too, thelimitednumberofhuman tion reliably. Ontheotherhand,here tion aboutwhichusersassessinforma be hoaxes.Theythusgatherinforma- cording touserflaggingareunlikely possible. Thisincludespoststhatac shared byasmanydifferentpeople one hand,verifypoststhathavebeen of users,factcheckersshould,onthe ability ofthegreatestpossiblenumber In ordertobeableassessthereli is also subject to a conflict of interests. share forfactchecking.” repeatedly submitpoststheycreateor Based on the Detective rating, ad Just likeCurb,Detectivealsopassed However, theDetectivealgorithm ------ON SOCIALMEDIAPLATFORMS? POLARIZING NEWS Gomez Rodriguez. display thistypeofinformation,”says flagged thispostas‘fake’:youcould able individualsinyournetworkhave by Detective.“Ten percent of thereli- results needtobesuitablyanonymized political orientation.”Thisiswhythe volves disclosing an aspect of one’s own as problematic,becausethisoftenin a postaspieceoffakenewscanbejust to seewhichpoststheylike.“Marking tive viewonwhichanindi and “Candyisunhealthy.” Therespec is awesome,andredcandy thebest!” candy!”; “Ilikegreen “Candy to illustratethisapproach: “I likered Rodriguez uses the following statements sider entireopinionsequences.Gomez vidual questions,theresearchers con comments inonlinedebates. down!” fortext-basedpostssuchas ings suchas“Thumbsup!”or question. Thisalgorithmanalyzesrat- oped anotheralgorithmtoanswerthis platforms. Theresearchers havedevel- polarization ofviewsonsocialmedia they arefakeornot–contributetoa to what extent news items – whether guez’ teamalsoaddressestheissueas fectively reveal hoaxes, Gomez Rodri- reliability intoaccount. fact thatthealgorithmtakesusers’ information –especiallythankstothe the deliberatedistributionofincorrect robust when it comes to dealing with However, Detectiveprovedtoberather withheld by the mainstream media. information tobethetruththatis fake news–becausetheybelievethis news itemsasfakesandwhospread dividuals whodeliberatelyflagsolid acy theoriesmightchoosetofollowin effect: usersthatleantowardsconspir- also causetheoppositeofdesired viduals are particularly reliable may However, indicating that certain indi- In addition to the endeavor to ef Instead ofopinionsregardingindi- vidual com------

Photo: Oliver Dietze Paid fake protesters were bussed in to the anti-Trump protests in Austin, Texas.

ment is based cannot be reliably determined using software that, for example, analyzes text for certain words and compares it to other statements. This is not the case for opinions that are expressed by users, by agreeing or dis- agreeing to comments in such a chain of statements. The researchers analyzed these views expressed by different users, and on this basis were also able to calculate the view that is reflected by an individual comment. When analyzing views that are reflected both in an individual comment and in the ratings for a sequence of statements, Gomez Rodriguez and his col- These photographs of numerous buses were the only evidence used by question- leagues focused on two characteristics. able news pages to support the claim that paid protesters were taken to Austin On the one hand they considered to take part in a march against Donald Trump. The buses were actually on their the degree of complexity, or the num- way to an event at a congress center located several miles from the starting point ber of axes based on which the opin- of the protest march. No evidence was provided of participants being paid. ion space can be depicted. For example, if all participants of a debate hold either the same view or exactly opposite views regarding an individual issue, the answers can be sorted along a opinion space, and are thus not held in by the Internet are generally undiffer- single axis. This type of debate is liter- a polarized manner. “This is a clear sign entiated and are largely polarized by ally one-dimensional. that debates on these online pages have demagogues. As is the case with Curb At the same time, the researchers not fallen victim to demagogues,” says and Detective, the algorithm shows also determined how far apart individ- Manuel Gomez Rodriguez. that a hybrid approach using artificial ual opinions are from each other. To do The algorithm therefore enables intelligence and human assessments so, the attitudes on which the com- debates held on online forums or on can help to promote objectivity in ments that make up the sequence are social media platforms to be assessed, such debates. based are represented as vectors that and the results obtained to date conform an opinion space. The respective tradict the impression that such de- www.mpg.de/podcasts/ vector is determined by the algorithm, bates held in the anonymity provided digitale-gesellschaft (in German) by analyzing the way in which other

users assess a comment. The arrange- ment of vectors provides information about the diversity of opinions. As SUMMARY Gomes Rodriguez stresses: “We are able l A hybrid approach comprising artificial intelligence and human assessments can, to locate text-based posts that differ in various ways, help to promote the objectivity of debates held online. greatly in their semantic content, l The Curb algorithm prioritizes the urgency with which a post should be subjected which comprise completely different to a fact check in order to prevent a possible item of fake news from being spread words, and which may even include without being marked as such. To do so, it repeatedly reanalyzes how quickly a irony, in relation to each other within post spreads and how many users have flagged it as fake. the opinion space.” l The Detective algorithm is also intended to prevent the distribution of fake news, An analysis of a large dataset from while at the same time takes into account the reliability of the users that mark a online comments on the pages of Ya- post as fake. hoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports l A further algorithm analyzes the degree of differentiation of debates held on the and the Yahoo Newsroom app has Internet. It has been found that 75 percent of debates are not held in a polarized manner, which is a sign that the majority of users do not follow demagogues. found that 75 percent of online debates

Photo: Oliver Dietze take place on two or more axes in the

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 25 FOCUS_Digital Society

Photo without a face

We have barely any control over where information about us and even photos bearing our likeness are displayed. In the future, however, it may at least be possible to prevent ourselves from appearing as bystanders in photos on other people’s Facebook pages. This is thanks to technology developed by a team working under Paarijaat Aditya, Rijurekha Sen and Peter Druschel from the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems.

TEXT TIM SCHRÖDER

e are experiencing a bystanders who accidentally appear in I-Pic, we launched a survey of our own. cultural change: smart- the photo. Many people feel uneasy One thing we learned was that this de- phones have trans- when a stranger takes their picture – par- pends a lot on the situation, among formed our everyday ticularly because in the era of social me- other factors: for instance, people find habits, especially when dia, you never know where the pictures it particularly unsettling if their photo W it comes to taking photographs. Now- might turn up in the future. It would is taken in the hospital, while doing adays, we not only take photos while therefore be reassuring if bystanders sports, or at the beach.” In general, the on vacation and at family celebrations, were simply unrecognizable in photos. researchers found that, even in the but also while shopping, in the bar, or same situation, different people have out for a walk. After all, the advent of BYSTANDERS’ FACES different privacy preferences when it the smartphone means we always have ARE PIXELATED comes to photographs of themselves, a camera at hand. The quality of the and that an individual’s preferences built-in cameras is now so good that This was also the initial premise for also vary considerably from one situa- they’re virtually the only one you need. Paarijaat Aditya and Peter Druschel of tion to another. Clearly, therefore, it Also, no camera is as readily accessible the Max Planck Institute for Software was essential that I-Pic be able to take as the one in your trouser pocket. Systems in Saarbruecken. Together account of individual people’s wishes Figures obtained by the online in- with colleagues from the neighboring depending on the situation. dustry association Bitkom confirm the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, I-Pic is currently at the prototype trend toward taking photos with mo- the two researchers have developed a stage. In a video on YouTube, Paarijaat bile phones: seven out of ten Germans technique that pixelates bystanders’ Aditya demonstrates how it works, tak- use their smartphone to take photos faces in photos, rendering them un- ing a selfie that also captures people while on vacation – and six out of ten recognizable, while showing the faces standing in the background. When the amateur photographers immediately of intentional subjects clearly. I-Pic, as photo appears on the camera screen, share the photos using Facebook, they have named their app, could one the people who don’t want their photo WhatsApp, or other services. There’s no day be installed as a special function to be taken are pixelated, whereas the doubt about it: smartphone photogra- in smartphones. others are clearly visible. At first glance, phy is an omnipresent phenomenon. “These days, when it comes to tak- I-Pic seems very straightforward. How- But this very phenomenon can being photos, many people are concerned ever, if you think about it for a mo- come a problem when snaps capture not about their privacy,” says Paarijaat Ad- ment, there is one puzzling aspect: how only friends and acquaintances but also itya. “Before we started developing on earth can the camera know who

26 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 My image belongs to me: in snapshots taken by strangers, the I-Pic software pixelates the faces of people who don’t want to be photographed

Photo: istockphoto accidentally.

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 27 FOCUS_Digital Society

Even in the same situation, different people have different privacy » preferences when it comes to photographs of themselves – and the preferences of the individual also depend strongly on the situation.

wants to be photographed and who out of shot. The photographer’s smart- tion,” says Peter Druschel, Director at does not? It quickly becomes clear that phone must therefore be able to deter- the Max Planck Institute for Software there’s something special about I-Pic. mine which Bluetooth signal belongs Systems. For this reason, the researchers “Our achievement lies in the link- to whom or, to be precise, whether it have also equipped I-Pic with sophisti- ing up of several sophisticated technolo originates from one of the people seen cated encryption technology, allowing gies in order to get the whole system to in the picture. it to convert all of the data into en- work,” says Paarijaat Aditya. The pre- For this purpose, I-Pic is first fed with crypted combinations of characters be- requisite for providing effective protec- portrait photos of the smartphone’s fore it is sent back and forth. Informa- tion against unintended walk-on parts owner before it is able to do its job. tion about the face is not therefore in photos is that the photographer’s Around ten photos is all it takes for I-Pic transmitted simply as a JPEG image or and bystanders’ smartphones must all to get to know its owner’s face and to in a similar format. Instead, I-Pic en- be equipped with I-Pic technology. store a record of its characteristics. All crypts the numerous characteristics of And, of course, it must be possible for mobile phones equipped with I-Pic con- the face into what is known as a high-di- the smartphones of everyone visible in stantly transmit this facial information mensional vector. a photo to communicate with the pho- over the surrounding area – including to tographer’s device – in order to tell it the smartphones of anyone taking a COMPARISON BETWEEN whether their owners want to be recog- photo within Bluetooth range. This al- ENCRYPTED SETS OF DATA nizable or not. With I-Pic, this commu- lows the photographer’s smartphone to nication takes place via Bluetooth, a compare the faces in the photo it has I-Pic then compares the faces in the classical wireless standard that allows just taken with facial information from photo with the facial information sent devices to exchange data over distances people in the surrounding area. to the photographer’s smartphone via of a few meters. In addition to data relating to faces, Bluetooth. The key thing is that the the photographer’s smartphone also re- comparison takes place between the en- SMARTPHONES TRANSMIT ceives information about people’s pref- crypted files. In other words, the picture PERSONAL PREFERENCES erences (“Wants to be visible/Doesn’t information is not revealed at any point want to be visible”) – and can then make in time. “It may sound strange, but it’s To begin with, each user configures the the corresponding faces unrecognizable. actually possible to process two en- software according to their personal For the facial recognition, the team crypted files together,” says Rijurekha preferences, i.e. whether or not they had to incorporate powerful algorithms Sen, another researcher at the Max wish to be photographed by strangers known as “classifiers” into the soft- Planck Institute for Software Systems. in various situations or at various loca- ware. These can recognize faces quick- “This is referred to as homomorphic en- tions. Every phone equipped with I-Pic ly and reliably – even in photos with cryption. It allows you to determine transmits this information constantly poor lighting, shadows, or back-light- whether two images are the same with- via Bluetooth. All nearby smartphones ing. Researchers led by Bernt Schiele, out actually having to reveal them.” therefore tell the photographer’s smart- Director at the Max Planck Institute for As a result, the photographer’s phone which people agree to appear in Informatics, have developed an ex- smartphone never stores a person’s real the photo that has just been taken and tremely effective piece of software for image data if they have set their prefer- which do not. facial recognition. ence to “not recognizable”. The face is Of course, the smartphone also re- “However, exchanging personal not shown as such in the picture that ceives Bluetooth signals from people data – such as facial information – be- has just been taken, nor is it possible to who aren’t visible in the image – for ex- tween smartphones is an extremely read the picture information sent from ample, from bystanders standing just sensitive area in terms of data protec- the other mobile phones via Bluetooth.

28 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 I don’t want my I have no photo problem with taken. a photo.

And the face in the picture has already been pixelated by the time it appears on the phone’s screen. But there is more to I-Pic than Blue- tooth, facial recognition, and encryp- Optical range of camera tion technology. During the software’s development, the researchers were faced with another problem: securing data by encryption always involves highly complex computing processes. These calcu- lations require a great deal of RAM and consume huge amounts of power. In lo- Photographer Unrecog- cations where lots of photographs are Pixelate me! Do not pixelate! nized face being taken, I-Pic would have to per- Visual signal Visual signal form a large number of image calcula- tions, quickly draining the phone’s bat- tery or overburdening its processor. The researchers therefore equipped I-Pic with technology that outsources the encryption and comparison of im- If the people in a photo have the I-Pic app installed on their smartphone, it synchronizes their facial information and data protection preferences with the photographer’s device. age pairs to the cloud – a worldwide Those who do not wish to be recognizable are then blurred out in the final image. network of computers – via a mobile data connection. The encrypted data is therefore processed on a large server elsewhere, which reports back to the smartphone with the result of the “Wants to appear in the photo/Doesn’t want to appear in the photo” analysis. “I-Pic works astonishingly well despite all this complexity,” says Paarijaat Aditya, who has already presented I-Pic at an international IT conference, where it attracted considerable praise. Peter Druschel adds: “We’re the first team in the world to devise such an application and to have put it into practice successfully despite the wealth of technologies involved. And we’re already thinking about how to expand it.” Specifically, the question is how to make faces unrecognizable in photos

Photos: MPI for Software Systems in an aesthetically pleasing manner. > FOCUS_Digital Society

There is another thing to consider: I-Pic should allow users to configure their preferences in detail. Those selecting “Never wants to appear in strangers’ photos” as standard could run into problems. For example, photos taken at large family gatherings might actually be welcome, but the person would always be pixelated in the images. The Saarbruecken-based researchers are therefore developing a set of preferences for future users to choose from. For example, one possibility could be to allow contacts stored on the phone to make the owner’s face visible in photos. Apparently, it will also be possible to set preferences for various locations in the future. Users could therefore select the unrecognizable mode for the office or gym but allow their likeness to be displayed unpixe Helping to safeguard the right to one’s own likeness: Paarijaat Aditya and Peter Druschel developed the I-Pic app based on technically sophisticated components (above). The central lated in all other locations. feature of this app is technology that recognizes a person even when they are photographed It may also be possible to adapt the from totally different angles, while partly obscured or in poor lighting (below). I-Pic technology to similar applications, such as videos. “At any rate, I-Pic has reached the stage where it can soon be After all, images with pixelated faces refined into a market-ready product,” are not particularly attractive. Peter says Peter Druschel. “Ideally, the tech- Obtain your PhD in a highly innovative, Druschel therefore wants to extend nology would be adopted by smart- I-Pic with a software module that can phone manufacturers and installed in interdisciplinary and international environment. modify faces, make them look older, or mobile phones as standard – that would specifically manipulate the skin and represent a huge gain in terms of priva- hair color as well as other characteris- cy and data security.” tics: “In the photo, unfamiliar faces PASSION FOR SCIENCE are no longer simply pixelated. Instead www.mpg.de/podcasts/ you see people who, in reality, don’t digitale-gesellschaft maxplanckschools.org even exist.” (in German)

SUMMARY

l Now that smartphones are equipped with powerful cameras and people are taking more and more photos, there is a growing risk that bystanders will be photographed and that their images will be distributed on social media with- Max Planck School of Cognition Max Planck School of Photonics out their consent, for example. l The I-Pic software could ensure that people are only recognizable in photos if Max Planck School Matter to Life they have given their approval. Faces of people who do not wish to appear in the photo would then be pixelated or rendered unrecognizable. : l In order to safeguard the right to one’s own likeness, I-Pic combines various APPLY technologies, such as facial recognition based on artificial intelligence and the encryption and comparison of image data in the cloud. AUTUMN 2018 Photos: Manuela Meyer (top); collage: designergold, based on drafts from the MPI for Software Systems (bottom)

30 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 MAX PLANCK SCHOOLS a joint initiative between German Universities and German Research Organizations Obtain your PhD in a highly innovative, interdisciplinary and international environment.

PASSION FOR SCIENCE maxplanckschools.org

Max Planck School of Cognition Max Planck School of Photonics Max Planck School Matter to Life : APPLY AUTUMN 2018 Photos: Manuela Meyer (top); collage: designergold, based on drafts from the MPI for Software Systems (bottom)

MAX PLANCK SCHOOLS a joint initiative between German Universities and German Research Organizations Rules for robots

Artificial intelligence is gaining in importance and advancing rapidly – literally as well as figuratively: robotic nurses could soon be moving into our homes. However, their behavior is still open to negotiation. At the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition in Munich, Axel Walz is investigating how legal means can be employed to help ensure that artificial intelligence adheres to human values.

Ready for use: “iPal” robots by the Chinese-American company AvatarMind have been developed as electronic babysitters and companions for older people. Whether or not they will be accepted in these roles remains to be seen. FOCUS_Digital Society

TEXT SARAH MÜHLBERGER

hey bring food and remind tute for Innovation and Competition. Certificates are a good solution when it patients to take their medi- As a legal expert, he has always been comes to making sure that technologi- cation, help out in the driven by the question of what the con- cal products give particular consider- shower and fold back the sequences of innovation are for con- ation to the values of a specific group of bed covers. Some of them sumers. “In a time in which artificial in- people – here Walz is thinking of reli- tell Tjokes, while others sing or play telligence and autonomous systems are gious communities, for example. This memory card games. They are called gaining in importance, I am particular- would reassure Jewish consumers that Pepper, Justin, Riba or Garmi – and may ly concerned with how jurists can help their smart fridge will only order grocer- be the future of German nursing ensure that artificial intelligence ad- ies from kosher supermarkets and Mus- homes: the robots being tested up and heres to ethical standards.” lim patients that the robot will only give down the country. “Ethics” is a complex term that them halal medication. means many things, from individual A SMART FRIDGE ORDERS morals, religious norms and values an- CERTIFICATES COULD BE KOSHER FOOD chored in law to the protection of hu- INSPECTED BY TUEV man dignity. “It’s all about the princi- As yet, nobody knows whether these ple of ethical plurality,” says Walz. Certificate solutions of this type could robots will really be able to significant- This is why a whole amalgam of for example be inspected by facilities ly relieve the strain on the nursing care measures is needed. A graduated regula- such as TUEV, the German technical system – after all, there is already a tory model has to be employed and each control board, “something that is al- shortfall of more than 36,000 nurses. case analyzed in close detail to establish ready happening today, for example in At the same time, there are more prob- how far the legal system can employ reg- the case of data protection standards,” lematic areas that need to be ad- ulatory measures or other incentives to explains Walz. Appreciable legal con- dressed. Who will the robotic nurse ul- uphold ethical considerations. The pro- sequences would also be a way of dis- timately obey? Will it incapacitate the tection of human life and human digni- ciplining manufacturers if their sys- patient, or will individual human ideas ty is the exigent duty of the legislator. tems were hacked. take precedence? How can robotic Existing laws have to be reviewed and During the course of his research, nurses be protected from hackers? Af- adapted to the particularities of artificial Axel Walz has been talking to develop- ter all, they will have access to the intelligence whenever necessary. “And ers of new technologies and potential most sensitive of all personal data and if I want to set specific individual stan- users. For the next step, he will be re- know all about the patient’s health dards for a technological product, a con- viewing the current legal situation. and habits. tract between two partners is typically “With this in mind, we will then at- Questions like these require urgent the ideal regulatory instrument. I can tempt a kind of risk analysis: what are answers, says Axel Walz, Senior Re- use it to define a list of stringent condi- the advantages of new technology, and

Photo: Aly Song/Reuters search Fellow at the Max Planck Insti- tions that match my ideas.” what are the possible negative effects

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 33 FOCUS_Digital Society

Left The cuddle factor: electronic sensors enable Japanese therapy seal “Paro” to move its head and react to stroking with sounds of pleasure. Japan is a pioneer in the development of robots for nursing care. Right-hand page Bearing the burden: “Robear” was also constructed in Japan and is intended to help frail people get out of bed or go to the bathroom.

that could offset them?” It will then be not yet be able to relieve the strain on For the FORMAT project, specialists in possible to assess whether regulatory nurses in the way that is generally ex- nursing science, doctors and computer measures are needed. pected.” To date, most models have scientists in Halle are seeking and de- Robotic nurses are a particularly merely had the character of projects veloping application scenarios for ro- vivid example of the importance of and are far from ready to be launched botic systems that are already able to ethical discussion – after all, technol- on the market. offer added value. After all, even robots ogy of this kind comes particularly that are “only” able to entertain elder- close to human beings and affects ROBOTS HAVE MAINLY BEEN ly people can be of use to nursing staff their most private spheres. Some peo- USED FOR ENTERTAINMENT if they make nervous, aggressive pa- ple are already trying to fight back tients more relaxed, says FORMAT Proj- against the use of robotic nurses by According to Jahn, the most advanced ect Leader Patrick Jahn. drawing up special patient directives. robots are the humanoids that special- One example is “Pepper”. The However, these robots are still vi- ize in communication, entertainment 1.20-meter character with big black sions for the future, at least when they and information. In North Rhine-West- eyes and a monitor in its chest is cur- are imagined as intelligent helpers that phalia, “Robbie” and “Paula” play with rently being used to give informative could largely replace nurses. Robotic the residents of a nursing home or en- talks preparing patients for MRI scans. assistance systems that are each only courage them to take exercise. In oth- This saves time for the doctors and capable of single functions are current- er places, “Paro”, a robotic seal that re- nurses. The current developments in ly being used on a trial basis, for exam- acts to being stroked, is used in the technology would also enable robots to ple to help disabled people cook, clean care of patients with dementia. More- notify patients of medical appoint- or go shopping, or to help nursing staff over, the robotic nurses “Justin” and ments and take relatives to the patient’s lift and shower patients. “Edan” will be moving into a home for room, i.e. they could serve as robotic “In general, the tasks that could cur- the aged in Garmisch-Partenkirchen ward assistants. Both of these functions rently be performed by robotic systems this year, where they will hand the res- were developed during workshops with only make up a very small part of the idents drinks or medication, fold back nurses. “Application scenarios of this nursing process,” says Patrick Jahn, Di- their bed covers, press the elevator but- kind are also important because there rector of Nursing Research at the Uni- ton, and also raise the alarm if a pa- has so far been a lack of specific, con-

versity Hospital in Halle. “They would tient falls. vincing examples of use,” says Jahn. Photo: Kim Kyung Hoon/Reuters

34 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 When we have the feeling that things are too complex to understand, » we tend to trust in them blindly.

There are still numerous restrictions, practical test was she able to help the ment of artificial intelligence. “At the and the system is still not stable. An en- new technology make a breakthrough. same time, we have to make sure that vironment that is too loud can disrupt we develop a qualitatively sustainable, communication because “Pepper” is ALGORITHMS ARE NOT high-quality intelligence that meets the insufficiently able to understand its hu- ALWAYS OBJECTIVE appropriate ethical criteria.” In his man counterpart. Robots are also con- view, the normative goal should be a fused by the dynamic hospital environ- Jahn believes that this approach could humane society that stands by its estab- ment; “Pepper” becomes disoriented if also be effectively transferred to the lished values and that uses technology beds suddenly appear in a ward hallway utilization of robotic systems in nurs- to continue supporting them – without where there were none the day before, ing care: “Even though we are still far being allowed to dehumanize them un- for example. away from the vision we all have in der any circumstances. FORMAT follows the “Bertha Benz our minds – of the intelligent helper Walz calls for open debate that also principle,” explains Patrick Jahn: the that significantly relieves the strain addresses the question of “whether and automobile pioneer got started right on nursing staff – we have to work where there are red lines that should away rather than waiting until the with our limitations so that these ro- not be crossed. In other words, how far new mode of transport was able to botic systems can be quickly integrat- should I actually be allowed to furnish travel without difficulty at 100 kilome- ed into practical scenarios. Otherwise products with artificial intelligence?” ters an hour. Benz discovered other im- the development dynamic cannot According to Walz, such questions are portant requirements such as the im- gather momentum.” only rarely made the subject of wider portance of filling stations during her Axel Walz believes that Germany discussion due to people’s faith in tech-

Photo: Kim Kyung Hoon/Reuters Photo: Riken first overland journey; not until her should be involved in the develop- nology. “When we have the feeling that

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 35 FOCUS_Digital Society

Artificial intelligence is developing itself – that makes it a black box. It should always » be possible to comprehend why a certain result is generated.

things are too complex to understand, tional engineering society IEEE, which the use of robotic systems: the nurses our psychological response tends to be has established a global initiative ad- and patients. “Until now, robotics to trust them blindly and rank them dressing ethical considerations when have mainly been the domain of engi- above our own decision-making com- developing autonomous systems. Be- neers,” says Kirsten Thommes. The sci- petence. In this respect, we have too lit- sides laying a theoretical foundation, entists in Paderborn are studying the tle confidence and believe that algo- the initiative also aims to develop con- needs and attitudes of nursing staff: rithms are more objective and neutral crete ethical standards for technology. what do they need to know about the than humans.” In fact, the opposite is One of the objectives is a so-called robots beforehand, and what not? Will true, “because algorithms are trained transparency standard. “It is intended the content of training courses have to with data, and the selection of this data to ensure that algorithms for artificial change, and will future nurses have to is influenced by the programmer’s intelligence are programed in such a learn programing? In which areas bias,” explains Walz. way that it is always clear which data could robots relieve workloads? Where were used and why a specific result might there be areas of friction? An as- NURSES LOCKED ROBOTS was generated,” explains Axel Walz, sistance system that tells the nurse IN A CUPBOARD who was in regular contact with the which patient she should attend to IEEE initiative. first, regardless of her routine, is clear- In the case of artificial intelligence, mat- The human factor has also by no ly encroaching upon her area of com- ters are made more difficult by the black means been adequately researched to petence. Moreover, studies of individ- box phenomenon. A traditional algo- date. How does working with or along- ual cases in Japan in which nurses rithm functions inasmuch as data is en- side robots affect employees? switched off the robots or locked them tered and a result is produced at the end, The effects on nursing staff are the in a cupboard showed that the con- typically in accordance with the so- focus of the interdisciplinary project stant recording of data by the systems called “if...then” principle. This is not “Orient”, which is funded by the EU can easily lead to a feeling of being un- the case with artificial intelligence: these initiative “More years, better lives”, der surveillance. algorithms are capable of learning, i.e. and in which economists are involved “As yet, there are no studies of the they can assimilate information, evalu- along with innovation researchers attitudes of average nurses towards as- ate it, and draw conclusions. This means from Finland and nurse scientists from sistance systems and the concerns that that they are in a sense able to learn Sweden. “We are investigating the pre- are widespread among them,” says from their own experiences. “Rather conditions that have to be met before Thommes. However, there are certain than being static, algorithms are there- assistance systems can be used and ac- reservations among the general popu- fore continually developing themselves. cepted in the nursing field,” explains lation about the use of robots. A sur- However, it seems that not even the pro- Kirsten Thommes, Professor of Organi- vey showed that when asked what grammers have a clear idea of what ex- zational Behavior at the University of they associate with the word “robot”, actly happens while they are doing so,” Paderborn. more than 70 percent of Germans concludes Axel Walz. In future, much more attention think of the “Terminator” – the hu- One possible answer could lie in will have to be paid to the needs and manoid machine played by Arnold the approach adopted by the interna- demands of those directly affected by Schwarzenegger in the eponymous

36 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 movie of 1984. “This kind of negative image naturally reduces people’s will- ingness to engage seriously with the concept that robotic systems could one day be a great help and relief,” says Kirsten Thommes. “This is not wholly, but at least partly due to the shortfall in nursing staff.”

MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN AUTONOMY AND ASSISTANCE

Researchers at the Charité Hospital in Berlin are also studying how robots and other technologies could be of assistance in the future. The “Age and Technology” working group sees itself as an interface between target group and technology, patients and manufacturers, explains working group leader Anika Steinert: “We translate the respective requirements and evaluate the added value of a technology, how it is accepted, and how it can be utilized.” Scientists working on project “Ro- bina” are currently developing a robotic arm for ALS patients whose cognitive functions are unimpaired but who are suffering from muscle wasting. >

At hand: robotic arm “Robina” can be controlled by gestures, language, or with the eyes. It was designed for patients with ALS whose cognitive faculties are unimpaired but are suffering from muscle wasting. The arm can give the patient

Photos: BMBF Project Robina (2) drinks or scratch itches.

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 37 FOCUS_Digital Society

Left Legally sound: ethical and legal Individual Contractual regulation, requirements relating to robots, ethical values certification systems particularly in the nursing sector, range from general principles such as Group-specific Articles of organizations, human rights to individual needs, for ethical values certification systems example due to religious laws. They therefore have to be regulated on various levels. Constitutional National legislation, ethical values international conventions Right-hand page Close links: legal expert Axel Walz regularly compares notes with developers and engineers Basic non-negotiable National legislation, with the aim of applying ethical ethical values international conventions standards in practice.

While defining how the arm should be drunk anything for three hours? Or says Anika Steinert. “People make fun supported during the run-up to the should it only react when it is spoken of questions like these much less often project, the wishes expressed by par- to or controlled? “It’s always important than before.” This is apparently also ticipating patients were relatively mod- to find middle ground between the pa- due to the increased interest being est: “scratching”, for example, trivial tient’s need for autonomy and the as- shown by politics in ethical standards activities for which the ALS patients sistance provided by the technology,” for artificial intelligence. would sooner not have to call for help says Steinert. Axel Walz from the Max Planck In- every time. stitute for Innovation and Competi- Numerous questions have to be an- INTEREST IN ETHICAL tion sees these standards as an impor swered before the development work STANDARDS IS GROWING tant potential determining factor on can begin: what should this arm look the way to a humane digital society like? Should it be mobile or a fixed in- Only a few concerns were expressed be- oriented on the established fundamen- stallation? How should it be controlled, forehand. ALS patients are after all ac- tal values of humanity. “One very sim- what design should it have, and what customed to being dependent on aids ple way to influence the development should it feel like? However, there are in their everyday lives. They are typi- of a new technology right from the also ethical and legal questions, “as cally somewhat younger than geriatric start is only to promote projects that even scratching is a very complex re- patients. “However, the results of the conform to the corresponding ethical quirement,” explains Anika Steinert. project can be applied to many differ- value set.” How can patient and nurse safety be ent target groups.” Often it is the nurs- The legal expert finds it important guaranteed in view of the fact that the ing staff who express reservations to emphasize that the intention is not arm has to come very close while per- during the project, for example because to inhibit innovation by regulatory forming its task? What should the arm certain safety aspects are weighted means; on the contrary: “Regulatory in- be allowed to do, and what not? Should more heavily from their perspective. struments can help show that the fears it be permitted to store information on When cooperating with manufacturers, and concerns of the general population how often it has scratched the patient? the scientists in Berlin often find how are taken seriously and can even as- Or how often it has given the patient little grasp there is of the ethical con- suage them if our existing standards are water? Furthermore, should it be able siderations relating to the product. All transferred to new technologies. We are to take the initiative and give the pa- the same, “the subject has clearly in the midst of a massive revolution

tient a glass of water if he or she has not gained in importance in recent years,” and have to take society along with us Graphics: MPI for Innovation and Competition

38 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 There is no justification for robots with as many human traits as possible. » They put the singularity of human life at risk.

when faced with such far-reaching also help improve the quality of nursing and empathy through robots,” says Axel technological developments.” services.” However, this would require Walz. “Respect for human dignity Walz himself does not see any rea- robots in nursing homes to be used in should therefore be the paramount prin- son for humanoid robots, i.e. robots such a way that the staff have more time ciple guiding the development and use that have as many human attributes as to give patients their personal attention, of robotic nurses.” possible. The ban on cloning primarily to take better care of them from a hu- refers to biological reproduction. “How- mane perspective. “It would be an ad- www.mpg.de/podcasts/ ever, the meaning and purpose of the mission of human defeat if one day we digitale-gesellschaft ban is to protect the singularity of hu- were actually to try to transmit affection (in German) man life, and I believe this is just as

much at risk if someone makes a bio- mechanical copy.” The associated ob- jectification of humanity would clear- SUMMARY ly violate Article 1 of the Basic Law. l When developing robotic nurses, legal and ethical aspects should be taken Particularly in the nursing sector, into account right from the start in order to meet the needs of patients and there is no reason to use android robots, nursing staff.

says Walz. Robotic nurses should not re- l Patients must be certain that the robots will not collect more data than is place human workers; instead, they absolutely necessary, and that this data is protected. Moreover, the robots should at most provide support. “As should not be allowed to incapacitate the patients. support in the everyday nursing routine, l The nurses also have to be protected from surveillance; the use of robotic particularly in the case of repetitive me- systems should be restricted to repetitive mechanical activities. chanical activities, robots are a great op- l A legal framework could help strengthen the acceptance of robotic nurses. portunity in view of the problem of

Graphics: MPI for Innovation and Competition Photo: Dan Bauer nursing staff shortages, and they could

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 39 SPECTRUM

Birth of a planet

A detailed image shows the young celestial body PDS 70b in the midst of a circumstellar disk

Researchers have so far identified more stellar disk of the star PDS 70: presum- than 3,800 exoplanets orbiting alien ably, the young giant planet is still ac- suns. Now, they have discovered an ex- cumulating material and, over time, tremely young member of this class of clearing a vast area as it orbits its moth- planets: the object PDS 70b is located er star once every 120 years. With sev- in the gas and dust disk surrounding its eral times the mass of Jupiter, PDS 70b mother star, PDS 70 and thus in the en- is encircled by clouds and has a tem- vironment where it was born. The plan- perature of just under 1,000 degrees et therefore offers a unique opportuni- centigrade. Furthermore, the separation ty to test models of planet formation of 22 astronomical units (equal to 22 and to learn about the early history of times the distance between the Earth our solar system. Located some 370 and the Sun) confirms the theory that light years from Earth, the celestial body gas giants such as Jupiter are formed at was tracked down by a team working a relatively large distance from their with doctoral student Miriam Keppler central star. (www.mpg.de/12136833) of the Max Planck Institute for Astron-

omy using an instrument at the Very Cosmic birth: this image, captured using the Very Large Telescope, shows the protoplanetary disk Large Telescope in Chile. The images around the star PDS 70. The young exoplanet PDS 70b is clearly visible as a bright spot at the inner show an extended gap in the circum- edge of the gap (dark area). The emission from the central star is not shown.

Neutrino from a remote galaxy

MAGIC telescopes have detected the origin of a particle that appears to come from the black hole of a blazar

Astrophysicists from the Max Planck Institute for Physics the center of a distant galaxy in the constellation of Ori- and colleagues have succeeded for the first time in locat- on. Neutrinos are difficult to detect. The largest detector ing the source of a high-energy cosmic neutrino. It is very in the world, which goes by the name of IceCube, only de- likely that it comes from a blazar, an active black hole in tects about 200 of these particles per day, most of them originating from the Sun. On 22 September 2017, IceCube detected a neutrino that was special: its very high energy of roughly 290 teraelectronvolts indicated that the particle might have traveled here from a distant source. More- over, scientists were able to identify its incoming direction with a high degree of precision, demonstrating that the particle originated from the blazar TXS 0506+056, which is approximately 4.5 billion light years away. The object also emits gamma rays in the very high energy region of at least 400 gigaelectronvolts, according to observations made using the two MAGIC telescopes on the Canary Is- land of La Palma. This is another indication that the neutrino captured by IceCube actually came from the blazar. (www.mpg.de/12131369)

Eyes into space: the two MAGIC telescopes provided valuable information about the course of a high-energy neutrino, which originated from the

distant blazar TXS 0506+056. Photos: ESO/A. Müller, MPIA (top), Robert Wagner/MAGIC Collaboration (bottom)

40 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 SPECTRUM

An eye for character A new computer system uses artificial intelligence Egg cell seeks sperm to identify people’s personality traits based on their eye movements Female gametes prefer sperm cells with different immune genes Computers are gradually learning to interpret human behavior – and can now also do so by analyzing the way people use their eyes. A team led by researchers from the Max Through clever selection of a particularly suitable partner, Planck Institute for Informatics has developed a software animals can increase the future success of their offspring. In system that can recognize a person’s character traits by us- some species, this selection process appears to continue even ing artificial intelligence to evaluate their eye movements. after the sex act: researchers at the Max Planck Institute for The technique analyzes how neurotic, agreeable, extro- Evolutionary Biology in Ploen have discovered that the egg vert, and conscientious the test subjects are. These four cells of a stickleback have a say in which sperm fertilize them. factors are an essential part of how psychologists gauge a They seem to make their decision based on the sperms’ im- person’s character. In addition, the software determines mune genes – or rather based on the major histocompatibil- how curious a person is. People also tend to make subcon- ity complex (MHC). A complex consisting of many different scious assessments of character on the basis of visual be- gene variants leads to a strong immune system. For a highly havior. The character studies produced by the Saarbrue varied gene complex, an egg cell must therefore merge with cken researchers’ software are not yet reliable enough for a sperm that possesses complementary gene variants. In- practical applications. However, with more extensive deed, the researchers’ experiments show that sperms whose training data, they should become significantly more ac- MHCs differ from that of the egg cell have the highest chance curate and could then help to make cooperation between of fertilization. Researchers do not yet know how the egg se- humans and computers more social, efficient, and flexi- lects the sperm. Given that selecting the correct immune ble. (www.mpg.de/12185266) genes has played an important role in human evolution, it is also possible that human egg cells are involved in choosing their partner during fertilization. (www.mpg.de/12308867)

Self-healing seed pods

In plants of the Australian genus Banksia, special waxes seal small fissures in the fruit wall

Some Australian plants need a lot of patience when it comes to propagation – and their seed pods must be able to repair themselves. Seeds of some species of Banksia remain in their lignified two-part pods for up to two decades before being released during bush fires. Banksia is a genus of evergreen plants that are only found in Aus- tralia. Some species use their fiery opening mechanism to ensure that the seeds encounter the perfect conditions for germination. In order for the seeds to remain intact over the long period beforehand despite changing weath- er conditions, it is possible that a self-healing mechanism prevents permanent damage to the seeds. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Golm, Potsdam, suspect that this may be the purpose of waxes found at the seam between the two halves of the A male stickleback displaying courtship colors. In this species, the females choose their mating partners carefully. However, a female pod. Their analyses show that the waxes are irrelevant stickleback cannot be sure that her offspring will receive the best once the pods open. However, they melt at temperatures immune genes, because each sperm contains only one of the two of 45 to 55 degrees centigrade, which are reached in some gene variants of a fish. The egg cells have therefore found a way to areas of Australia in summer. The researchers therefore select a sperm with suitable immune genes. hypothesize that the waxes patch up small fissures in the

Photos: ESO/A. Müller, MPIA (top), Robert Wagner/MAGIC Collaboration (bottom) Photo: MPI for Evolutionary Biology/M. Schwarz pods. (www.mpg.de/12123073)

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 41 SPECTRUM

Fatty tissue causes stress

Researchers clarify the relationship between excess weight and bowel cancer

Overweight people have a higher risk of developing bowel cancer. According to scientists from the Max Planck Insti- tute for Metabolism Research in Cologne, this may be partly due to a stress response in fatty tissue when the body is required to store an ever-increasing amount of excess fat. Persistent excess weight therefore puts the body in a permanent state of stress. This raises the alarm for the body’s immune defenses, which trigger inflammation in the fatty tissue and ultimately throughout the body. As a result, the immune cells are reprogramed so that they no longer combat the cancer cells repeatedly developing in the body, but rather aid their survival and thereby support tumor growth. The researchers also tested potential new treatment approaches on mice: they eliminated some of the immune cells and modified the animals’ genetic make-up so that immune cells could no longer be reprogramed despite a fatty diet. In both cases, the inflammation subsided in the mice’s fatty tissue, and the immune system began to combat the cancer cells Colon tissue from thin (left) and overweight mice (right). The latter shows again. (www.sf.mpg.de/1871353) more immune cells (blue) and tumors.

Early dentistry for horses

More than 3,000 years ago, Mongolian herders removed problematic teeth from young animals

Members of a Mongolian pastoral culture clusion reached by an international team of nants of skulls from almost 30 archaeologi- from the period between 1300 and 700 BC researchers working under William Taylor cal sites associated with this culture, the are thought to have been the first people to of the Max Planck Institute for the Science scientists showed that the herders began practice dentistry on horses. This is the con- of Human History in Jena. By analyzing rem- removing painful teeth from young animals in around 1150 BC. Dentistry for horses ap - pears to have emerged in parallel to the introduction of bronze and iron snaffles, which allowed humans to achieve more nu- anced control of horses as animals used for riding. However, the use of these mouth- pieces led to pain in what are known as the “wolf teeth” – vestigial teeth that develop in the jaws of some horses. This led the herders to develop a method for removing these problematic teeth – similar to the way vet- erinary surgeons remove them today. The ability to treat this problem was an indirect prerequisite for the settlement of new areas of Eurasia by horse-mounted peoples from the first millennium BC onward. (www. mpg.de/12120068)

The root of the problem: a healthy set of teeth is important in horses so that the mouthpiece of

the bridle does not cause the animals pain. Photos: MPI for Metabolism Research/Wunderlich (top); Stephen Mitchell/flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) (bottom)

42 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 Photos: MPI for Metabolism Research/Wunderlich (top); Stephen Mitchell/flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) (bottom)

Photos: MPI for Informatics (top); Jorge Vieira/IST Lisbon, Portugal (bottom) A puppetshowwithfacialexpressions tute forInformaticsinSaarbrueckenhasdevelopedasoft- ture. Ateamledbyresearchers fromtheMaxPlanckInsti- Dubbing films could become significantly easier in the fu- using video footage with this technology, thescientists are software cancorrectforthis.Giventhepotentialmis- look attheir own screen and not into the camera, and the in videoconferences.Peoplethesemeetingstypically also boosttheimpressionofanaturalconversationsetting money whenitcomestodubbingfilmsinthefuture.Itcan aconsiderableamountoftimeand tion pictureindustry correspond to the dialog.Thetechniquecould save themo ware toderiverealisticmovementsoftheactor’s facethat and artificialintelligence(AI)methodsthatallowthesoft- with thesound,researchers usea3Dmodeloftheface with thevideo.To synchronizeanactor’s facialexpressions This removes the need to coordinate the spoken words complete facialexpressionstomatchthefilm’s translation. ware packagethatcanadaptactors’mouthmovementsand dubbed over the film the over dubbed translation a match to videos in people of expressions facial the adapts software of piece new A Electrons rideplasmawave them fresh insights into the mysteries will soonopentophysicists,offering There isagoodchance that anewdoor First successful test of a new concept for the particle accelerators of the future the of accelerators particle the for concept new a of test successful First volves scientistsfromtheMaxPlanck AWAKE collaboration,whichalsoin of theuniverse.Theinternational - technique, which works using works which technique, Portraits Video the using (output) individual another onto transposed be can (input) pose head and direction gaze movements, lip expression, facial person’s A should bewatermarked. ifications invideosandadvocatethateditedmaterial researching methodsforautomaticallydetectingsuchmod Input - lisions. matter bystudyingthetraces ofthecol into the Big Bangand the structure of sible todate–andgainnewinsights cantly moreenergythanhasbeenpos- cause particlestocollidewithsignifi in Geneva.Physicistscouldtherefore in theLargeHadronCollideratCERN in 1meterastheywould50meters this principlewillgainasmuchenergy ture acceleratorsoperatingaccordingto trons. Theyexpectthatparticlesinfu- atoms andnegativelychargedelec ma wave–aofpositivelycharged electrons bylettingthemsurfonaplas- time, the researchers have accelerated type of particle accelerator. For the first through initseffortstobuildanew Institute forPhysics,hasmadeabreak- (small spheres) to high energies. high to spheres) (small electrons accelerates that structures) (ellipsoidal wave plasma a form structures) (bullet-like tons pro- experiment, AWAKE the in particles: Surfing ( www.mpg.de ( www.mpg.de 4 | MaxPlanckResearch MaxPlanckResearch 18 D face models (center). models face 3D /12226519) /12240838) SPECTRUM Output Deep 43 - - - - Astronomers conduct successful test of Einstein’s general theory of relativity in the galactic center galactic the in relativity of theory Einstein’sgeneral of test successful conduct Astronomers Vaccines withouteggs SPECTRUM 44 bly according to demand. Now, the Magdeburg-based research tlenecks about as this type of production requires cannot be ramped currently up flexi a billionhalf annum, per vaccines leading chicken to continual eggs bot- of production The accordingly. concen cell the monitored medium of and the supply nutrient adapted constantly trations they all, of Last cells. host the to tion solu nutrient fresh of supply efficient the allow which actors, in the re duck also cells. what They used are as known perfusion well timized so the that would viruses particularly multiply they op they example, For method. other any with possible viously pre were than concentrations higher achieved they proaches, ap various combining By vaccines. live for used those as such viruses zika and containing fever yellow produce to cells duck bioreactors of cultures used now has Magdeburg in Systems cal Techni of Complex for Dynamics Institute Planck Max the from researchers by led team A future. the in available readily more could become infections Vaccines against life-threatening some the surroundingareaandhasanim ly stronggravitationalfieldinfluences all kindsofphysicaltests.Itsextreme- Way for isanidealcosmiclaboratory The blackholeattheheartofMilky In thegravityfieldofblackhole Highly concentrated reproduction of some flaviviruses in bioreactors will be possible in the future the in possible be will bioreactors in flaviviruses some of reproduction concentrated Highly MaxPlanckResearch MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 - bert Einsteinpredictedwithhisgener- Physics have recorded an effect that Al Planck InstituteforExtraterrestrial nearby. Now, scientistsattheMax pact onthemotionofstarspassing ------Yellow fever viruses under an electron microscope. electron an under viruses fever Yellow ( method. their using multiplied be also can pathogen, enza influ the as such viruses, other whether investigating are ers www.mpg.de /12300448) /12300448) - gravitational field,makingitappear wavelengths bytheenormouslystrong from thestarS2wasstretchedtolonger known asgravitationalredshift:light surements clearlyshowedaneffect million kilometers per hour. The mea- was movingataspeedinexcessof25 mately 14billionkilometers.Thestar tional giantatadistanceofapproxi came particularlyclosetothisgravita- around the black hole.In May 2018,S2 called S2andfolloweditonitsorbit They turned their attention to a star thegalacticcenter.Chile toobserve rors oftheVery LargeTelescope in ago. Theresearchers usedallfourmir- ofrelativityover100years al theory field is clearly visible. clearly is field gravitational strong extremely the by caused redshift gravitational The center. galactic the in hole black the passing S2 star the shows illustration this change: color Relativistic ( precisely withEinstein’s prediction. red. Thischangeinwavelengthagreed www.mpg.de /12146084) /12146084) - -

Photos: ESO/M. Kornmesser (top), Alamy/CDC/BSIP (bottom) Photos: ESO/M. Kornmesser (top), Alamy/CDC/BSIP (bottom)

Photos: CCRG (top), Yasmine Gateau/Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History (bottom) Parrots thinkineconomicterms Our fracturedAfricanroots al mixing. tures –followedinturnbyperiods ofgeneticandcultur- velopment ofuniquecultures, andspecificbiologicalfea- This likely led to corresponding local adaptation, the de- groups ofpeopleexperienced manyphasesofisolation. habitats overthepast300,000 years,theindividual by adetailedreconstructionofAfrica’s climatezonesand es and a resulting shift in habitable zones. As suggested searchers believethatthiswascausedbyclimaticchang- times. Geneticfindingsalsosupportthispicture.There - modern featuresatmultiplelocationsanddifferent man fossils also show a complex mix of archaic and ment tookplaceinvariousregionsindependently. Hu- facts suggestthatasimilarprocessofculturaldevelop tion. Accordingtothestudy, stonetoolsand otherarti- inJena,hascalledthisview intoques- of HumanHistory ty ofOxfordandtheMaxPlanckInstituteforScience study ledbyEleanorScerri,aresearcher attheUniversi- tively largedemographicgroup.Now, aninternational the earlyancestorsofHomosapienswereasingle,rela- mans lieinAfrica.Foralongtime,itwasassumedthat It isgenerallyacceptedthattheoriginsofmodernhu future the in reward greater a expect they if benefit immediate an forgo birds The Diverse in form and culture, our ancestors lived scattered across the entire continent of Africa of continent entire the across scattered lived ancestors our culture, and form in Diverse ( www.mpg.de/ 12131917) the token if it can later exchange it for food of a higher nutritional value. nutritional higher a of food for it exchange later can it if token the chooses generally bird The token”. or “food decision the facing parrot gray African An foods ofalow, medium,andhighnu- reals, sunflowerseeds,andwalnuts– with differenttokensrepresentingce- parrots toexchangetokensforfood, for OrnithologyinSeewiesentaught searchers attheMaxPlanckInstitute better towaitforagreaterreward.Re they arecapableoflearningwhenitis bird inthehandthantwobush”, tothesaying“bettera cept: contrary Parrots haveclearlygraspedthiscon and a greater reward at a future date. tween animmediate,butsmall,reward ple, whenitcomestochoosingbe Sometimes, itpaystowait–forexam - - of human development. human of picture new a painting are habitats into insights and data, genetic fossils, finds, archaeological humankind: of history puzzling The - - - - ments. well aschimpanzeesinsimilarexperi- themselves. Thebirdsperformjustas decision andmaximizing the benefit to therefore capableofmakingarational of theimmediatereward.Parrotsare ed ahighernutritionalvaluethanthat ward infavorofatokenifitrepresent animmediatere erally onlyforwent The resultsshowthattheparrotsgen for foodofahighernutritionalvalue. they wouldlaterbeabletoexchange an immediaterewardandatokenthat were theninvitedtochoosebetween tritional valueforbirds.Theparrots (www.mpg.de/ 4 | MaxPlanckResearch MaxPlanckResearch 18 12250812 SPECTRUM ) 45 - - - SPECTRUM

Rendezvous in the Stone Age Gene Different forms of humans have interbred more often than previously assumed mix Until around 40,000 years ago, two Planck Institute for Evolutionary An- forms of humans inhabited Eurasia: thropology in Leipzig analyzed the ge- Neanderthals in the west and Deniso- netic make-up of a prehistoric woman vans in the east. Together with the Ne- and discovered that her mother was a up anderthals, the also extinct Denisovans Neanderthal and her father a Deniso- are the closest relatives of modern hu- van. This union was not the first of its mans. The two groups of early humans kind, for the woman’s father counted A disease is considered ›rare‹ if only probably didn’t encounter one anoth- at least one Neanderthal among his an- 5 out of 10,000 people suffer from it – er very often, but when they did, they cestors. The analyses also indicated must have mated fairly frequently. that the mother was more closely relat- often making it difficult for medics to Otherwise, there would be no way to ed to Neanderthals living in western come up with an accurate diagnosis. The explain why the small number of early Europe than to Neanderthals from the humans that researchers have studied Denisova Cave. The Neanderthals must Foundation supported Stefan Mundlos so far includes a direct offspring from therefore have migrated between west- at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular a union between Neanderthals and ern and eastern Eurasia before their dis- Genetics. His technology enables Denisovans: researchers at the Max appearance. (www.mpg.de/12208106) the genetic data of patients to be 1 cm

The bone fragment found in the Denisova Cave in Russia in 2012 is just a few centimeters spe cifically compared to data relating to in size. It comes from a woman whose parents belonged to different hominin groups. rare diseases, thereby increasing the effectiveness of diagnosis and therapy. ADVERTISING Art in the midst of competition and cooperation

An online project shows parallels with the dynamics of cultural evolution

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Jena have used an art project on the popular web platform Reddit to explore how culture evolves. Over the space of three days, Reddit opened up a digital can- The Max Planck Foundation has vas on which every user could place just a single pixel in a sup ported the Max Planck Society for given period of time. More than a million users took part. more than ten years by providing As the canvas filled up quickly, small groups had to learn to work together or drive out rival teams in order to place an targeted funding for top-level innovative element, such as the flag of their home country, in the pic- and cutting-edge research at the more ture. For Thomas Müller and James Winters from the Insti- tute in Jena, the project provided an opportunity to test the than 80 institutes, enabling breakthroughs dynamics of cultural change. The striking thing was that the in frontier science. As a patron, you elements became increasingly dependent on one another for survival – especially as the canvas ran out of space. These can make a crucial difference by creating findings corroborate the view that cultural change follows additional scope to keep this research a similar logic to that of biological adaptation: the success of individuals manifests itself in the skillful defense of their ahead of the curve in the international territories, but cooperation is ultimately the key to lasting Joint work: a section of the 1,000 by 1,000 pixel canvas at the end of the art project on Reddit. Max Planck researchers used the initiative scientific competition. Join us! success. (www.mpg.de/12251403) to understand mechanisms of cultural development.

Photos: T. Higham, University of Oxford (top), Reddit (bottom) Max-Planck-Foundation Deutsche Bank www.maxplanckfoundation.org IBAN DE46 7007 0010 0195 3306 00

46 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 Gene mix up

A disease is considered ›rare‹ if only 5 out of 10,000 people suffer from it – often making it difficult for medics to come up with an accurate diagnosis. The Foundation supported Stefan Mundlos at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics. His technology enables the genetic data of patients to be spe cifically compared to data relating to rare diseases, thereby increasing the effectiveness of diagnosis and therapy. ADVERTISING

The Max Planck Foundation has sup ported the Max Planck Society for more than ten years by providing targeted funding for top-level innovative and cutting-edge research at the more than 80 institutes, enabling breakthroughs in frontier science. As a patron, you can make a crucial difference by creating additional scope to keep this research ahead of the curve in the international scientific competition. Join us!

Photos: T. Higham, University of Oxford (top), Reddit (bottom) Max-Planck-Foundation Deutsche Bank www.maxplanckfoundation.org IBAN DE46 7007 0010 0195 3306 00 of the solartheof system oddballsThe PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY_Asteroids into the traditional categories. categories. traditional the into fit quite don’t that bodies system solar asteroids”,small “active studying is Jessica Agarwal the At textbooks. in line official the was this years, many for – asteroids or comets either are Sun the orbiting bodies Small 48 1.4 years, Phaethon approaches the Sun from theSunvariesconsiderably –every In thecourseofeachorbit,its distance the Sunonanelongatedelliptical path. asteroid identified in 1983 that orbits the dust.ItcomesfromPhaethon, an omers havelongknowntheoriginof lar beliefwouldhaveit. make asecretwishcometrue,aspopu- the fleetingburstsoflightthatwill mosphere. Whenitdoes,produces vent forthisdusttoburnupinitsat- Ad- in preciselytherightpositionevery tiny grainsofcosmicdust,andEarthis These shootingstarsaremadeupof therefore knownastheGeminids. are the constellationGemini,andthey the meteorsappeartobecomingfrom extend thetrailsoflightbackwards, T TEXT MaxPlanckResearch 4 MaxPlanckResearch Taking amorerationalview, astron THORSTEN DAMBECK THORSTEN gift: shootingstars.Ifyou and 14 can hope fora special season betweenDecember4 the nightskyinAdvent hose who cast theirgaze to | 18 -

in Goettingen, in Max PlanckInstitutefor SolarSystem Research point amongthegeneralpublic. The the night sky even become a talking Sun. Then,thespectaculargoings-on in gas anddustwhentheyareclose tothe sometimes produce impressive tails of about sinceancienttimes andcan comets.” Thelatterhavebeenknown “Normally, meteor streams come from forSolarSystemResearch.Institute oftheMaxPlanck says JessicaAgarwal to bethesource ofameteorstream,” “It’s highlyunusualforanasteroid IN THE MAINBELT MOST ASTEROIDS ORBIT surface andoutintospace. can catapulttinydustparticlesoffthe pressure fromtheintensivesunlight grees centigrade,andtheradiation kilometers wide,risestoover700de- surface ofthebody, whichisjustfive At thispoint,thetemperatureon (AU), oraround20millionkilometers. to adistanceof0.14astronomicalunits

that the asteroid asteroid the that the from images of sequence This illusion! optical An planets MarsandJupiter. belt. Thisliesbetweenthetwolarge Sun in what astronomers call the main sands, with most of them orbiting the cataloged intheirhundredsofthou 51). Theseobjectshavesincebeen page considered adwarfplanet(seeboxon resentative foralongtimebutisnow example, Ceres,wastheirlargestrep- about foraround200years.Thefirst of ice. Asteroids have only been known too emitsdust,itdoessointheabsence taught intextbooks. ori swept awaybysublimatingiceandisthe dust that comets release into space is At any nuclei, and a dust tail. dust a and nuclei, two the envelops which coma, a – comet a of characteristics key the exhibits body tial celes the addition, In another. one orbiting gin oftheperiodicmeteorstreams. Phaethon isdifferent:althoughit rate, that is what has long been Hubble Space Telescope shows 288 P consists of two parts parts two of consists P

- > -

Photos: NASA, ESA, and J. Agarwal (Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research) Photos: NASA, ESA, and J. Agarwal (Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research) September September September September August 22, 2016 22, 20, 29, 2016 9, 2016 1, 2016 2016 Cosmic odd and ends: the dwarf planet Ceres (left) is an asteroid, whereas Hale Bopp belongs to the family of comets. Until a few years ago, astronomers drew a clear distinction between the two classes because of their different features, but the boundaries are becoming increasingly blurred.

Asteroids and comets – Jessica Agarwal and which the researchers dated back ed the spot of light to be a large frag- knows her way around both fields, as to the year 2009. The following year, ment from an asteroid collision. An well as the boundary region between they observed the developing tail of X-shaped structure in the dust tail, di- them: “We conduct research at the in- P/2010 A2 for five months using the rectly behind the fragment, makes this terface between astronomy and geo- Hubble Space Telescope. It turned out asteroid a unique specimen. physics,” says the Goettingen-based that it was different from a normal Some of the active asteroids are also astronomer, whose work examines comet’s tail because, since comets emit referred to as main-belt comets. In their physical processes that can have a pro- gas and dust almost continuously while case, the astronomers suspect that the found effect on these small celestial they are near the Sun, they usually have dust emission is driven by water ice or bodies. One focus of the scientist’s work a fan-shaped tail. other volatile substances that subli- is an even more elusive subgroup of the mate and sweep near-surface dust par- minor planets: the so-called active aster- A UNIQUE X-SHAPED ticles away in the process, as happens oids. Phaethon belongs to this particu- STRUCTURE IN THE DUST TAIL in comets. One example of this group lar group of oddballs, whose common of objects is 288P, which follows an el- feature is that they can emit dust. A pa- In contrast, the linear tail of P/2010 A2 liptical path in the outer main belt and per published in 2015 already included suggested that it was formed by a sin- takes 5.3 years to complete a full orbit 18 such specimens, most of which are gle, brief event. On the first detailed of the Sun. only a few kilometers in size, with the Hubble photos, the researchers noticed This minor planet has only been notable examples of Scheila and Ceres, a spot of light and estimated the diam- known about since 2006, after the which have estimated diameters of 113 eter of the corresponding object to be Spacewatch telescope in Kitt Peak Na- and 975 kilometers respectively. around 120 meters. “The nucleus al- tional Observatory, Arizona, discovered Asteroids become smaller and smaller most seemed to be detached from the a small, weak spot of light; this tele- due to collisions with other small bodies dust cloud,” says Agarwal, who at that scope is specially designed for small so- in what Agarwal compares to a grind- time was still analyzing the images at lar system bodies. Just five years later, ing process. One example is the colli- the ESA’s research center in Noordwijk, the object was observed during several

sion that struck the object P/2010 A2 the Netherlands. The experts interpret- months of activity close the Sun. The Photos: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA (left), E. Kolmhofer, H. Raab; Johannes-Kepler-Observatory, Linz, Austria (http://www.sternwarte.at)/CC-BY-SA 3.0

50 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY_Asteroids

The Main Mars Asteroid Belt

Sun photos clearly showed a short dust tail ter of gravity; both have a diameter of Earth pointing away from the Sun and an ap- around 1.8 kilometers. The striking Jupiter proximately six-times-longer trail run- thing is their relatively large separation ning along its direction of motion. of approximately 100 kilometers. Even at that time, the long period of ac- The active binary asteroid is a good tivity pointed to the sublimation of ice example of how these bodies can turn as the driving force for dust emission. out to be fascinating objects. They al- September 2016 offered especially low researchers to study – live, so to Rich source: most asteroids orbit the Sun favorable conditions for observing speak – the processes of change they are on trajectories between the planets Mars and 288P, which came as close as 1.45 AU undergoing. 288P probably originates Jupiter, in what is known as the main belt. to Earth, providing a great opportunity from a collision that long ago destroyed for Jessica Agarwal and her colleagues a precursor body with a diameter of to unravel further secrets about their around 10 kilometers. That instant, ing, it is a very young family. A second object of study. High-resolution photos some 7.5 million years ago, marked the collision at a later stage might then taken by the Hubble Space Telescope birth of not only 288P but also a whole have split 288P into two fragments. Or now clarified what previous images had family of asteroids. At least eleven it might already have been a binary ob- only hinted at: 288P is binary! In other members of this group have already ject when it emerged from its violent words, it consists of two separate com- been identified, with their similar or- birth. “Neither option can be ruled ponents of roughly the same size, bits around the Sun betraying their out,” says Jessica Agarwal. “We don’t which orbit about their common cen- common origin. Astronomically speak- know exactly what happened.” >

AN ACTIVE GIANT

On the scale of the entire solar system, Ceres is only a dwarf, asymmetric hilltop rising from its center – this is the scene of with an average diameter of 975 kilometers and just 0.28% of past cryovolcanic activity. Scientists from the Max Planck the mass of the lightest planet, Mercury. However, it is a gi- Institute for Solar System Research have discovered that salt ant among the active asteroids, most of which are just a few solutions escaped from this location until well into recent kilometers in diameter. Since June 2018, the space probe Dawn geological history. When the water evaporated, it left be- has been orbiting Ceres on a new, highly elliptical path. At hind light-colored deposits that spectroscopic measure- points, this NASA probe is only around ments have identified as sodium 35 kilometers from the surface, bring- carbonate. Further bright spots in ing Dawn closer than ever to its object the eastern part of the crater are of study since its arrival in March 2015. probably also points at which a From this short distance, it has now water/salt mixture came to the been able to take detailed photos, surface. Several current studies some of them with ten times better suggest that the crust of Ceres resolution, of the 90-kilometer-wide contains large quantities of water Occator crater (see image), providing ice. It is likely that a steady stream the best view yet of the ominous of smaller meteorite impacts and bright spots that Dawn had previously landslides uncover deposits of ice, discovered there. which then evaporate. This creates In the middle of this impact crater an extremely thin atmosphere of is a depression with a strikingly bright, water vapor, or “exosphere”. Graphic: designergold based on a draft from the MPG; photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 51 disappeared from the scene entirely and has never been seen again. again. seen been never has and entirely scene the it end, from the In disappeared rock. of lumps large of agglomeration loose a once was object the Presumably, 52 the subliminggascouldproduceajet- near thesurface,then recoil from “For example,iftherearepatchesofice kind canbetriggeredbyvariouscauses. affect asteroids–andadramaofthis to occurincometsforsometime,also events, whichhavealreadybeenknown quickly aroundtheirownaxis.Such other words,whentheyrotatetoo be tornapartbycentrifugalforces, in scenario. Smallcelestialobjectscanalso There is, however, another plausible Total disintegration: the asteroid P/ asteroid the disintegration: Total MaxPlanckResearch 4 MaxPlanckResearch SHREDDED ASTEROIDS and Apollo. Evidently, the rotation of the active asteroid P/ asteroid active the of rotation the Evidently, Apollo. and image). (see rotation asteroid’s the of acceleration or deceleration cause can effect the addition, In plane. orbital its to antiparallel or perpendicular, parallel, aligns then which rotation, of axis body’s the of position spatial the alter can This torque. continuous a producing directionally, body the from emitted is diation ra thermal when sunlight. It of occurs influence the under asteroids, as such ies, bod celestial small of state rotation the of alteration is agradual YORP effect The The effect was first demonstrated in 2007 by studying the asteroids YORP asteroids the studying by 2007 in demonstrated first was effect The Sun | 18 2013 R 3 practically crumbled before the astronomers’ eyes. hot of the mutual orbit, causing the two an importantroleinthedevelopment tation. Thiseffectmayalsohaveplayed precisely such a process of escalating ro- gine” effecttore288Papartthrough latest analysessuggestthatthis“jeten- up afterjustafewthousandyears.The stand,” saysAgarwal. level thatthebodycannolongerwith- tively quickly–untilitexceedsacritical like effectthatspeedsuprotationrela- cold Therefore, theasteroidcouldbreak zievskii, and and zievskii, ers research the the of surnames in letters first the of acronym an is effect the of name The forces. centrifugal resulting the to due frag ments ten least at into up it broke that extent an such to effect YORP the by ated Y arkovsky, arkovsky, 2013 R P 3 addack. O was acceler ’Keefe, R ad - - - - - below). Anothervariant,knownasthe eventually tearthebodyapart(seebox of heat–untilthecentrifugalforces tion withsunlightandthere-radiation to speedup–simplydueillumina- small, irregularlyshapedcelestialbody YORP effectcancausetherotationofa over longperiodsoftime,theso-called cess that can alter a body’s rotation: ture of288Pinthefirstplace. allowed the largeseparationseentoday–which ther apartuntiltheyultimatelyreached components to movefurtherand fur- enly classifieditasacomet. Couldthe distinct tail, the researchers first mistak- quantities of dust,thereby producing a known asarubblepileasteroid. weak gravitationalpulltoform whatis loosely heldtogetherbythebody’s tion ofdustandlargelumpsrock, ably nothingmorethananagglomera- it wasdiscovered.P/2013R3prob- tember 2013–justafewmonthsbefore and Sep- eral stages between February the asteroidbeganbreakingupinsev- dividual fragments.Thisindicatesthat to extrapolatethe trajectories of thein Keck telescope, on Hawaii, can be used 100,000 tonnes. mass theresearchers haveestimatedat by acloudofdustanddebris,whose than 200 meters. This was accompanied largest ofwhichhasaradiusless fragments havebeenidentified,the caused by the YORPeffect:at least ten rapid rotation,whichwasprobably as theasteroidfellvictimtoitsown The researchers had an almost live view andothercolleaguesin2014. Agarwal fornia inLosAngelesalongwithJessica JewittoftheUniversityCali- David asteroid P/2013R3,aswitnessedby this ledtothefragmentationof and furtherapart. gether again–ormovethemfurther systembackto- ponents ofabinary YORPeffect,canbringthecom binary Experts alsoknowofanotherpro- Photos takenbyHubbleandthe As thecelestialbodyreleased large A particularlydramaticexampleof to reveal the binary na- Hubble torevealthebinary - -

Photos: NASA/ESA/D. Jewitt (UCLA) (top); graphic: designergold based on a draft from the MPG PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY_Asteroids

asteroid also have been destroyed by an impact? Agarwal thinks this is unlikely because, as she explains, the speed of the fragments is far too slow to have resulted from a collision. Like- wise, “jet effects” due to the sublimation of frozen substances – above all water ice – are highly unlikely, as there was no indication whatsoever of pro- longed sublimation-driven dust activity.

VANISHED NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN

When studying active asteroids, you always have to be prepared for surprises. “P/2013 R3 disintegrated, disappeared, and has never reappeared since. The object P/2016 G1 was obviously just a dust cloud, or at any rate the nucleus was too small to be visible. P/2013 P5, on the other hand, exhibited nine highly individual dust tails,” says Jes sica Agarwal. This booming area of research has also drawn the attention of the space agencies. In January 2018, for example, the ESA considered launching a mission to several active small solar An eye for the unusual: Jessica Agarwal from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Goettingen dedicates her time to studying active asteroids. These celestial bodies have special system bodies, although initially this characteristics, such as being made up of multiple nuclei or outwardly resembling a comet. was merely a theoretical study. The Japanese space agency, JAXA, has made

more progress: with the Destiny+ space probe, it is planning to venture forth to SUMMARY the source of the Geminid stream – that l In recent years, researchers have discovered that there is no clear dividing line is, to Phaethon – with a launch planned between tail-forming comets and asteroids.

for 2022. l A group of transition objects in the planetary system are referred to as active Four years later, if everything goes asteroids because they can release dust and form tails.

to plan, a dust detector on board the l Asteroids have also been discovered that consist of a binary body. probe could be inspecting the raw ma- l Some asteroids seem to consist only of a dust cloud, while others break up before terial that brings shooting stars to researchers’ eyes. Earth’s sky each December; the instrument is being developed at the Univer- sity of Stuttgart. But Phaethon has a GLOSSARY volatile nature, with active phases also Astronomical unit: One astronomical unit (AU) is the average distance between Earth followed by long periods of relative and the Sun and is equal to 149.57 million kilometers. tranquility. If Jessica Agarwal could Cryovolcanism: A form of volcanism in which volcanoes do not eject hot lava, as on wish for a target object for a space Earth, but rather methane, carbon dioxide, water, or ammonia. These substances are probe, her choice would be a different present in a frozen state inside a planet or moon. one, however: “288P! It shows comet- Sublimation: On Earth, substances such as water pass from the solid state to the liquid like activity, and the large separation state and then into the gaseous state. When one of these phases is skipped and a substance between its components is unique. That passes directly from the solid to the gaseous state, the process is known as sublimation.

Photos: NASA/ESA/D. Jewitt (UCLA) (top); graphic: designergold based on a draft from the MPG Photo: Ronald Schmidt/AFWK would be my favorite.”

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 53 BIOLOGY & MEDICINE_Stem Cells

A grain of brain

Skin cells, liver cells, neural cells – the human body is made up of various different cell types. Hans Schöler and his team at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Muenster have successfully turned these specialists back into generalists that are capable of cell division. These are able to produce different types of cells, and to develop into organ-like structures, for example into so-called brain organoids. The scientists use these to study basic processes in the human brain and the formation of diseases such as Parkinson’s.

54 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 TEXT HARALD RÖSCH

hen Hans Schöler be- only develop in one direction: from able to replicate. One example of this gan to examine the generalists, known as pluripotent are so-called induced pluripotent stem cells in early embry- (“all-rounder”) stem cells to mature cells. For this transformation to be pos- os back in the 1980s, specialists that are optimized for per- sible, the genes for the transcription he could never have forming specific functions. Such stem factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc in guessedW where his research would take cells can thus differentiate into any particular need to be active. These him one day. His journey started with type of cell found in the body. genes are also activated during the ear- his discovery of a gene called Oct4 ly stage of embryonic development. Re- during his work at the Max Planck In- SPECIALISTS ARE TURNED BACK searchers can trigger the transforma- stitute for Biophysical Chemistry in INTO GENERALISTS tion into generalists by equipping Goettingen. Thirty years later, this specialized cells in a culture dish with would enable him to grow and exam- The dogma of cell development as a these genes. In 2012 the Japanese stem ine different parts of the human brain. “one-way street” is now history, since cell researcher Shinya Yamanaka was Until quite recently, most of Schöler’s it is possible to use specialists to pro- awarded the Nobel Prize for this discov- peers were convinced that cells could duce generalists that are by all means ery. “When cells are transformed, their

Brain organoids in the petri dish: in the red nutrient solution, the pin-head sized neural cell clusters can be kept alive and examined over a long period of time. The darkened regions of the six month-old brain organoids are caused by pigment deposits. Photo: Thomas Rauen

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 55 BIOLOGY & MEDICINE_Stem Cells

body cells

Oct4 Sox2

Klf4 c-Myc

reprograming

pluripotent stem cells

From specialist to generalist to specialist: body cells can be turned back into all-rounders simply by adding viral transduction of the cells with the genes for four transcription factors. These cells are then able to develop further into any type of cell. If the transcription factor Oct4 is replaced by Brn4, the resulting cells are not all-rounders muscle cells but merely multi-talented cells. These neuronal stem cells are able to generate different cell types of the nervous system. blood cells intestinal cells

biological clock is turned back almost with the related Brn4 gene, they are transform mature brain cells into neu- to zero,” says Schöler. If it were turned able to transform a mature connective ral stem cells in order to produce neu- back all the way, the cell could develop tissue cell, which are part of the hu- ral precursor cells to replace degenerat- into an entire organism including the man skin, into a certain type of stem ed neural cells. placenta. Cells would then be totipo- cell. This type of stem cell is no longer Unlike mature cells of the central tent. However, this kind of reprogram- able to produce all cell types of the nervous system, neural stem cells are ing is not currently possible. body, but can produce the cells of the capable of cell division. Their daughter Whether a cell is a generalist or a central nervous system. Mature spe- cells become the different cell types specialist thus depends primarily on cialists are thus transformed back into that also exist in the human brain: dif- the genes that are active inside the cell. juvenile “multi-talents”. These neural ferent types of neural cells and the far Researchers are able to control this by stem cells are not pluripotent but mere- more numerous glial cells. Whereas adding transcription or growth factors. ly multipotent. “To obtain multipo- most cells in the brain and spinal cord Schöler – who is now a Director at the tent stem cells, the biological clock is have lost their ability to divide, in a few Max Planck Institute for Molecular Bio- not turned back quite as far as for plu- areas of the brain, neural stem cells ex- medicine – found out that his old ripotent stem cells,” explains Schöler. ist naturally even into adulthood. friend from his time in Goettingen, the Scientists refer to such cells as induced “When we introduce these repro- Oct4 gene, acts like a captain steering neural stem cells. gramed cells into appropriate niches in its cell vessel towards pluripotency. The brains of fully grown mice, they con- other three genes in Yamanaka’s mix- REDUCED RISK OF CANCER tinue to grow and produce specialized ture could be described as the vessel’s cells that are not able to divide further,” crew: Sox2 and Klf4 can be replaced The advantage of this method is that it says Schöler. This is a central require- with related genes, and c-Myc is entire- is safer to reprogram skin cells into neu- ment for medical use, as tumors, whose ly expendable. ral stem cells, as no pluripotent cells are growth is almost unlimited, might oth- In 2012, Schöler and his team in produced. The risk of tumor formation erwise form in the brain. Muenster made another important dis- is reduced as a result. However, in the If this approach also works for hu-

covery: by replacing the Oct4 gene future, the scientists would rather mans, the method could be used to re- Illustration: University of Utah

56 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 BIOLOGIE & MEDIZIN_xxxxxxx

The generation of brain organoids is still manual work, which makes the process unnecessarily lengthy and error-prone. The scientists from Muenster are therefore developing a robot system in order to generate large numbers of organoids in a standardized manner. This system will also be used for drug screening on brain tissues. In the future, this work may give rise to personalized therapies for all patients. The robot enables the scientists to generate, care for and test up to 20,000 brain organoids a day. By way of comparison: no more than a few hundred organoids can be cared for by hand each day. These also vary greatly and are therefore unsuitable for drug development.

place brain cells that were lost due to development into neural stem cells is clusters are generated that have a strik- an illness or an accident. Induced neu- then triggered by viruses that integrate ing resemblance with the brains of ear- ral stem cells would, however, need to a “cocktail” of genes comprising Brn4, ly embryos. be injected directly into the patient’s af- Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc into the cells’ ge- These small cell clusters are of great fected brain areas – a difficult and un- nome. After a short time, the bottom interest to Hans Schöler and his team, pleasant procedure. This could be of the dish is covered in a layer of neu- since like the brain, these brain organ- avoided if scientists were able to repro- ral cells. oids consist of different, interconnect- gram cells that already exist in the ed regions. “We are able to watch the brain into multi-talents. For example, CELL CLUSTERS IN first developmental steps of the brain, this could be achieved with the help of A PETRI DISH and to examine, for example, how ma- RNA or other molecules that would ac- nipulations of the genome affect de- tivate genes which are responsible for Austrian scientists and peers from the velopment,” explains Schöler. Anoth- transforming cells into multi-talents. United Kingdom developed a method er advantage is that the organoids This is what the scientists are cur- that allows cells not only to form a consist of human cells. The scientists rently working on. They cultivate hu- two-dimensional cell layer, but to grow therefore no longer need to resort to man skin cells in culture dishes at a in all directions – in other words, a 3D brain tissue from mice or rats, as has temperature of 37 degree Celsius, in cell culture. A protein-based gel is used generally been the case to date. This nutrient solutions that contain growth to provide scaffolding for the dividing tissue differs from human tissue in

Illustration: University of Utah Photo: Jan Bruder factors that promote cell division. The cells. In this way, pin-head sized cell many ways. >

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 57 Top Hans Schöler with a 3 D model of Oct4. He has dedicated a significant part of his research career to studying this transcription factor. He discovered that the protein plays a decisive role in the formation of stem cells (The different molecular regions are shown in blue, green and red; grey: DNA). Bottom Pluripotent stem cells can specialize in the laboratory and form three-dimensional brain organoids. Scientists use these to study the reprograming of different cell types into stem cells. These are again able to produce different types of neural cells.

The structure of the brain organoids is almost identical to that of an early fe- tus brain: it may for example resemble reprograming a cerebral cortex with different cell layers, into which new neural cells migrate differentiation along glial cells until they find their fi- neural nal position. Neural cells in brain or- cells ganoids can also feature characteristics that are typical of cells in the hippo- campus, a brain region that is important for learning and memory formation. Even a precursor of the retina in organoid neural the eye may form. progenitor cells

stem cells SYNCHRONOUS ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY

Within ten to twelve weeks, the initial few thousand connective tissue cells thus develop into a cluster of brain tis- cells. Neural cell networks that syn- the limit of what is possible without sue the size of a pin-head – unremark- chronize their electrical activity are blood vessels, as oxygen and nutrients able in appearance, yet extraordinarily formed as a result. This gives rise to cannot sufficiently diffuse in the cell complex. The cells themselves also ap- wavelike activity patterns that resemble complex to supply the cells at the cen- pear to develop in the same way as they those that are made visible in EEG ex- ter,” Schöler explains. However, even would in a natural organism. Their ap- aminations of natural brains – albeit far if the organoids do not grow further, pearance is exactly identical to that of less complex. it is possible to keep them alive for a their natural counterparts. Electrical ac- After two months, a brain organoid long time: “In our laboratory we have tivity in the neural cells is also similar has reached its final size, with a diam- maintained organoids in culture for as to that of the corresponding natural eter of up to one millimeter. “This is long as a year.”

58 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 BIOLOGY & MEDICINE_Stem Cells

The brain organoids open up un- tiny tissue sample from Parkinson’s pa- these into induced pluripotent stem dreamt-of possibilities for scientists. tients is sufficient for isolating connec- cells. After various growth factors were They allow not only for an examina- tive tissue cells. These cells feature the added, the stem cells developed further tion of the development of the central exact genetic alterations that cause the into dopamine-releasing neural cells, nervous system in the early stage, but patient’s condition. Once they have like those typical for the Substantia nig- also of the development of diseases. been reprogramed into neural stem ra region that is particularly affected by Schöler and his team focus in particu- cells, they will pass on these mutations Parkinson’s. The scientists found that lar on neurodegenerative diseases such to their daughter cells. The scientists the mutated LRRK2 gene activates an- as Parkinson’s. also strive to discover the mechanisms other enzyme called ERK in such a that cause the Parkinson’s disease in strong manner that this causes a mis- DYING NEURAL CELLS non-inherited cases. Schöler: “The ad- regulation of other genes and subse- vantage compared to the previously quently the degeneration of mature In 90 to 95 percent of cases, Parkinson’s examined mice brains is that we are neural cells. The premature death of disease develops without a known ge- able to work with human cells that de- these cells could be prevented when the netic cause. In these cases, the disease velop under relatively natural condi- scientists rectified the mutation of the therefore does not appear to be heredi- tions. This makes for a far more realis- LRRK2 gene. tary. The most obvious symptoms of tic model for studying the disease than the disease – movement disorders, stiff- a mouse.” HELP FOR PARKINSON’S ness, tremor and finally dementia – are A few years ago, Hans Schöler and RESEARCH due to a loss of neural cells in the Sub- his team used this type of genetically stantia nigra, a region in the midbrain modified stem cells and discovered the Schöler and his team were able to gain that is responsible for controlling effects of a mutation that occurs in important insights into the changes movement. These cells release the neu- some patients suffering from a heredi- that occur in the cells of these Parkin- rotransmitter dopamine to pass on tary form of the disease. To do so, the son’s patients. Schöler expects that in their signals. Medication that counter- researchers took a skin biopsy contain- the future, even more findings will be acts the decrease of dopamine can alle- ing connective tissue cells from Parkin- made with the help of brain organ- viate the symptoms and slow down the son’s patients who had a mutation in oids. Unlike the cell cultures used in disease’s progress, but it cannot stop it. the LRRK2 gene, and reprogramed the survey, the three-dimensional brain To this date, it is largely unclear why the neural cells degenerate in this area of the brain in the first place. One of the reasons for this lack of informa- THINKING BRAIN ORGANOIDS? tion is that no suitable model system of Parkinson’s had been available so Today’s brain organoids are a long way from the visions shown in some science fic- far. “There are mouse models with mu- tion movies, in which entire human brains are floating in nutrient solutions, com- tated genes as can be found in many municating with the outside world via cables. The neural cells in the organoids are Parkinson’s patients. Although these electrically active and they communicate with each other. However, they contain animals show some of the typical far fewer cells than a fully grown human brain and are therefore unable to form symptoms of the disease, there are sig- networks that are nearly as complex as those present in their natural counterparts. nificant aspects of the disorder that The organoids also receive hardly any signals from their environment, as they do cannot be examined in rodents. The not possess any sensory organs. This is why the scientists from Muenster prefer to brains of mice and men just differ too refer to these brain-like structures as brainoids, rather than using the term “mini- much,” says Schöler. brain” that is used in many articles about this subject. Brain organoids from human cells

Photo: MPI for Molecular Biomedicine / J. Müller-Keuker; Illustration: are expected to solve this problem. A

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 59 organoids enable the scientists to organoids, Schöler aims to replicate the study the effects that mutations, such complex processes within and between as in the LRRK2 gene, have on the con- neural cells, to resemble those that oc- nectivity and functioning of neural cur in the natural human brain as close- cell networks. ly as possible. While this would not render animal LESS ANIMAL TESTING experiments obsolete, brain organoids may still be a valuable alternative for Brain organoids from the Schöler lab many scientific questions. Schöler’s may have another advantage: one day work is in line with the objectives of they could make many experiments re- the Max Planck Society as set out in dundant that are currently conducted 2017 in a general policy statement re- with experimental animals. Although garding animal experiments in basic re- Brain organoids at different ages: the brains of mice and other animals search. In this statement, the Max complexity that increases with that are used as model organisms in Planck Society commits to improving age can be seen under the fluores- neurosciences differ more or less strong- the quality of research while reducing cence microscope. While the brain ly from human brains, there is current- the number of animal experiments at organoids consist mostly of neural stem cells (green) and precursor ly no generally recognized alternative the same time. Additional funding is cells (magenta) to begin with to animal experiments. Monolayer cul- therefore provided by the Max Planck (day 10), mature neural cells (red) tures of differentiated neural cells that Society for Schöler and his team. join the precursor cells (gray) on are frequently used, are no real alterna- To translate this vision into reality, day 30. Mature (red) and young (gray) neural cells and glial cells tive, either. The culture conditions do the scientists need to meet a number of (green) dominate on day 70. not truly mimic the natural environ- prerequisites: the brain organoids still The nuclei are shown in blue. ment of the human brain. Using brain differ too much from each other, as each

Day 10 Day 30 Day 70

60 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 BIOLOGY & MEDICINE_Stem Cells

Important aspects of Parkinson’s disease cannot be examined using mice, » as the brains of mice and humans differ too much. Brain organoids of human cells are therefore a more realistic model for studying Parkinson’s.

organoid is unique, even if generated these precursor cells are not only far vidually. This process is too error-prone under identical culture conditions. more homogenous in their structure and too expensive for a model system. While under natural conditions, brain than previous brain organoids, but can In the future, such laboratory robots development is oriented along the body also be produced much faster and will be used for drug screening on a axes, cells in culture dishes do not re- more efficiently. large scale and under standardized con- ceive this information. This is why it is Finally, the researchers from Muen- ditions. Many animal experiments for difficult to predict which brain regions ster use robot systems that automatical- preclinical studies will become obsolete will be formed to which extent, making ly perform and control the individual as a result. When young Hans Schöler it almost impossible to achieve repro- steps through to finished brain organ- discovered the Oct4 gene back in his ducible results. This is the main struc- oids. For now, the stem cells still need time in Goettingen, he would certain- tural problem at the moment, when to be laboriously cared for by hand, and ly never have dreamt that any of this using three-dimensional tissue struc- each organoid must be analyzed indi- would happen. tures in culture dishes as model organs.

BRAIN ORGANOIDS FOR DIFFERENT BRAIN REGIONS SUMMARY The first task of the scientists is there- l Using a ‘cocktail’ of transcription factor genes comprising Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and fore to improve the reproducibility of c-Myc, mature body cells can be transformed into stem cells that can produce almost all cell types that occur in the body (induced pluripotent stem cells). brain organoids. Their initial focus in l If the Oct4 gene is replaced with the related Brn4 gene, neural stem cells are this context is to generate organoids, produced instead of pluripotent stem cells. These are able to produce all cell which can transform into another types of the central nervous system.

brain region through altered repro- l This approach allows for human skin cells to be reprogramed into neural stem graming techniques. For example, they cells and to develop into brain-like organoids with a size of a few millimeters. would like to produce brain organoids Scientists can use these to perform research into diseases such as Parkinson’s representing either the cerebrum, cer- or Alzheimer’s without the use of experimental animals. ebellum, diencephalon, mesencepha- lon or myelencephalon in a reproduc- ible quality. GLOSSARY Furthermore, the scientists make Transcription factors: These proteins regulate (turn on and off) genes. This means use of “Small Molecule Neural Precur- that they can activate or inhibit gene expression. sor Cells”. These are a special type of Human induced pluripotent stem cells: All cells that are able to replicate by means multi-talented cells that are not only of cell division and to develop into specialized cells are referred to as stem cells. capable of virtually unlimited cell di- By activating specific genes, cells in an adult that are already specialized can develop vision, but that can also develop into back into stem cells capable of cell division, which can produce many different cell different types of neural and glial cells types (pluripotency). of the central and peripheral nervous Neural stem cells: Unlike pluripotent stem cells, neural stem cells are “only” able to system. One example of such cells are produce the different types of neural and glial cells. While they occur frequently in the embryonic brain, much smaller quantities of neural stem cells are present in the the dopamine releasing neural cells adult brain. that exist in the Substantia nigra. The

Photo: Laura Gonzalez Cano / MPI for Molecular Biomedicine midbrain organoids that develop from

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 61 A nose for feelings

Before Jonathan Williams discovered atmospheric chemistry, he had a problem: he was fascinated by so many things that he didn’t know which scientific discipline to devote himself to. Even today, the scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz has varied research interests. In recent years, for example, another new topic has awoken his curiosity – the trace that our emotions leave behind in the air.

TEXT KLAUS JACOB

onathan Williams has come quite he realized which field he wanted to a long way, not just geographical- work in: atmospheric chemistry. He was ly speaking but also in terms of particularly fascinated to learn that, un- his research topics. Although he like in the oceans, processes in the atmo- Jhas now been a researcher at the sphere take place at very high speed. Max Planck Institute for Chemistry for This makes it a varied and exciting area 20 years, he – like many scientists – has of research: “A normal researcher’s ca- lived life as something of a globetrotter. reer provides plenty of time to discover The Englishman was actually born in something new,” Williams smiles. South Africa in 1968, where his father spent a few years working as an engi- THE INFLUENCE OF VOLATILE neer. However, Williams no longer has ORGANIC COMPOUNDS any memories of that time, and he completed school and university in England. With a strong tradition of atmospheric He then attended the University of research, the University of East Anglia East Anglia in Norwich, where he stud- was the perfect place for Williams to ied chemistry and French – he struggled study the field he had now discovered. to choose a single subject because there And so it was here that he completed his were simply too many things that inter- PhD on oxidative processes in the air, ested him. It was not until he went to a which play an important role in the at- seminar about the climate in France that mosphere’s self-cleaning capacity. >

62 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 Photo: Thomas Hartmann the air in movie theaters. movie in air the in traces behind leave films during feelings whether ing investigat been has Williams Jonathan now, years several atmosphericchemist: for anfor territory Uncharted - ENVIRONMENT &CLIMATE_Personal Portrait 4 | MaxPlanckResearch 18MaxPlanckResearch 63 ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE_Personal Portrait

Burning of biomass 25 Anthropogenic Biogenic Left The sources of volatile organic compounds: 20 this graph of VOC emissions by latitude and origin shows that most of the substances are released by plants, primarily in the tropical 15 rainforests. In locations where the continents are heavily populated, VOCs also originate from the burning of fossil fuels. 10 Right-hand page Aiming high: to determine the average emissions of volatile organic substances in the tropical rainforest, researchers must Emissions (teragrams per year) also take their measurements at the greatest 5 possible height – for example, using an 80-meter tower in the Amazon rainforest. The red hoses carry the air samples to the mass 0 spectrometers at ground level. -90 -80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Latitude

During his doctoral studies, he also 1970s in order to remove hydrocarbons plains that Mainz “is the center of the dealt with volatile organic compounds from their exhaust gases, with un- universe for atmospheric researchers.” (VOCs) for the first time, and these re- burned fuel residues considered a key However, the ideal large-scale laborato- main the subject of his research to this factor in ozone formation. ry for his area of research is located not day. Ultimately, they are the substances To investigate why the air in the in the capital of Rhineland-Palatinate, we can smell – in the scent of roses, for U.S. still contained too much ozone de- but in South America: the Amazon rain- example, or in the heady plastic whiff spite the strict emissions standards, forest exudes huge quantities of VOCs of a new car. There are thousands of Jonathan Williams sought the help of and is the perfect location for Wil- them, and although they are only pres- so-called hurricane hunters, whose air- liams’s analyses. ent in trace quantities in the atmo- craft normally collect data on the de- sphere, at considerably lower concen- velopment and path of cyclones. Out- A JUNGLE ODYSSEY TO THE ATTO trations than carbon dioxide, their inside of hurricane season, however, MEASUREMENT TOWER fluence is nevertheless huge: “They Williams loaded them up with his own make the music,” as Williams says. For instruments. The hundreds of hours he Twice a year, Williams travels to this example, they play a key role in the spent on board the aircraft paid off: the lush, green wilderness, where he ini- formation of near-ground ozone and atmospheric chemist’s analyses showed tially took measurements from an fine particulate matter. that, when it comes to ozone forma- 80-meter scaffold. Then, two years tion, VOCs of plant origin had taken on ago, the Max Planck Society erected a VOCS FROM PLANTS CONTRIBUTE the role that was previously played by 325-meter-high tower by the name of TO OZONE FORMATION substances derived from the hydrocar- ATTO, which allows measurements to bons in fuel prior to the introduction be taken at various heights. Williams Soon after completing his PhD, Williams of catalytic converters in cars. uses this tower to study how the high- accepted a position at the National This was what aroused his interest ly reactive VOCs react with compo- Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- in biogenic VOCs. In fact, most of these nents of air and how the VOCs change tion (NOAA) in Boulder, Colorado, volatile compounds in the atmosphere in the process. where he continued to focus on the come from vegetation, with only The journey to ATTO is like an role of VOCs in ozone formation. The around ten percent considered to be an- odyssey every time: the atmospheric authorities in the U.S. had done a great thropogenic. In this quest study how chemist has to swap from a large air- deal of work on tackling near-ground VOCs, above all those plant origin, craft to a small one before continuing ozone, but there had been barely any contribute to atmospheric chemistry, his journey by road, and ultimately by reduction in the atmospheric load. For Williams moved to Mainz in 1998. He river, in order to penetrate deep into example, cars in America had been fit- was keen to work at the Institute of No- the heart of the jungle. From there, his

ted with catalytic converters since the bel Prize winner Paul J. Crutzen and ex- journey takes the form of a sweaty Graphic: Jonathan Williams/MPI for Chemistry

64 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 mountain hike up to the tower. In real- measure several hundred different sub- his home country make it to the semi- ity, this is nothing more than an open stances simultaneously in under a sec- finals. What’s more, the Max Planck In- staircase held in place by steel cables, ond. Moreover, they can do so with ex- stitute in Mainz is not only the place and it takes the scientist around three tremely high accuracy, to the extent where he met his wife, who is a geolo- quarters of an hour to climb the 325 that they can even detect substances in gist, but also where he developed his meters to the top. air at a concentration of less than ten love of the soccer team Mainz 05. Par- Ten years ago, at this remote research parts per billion (ppb). Accordingly, the ticularly when the team was still play- station, his research took a new turn due devices can be used to record respira- ing in the second division, he went to to the actions of a few inquisitive stu- tion of any kind in real time. their matches regularly. It therefore dents. As always, the young academics seemed like an obvious idea to take were accompanying the Englishman on THE AVERAGE BREATH measurements in the stadium. his excursion, when, out of curiosity, SPECTRUM OF MANY PEOPLE The Opel Arena is just a stone’s they blew into the sensitive device that throw away – indeed, he can see it from was actually designed to capture the for- You could therefore put a single test the Institute building. The box-like est air. Lo and behold, their breath con- subject in a sealed box, measure the structure is partly open at the top and tained numerous substances that are changes in the air, and multiply the re- provided excellent conditions for a se- also released by the jungle – and espe- sults by the number of humans – that ries of measurements. “Although the cially the major constituent known as is, by seven billion. But it’s not that people from the club were initially sur- isoprene. The obvious question was easy, because people differ fundamen- prised by our request, they were ulti- therefore whether, in addition to vege- tally from one another when it comes mately very cooperative,” says Wil- tation, humans might also be contribut- to respiration. Variations in diet, the liams. He and his team arrived for an ing significantly to the inventory of last time they ate, illnesses, dental evening match against Wolfsburg and VOCs found in air. Might humans even problems, age, individual idiosyncra- set up their equipment, which stands be more important than the tropical sies, hygiene – all of these factors affect about six feet tall, in the upper part of forests? After all, there are now around a person’s VOC emissions. What you the stadium, near the police observa- seven billion of us living on Earth. therefore need is an average value – a tion post. The arena gradually filled up Instead of dismissing this question cross section of the emissions from a until, as Williams says, it eventually out of hand, Williams set about getting large number of people. “resembled a red and white jungle.” In to the bottom of it. But how can you It didn’t take Williams long to come addition to the VOCs, he also measured measure the quantity of organic sub- up with a place where crowds of people the concentration of carbon dioxide ex- stances that humans release into the regularly come together. As a soccer haled by the crowd. air? The problem is not the equipment. fan, he suffered a few sleepless nights While the approximately 31,000

Graphic: Jonathan Williams/MPI for Chemistry Photo: Nölscher et al. Nature Communications 2016 The mass spectrometers in Mainz can during the last World Cup, which saw visitors were looking for their seats, the

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 65 ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE_Personal Portrait

100 2,0 30

Soccer from a chemical perspective: Jonathan Williams and his colleagues measured the 25 g/h) 80 g/h) -6 -3 1,5 levels of various substances in the air while the 10 10 Germany vs. Italy match was shown in a movie 20 theater in Mainz during the 2016 European 60 Football Championship. When Mesut Özil’s goal in the second half put Germany in the lead 15 1,0 on 1:0, the airborne isoprene concentration rose because the audience was excited. The 40

emission rate (g/h) ethanol concentration also increased – people 2 10 were clearly drinking to celebrate the goal. CO 0,5 When Leonardo Bonucci scored the equalizer,

20 ( rate emission Ethanol Isoprene emission rate ( rate Isoprene emission only the isoprene level went up. During the 5 penalty shootout, there was a considerable increase in the airborne concentrations of both isoprene and CO2 – in the latter case because 0 1:0 Özil 1:1 Bonucci 0 0 the audience was breathing faster. 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 24:00 Time

CO2 concentration in the stadium rose torting the measurements. In the stadi- words that organisms exchanged, and continuously from around 400 to 500 um, this value is pushed up by smok- plants still communicate extensively parts per million (ppm). The value ers, producing a slightly different graph via VOCs. Many plants emit chemical dropped again slightly during halftime from that for alcohol: particularly substances to warn members of the as many fans left their seats to buy beer during the halftime interval, the cloud same species when their leaves are be- or sausages beneath the stands. Williams of cigarette smoke led to peak values. ing gnawed, or even to attract insect was impressed to find that the graph of “At this point, the fans are extremely predators that eat their attackers.

CO2 concentration also reflected the nervous,” says the scientist. In insects, too, the substances play course of the match, rising in response an important role in the form of pher- to critical situations, such as a free kick THEN CAME THE IDEA omones, and many mammals – such as or corner – in other words, when emo- OF MEASURING EMOTIONS dogs, for example – are guided by their tions were running high. The small noses. Although humans have other peaks showed that breathing accelerat- Overall, the soccer stadium measure- ways of communicating, we all know ed as people’s pulses rose. ments showed that humankind’s impact only too well that we also attach mean- The VOC measurements also pro- on the VOC level in the atmosphere is ing to smells. Otherwise, nowhere near duced some interesting results. Where- significantly smaller than that of the as many of us would wear perfume as the VOC spectrum is dominated by tropical rainforest, for example. The ini- when we want to make a special im- isoprene in the rainforest, in the stadium tial question had therefore been an- pression. And when Germans don’t like it was dominated by ethanol – better swered. But Williams was not yet satis- someone, they even have an – almost known as alcohol. The reason for this fied, since he had now realized that the literal – expression that they cannot is quite simple: many fans came to the measurements could be used to gauge stand their smell. In that case, why stadium a bit tipsy. As the stands filled people’s behavior. This is where the idea shouldn’t emotions also be expressed up, the ethanol level therefore rose, be- of measuring emotions came from. through chemicals in the air? fore dropping again slightly in the first Williams was annoyed that neither side To investigate this question, Williams half because the fans lacked supplies. had scored a goal during the match he looked for a closed building with no in- During halftime, they bought more had analyzed; otherwise, he might have terference from turbulence, unlike in an beer and the graph went up again. identified a chemical marker for joy and open-roofed stadium. His search led him A second substance also stood out, euphoria. With this in mind, he began to Cinestar, the local multiplex movie one that is well known to Williams: planning further studies. theater, which provides an almost per- acetonitrile. In the Amazon rainforest, His plans are by no means far- fect laboratory: the movies provide the caution is advised when levels of this fetched. After all, odors transmitted by emotions, and the people’s responses substance are high, because it means VOCs play a key role in many organ- reach the apparatus almost in real time

that a fire is raging somewhere and dis- isms. In a sense, they were the first thanks to the ventilation system, which Graphic: MPI for Chemistry

66 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 Graphic: MPI for Chemistry

Photos: Anne Reuter/MPI for Chemistry (left), picture alliance/ZB/euroluftbild (right) measurements athundredsofshow fluctuation, andthegraphshowed ex- exciting ormovingsceneled toasmall what wasgoingoninthefilm. Every graphs evencontainedclues about ticularly impressedtofind thathis work,” Williams explains. a chancetogetdolledupagainafter the eveningshowing:“Peoplehavehad rated. However, itroseagainsharplyfor the nextasscentsgraduallyevapo- tration decreasedfromoneshowingto course of the day, the siloxane concen- their armsintheprocess.Over sweaters orputthemonagain,raising the audiencetookofftheirjacketsand the startandendofamovie,when havior: theirconcentrationroseatboth shampoos showedsomeinterestingbe- found in deodorants and siloxanes a Mondaymorning,forexample.The Saturday nightsthaninshowingson alcohol level. This was far higher on came totheethanolvalues–thatis, ings. Therewerenosurpriseswhenit was tapintotheairflow. so all the Max Planck team had to do haust airshaftalmostimmediately, and emissions thereforeendsupintheex extracts itattheceiling.Theaudience’s blows freshairinbeneaththeseatsand The researchers have now taken The atmosphericchemistwas par- - -

2016 EuropeanFootballChampion tiplex showedsomematches inthe been waitingforfinallycame. Themul- movie theater, thegoalWilliams had During themeasurementseries atthe AIR IN THE THE TENSION YOU COULDLITERALLY SENSE that theauditoriumwasemptying. themselves –itlettheresearchers know the multiplexandcouldn’t seethefilm were hiddendeepinthecatacombsof helpful for the measurement team, who at theendoffilm.Thiswasvery es sharplywhentheaudiencegetsup prene.” In addition, the graph also ris- causes ustobreatheoutmoreiso saysWilliams.or nervous,” “Thisalso move involuntarily when we’re tense breath during movement.“We seemto muscle tissuebutescapesthroughour similar way:thesubstanceisstoredin gases. Isopreneseemstobehaveina cause ahigheroutputofrespiratory things speeduppeople’s breathingand pimples, tensemuscles–allofthese the soccer stadium: a fast pulse, goose The carbondioxidebehavesjustasin levels ofcarbondioxideandisoprene. shown againthenextday. actly the same trend when the film was This wasparticularlyevidentinthe - - death, and screaming, through dreams, death, andscreaming,through dreams, The listislongandrangesfrom blood, al schemes according to their content. each movieandclassifiedthe individu- swered. Williams thereforedissected sition ofbreathwasstillonly partlyan- feelings canbemeasuredinthecompo- which fanswerepresent. sponse was more muted, revealing After theequalizer, however, there brate the goal, causing the level to rise. lead, peopleevidentlydranktocele tion. WhentheGermanteamtook in relation to the ethanol concentra German andItaliangoals,particularly afterthe ferent responses were observed literally sense the tension in the air. Dif- during thepenaltyshootout.You could ly, andthevaluesalmostdoubled prene concentrations both rose sharp- scored, thecarbondioxideandiso- many andItaly. Whengoalswere ship, includingthegamebetweenGer- Mainz Mainz of supporter a been has he Mainz, in researcher a as working started Williams Jonathan since project: fan unusual An arena is just just is arena the since especially – people of crowds large from emissions VOC the measure to order in stadium local the in (left) eter spectrom mass his up set to idea obvious However, thequestionofwhether 05 . It therefore seemed like an an like seemed therefore It . 500 meters from his Institute. 4 | MaxPlanckResearch 18MaxPlanckResearch - 67 - - - ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE_Personal Portrait

CO (ppm) 2 The Walking Buddy 1800 Hunger with 187 Games: Dinosaurs 1600 Catching 3D 1400 Fire 102 1200 104 1000 67 800 600 400 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00 24:00 3:00 Time

25 26. 12. action, and kissing, to landscape, enter- 27. 12. tainment, and comedy. There were 28 28. 12. 20 29. 12. topics in all, and it wasn’t easy to identify a relationship between them and 15 the several hundred VOCs. Realizing that task could not be completed man- 10 ually, Williams sought the help of computer specialists at the neighboring uni- 5 versity. This research group, which

Isoprene concentration (ppb) Isoprene concentration 0 otherwise spends its time studying stock 12:45 13:15 13:45 14:15 14:45 15:15 15:45 16:15 16:45 prices and other economic fluctuations, Time set about scouring Williams’s data for traces of individual emotions in breath. Above Showings at the multiplex movie theater in Mainz, Williams’s team tracked the CO2 This produced a statistic indicating concentration in the air (in parts per million, or ppm). As the viewers entered the auditorium, the concentration increased. After a while, an equilibrium was established between the the likelihood that specific scenes could audience’s emissions and the influx of fresh air. The more people who watched a movie, the be detected in the measured VOCs. The higher the concentration rose – as revealed by the respective audience sizes shown above the relationship was clearest in scenes where graph. During showings on four separate days, the isoprene concentration always followed a principal character was injured. Sym- the same pattern (in parts per billion, or ppb). In the movie The Hunger Games, for example, it rose twice at the beginning because the viewers were particularly rooting for the main char- pathy therefore appears to trigger phys- acter. At the end, it increased because the viewers were leaving their seats. ical responses. Likewise, scenes involv- Below Various movie scenes can be identified from traces in the air with a differing degree of ing mystery, secrecy, or hiding could success. One measure of this is the area under the curve (AUC). The relationship is very clear for also be detected in the data. However, it scenes in which the main character is injured or hiding, as well as for mystery scenes and was not possible to obtain conclusive ev- comedy. Below a value of 0.5, the airborne VOC profile is no more meaningful than guesswork. idence of specific feelings in the movie theater. The succession of emotions was too quick for that: one minute the hero 0.8 would be fighting for his life and the next there would be a love scene. 0.6 WILLIAMS IS AN

AUC ENTHUSIASTIC COOK 0.4

However, Williams and his team did 0.2 achieve a modicum of success: they discovered a relationship between the iso- Sex Injury Sleep prene concentration in the air and the DreamAction Crying Death DialogDrama Mystery Comedy Suspense RunningLaughter Recovery Landscape Romance movie’s age rating. As the isoprene con- Graphic: MPI for Chemistry Being hidden Everyday life ChaseKissing scene scene Hiding oneself Sudden shock Blood (violence)Aggressiveness Romantic comedy Main character cries Main character in dialog 68 MaxPlanckForschung 3 | 18 Graphic: MPI for Chemistry

Photo: Carsten Costard, MPI for Chemistry been amazed by the public response, project initsownright.Williams has so tospeak,hasnowbecome aresearch lineofinvestigation, this “secondary” no longerneedtorelyonholidays, as work. Inthefuture,however, hewill wasn’t neededforhisprincipalareaof ment wasjuststandingaroundand holidays, whentheexpensiveequip- movie theatersduringtheChristmas took mostofthemeasurementsin mospheric chemistry. Forexample, he side his actual research projects in at- hunted for the smell of feelings along- formed aboutVOCs.” wellin- love ofaromas:“They’revery twelve –havelongsinceinheritedhis a girlbetweentheagesofeightand And histhreechildren–twoboysand the resultsthanunderlyingscience. however, heismorepassionateabout is chemistry,” hesays.Inthekitchen, create icecreamandfoams.“Cooking my, suchasby using liquid nitrogen to sional forayintomoleculargastrono- thusiastic cook and even risks the occa- likes todabblewitharomas:heisanen on apanel’s subjectiveassessment. these wouldnolongerdependentirely jective criterionforageratings,sothat couldusethisasanob picture industry be forchildrenandadults.Themotion cation ofhowstressfulamoviemight the audience, it also provides an indi- centration reflectsthetensionfeltby Even inhisleisuretime,Williams Until now, Jonathan Williams has - - ity. Williams could use this technolo- scenarios withthehelpofvirtualreal- ing police officers with frightening whose applicationsincludeconfront- gen. Theretheyhaveavirtuallab guistics, intheDutchcityofNijme- Max PlanckInstituteforPsycholin he isseekingacollaborationwiththe tered inthemovietheater. To thisend, tions, suchasthosetypicallyencoun- scene changesandemotionalfluctua- overcome the disadvantagesofrapid ments atindividualemotions,andto His nextstepistotargethismeasure- pursuing hisnewresearch direction. head inamusement. movie theater. Williams shakeshis measurements atthestadiumand wantstoreportonhis as ifeveryone generated farlessinterest,butit seems nalists. Hisyearsofworkinthejungle and heisvirtuallyoverrunwithjour-

combined with gas chromatographs, which separate mixtures of substances into their in their into dividualcomponents. substances of mixtures separate which chromatographs, often gas are with combined spectrometers Today,mass spectrum. characteristic a that so ratio, produces compound each mass-to-charge their to according sorted then are the particles in The fragments process. typical into up breaking often ionized, and vaporized first are pounds Mass spectrometer: smell. of sense the stimulate that many include substances They pressure. low and temperatures ambient normal at even evaporate Volatile organic compounds: GLOSSARY In anycase,hewantstocontinue This analytical device is used to identify substances. The com The substances. identify to used is device analytical This Also known as VOCs, these carbon-containing substances - the individual substances. individual the identify to used be can latter the while components, its into stance sub volatile of mixture a rates sepa former The spectrometer. mass a and chromatograph gas a of combination a using air the in compounds organic volatile analyzes he team, his with along importantmeasuring device: most his and Williams Jonathan respond tothesesubstances? search question:howdootherpeople tions, this clearly leads to another re- when theyexperiencecertainemo chemical markers that humans emit for example.Ifhesucceedsinfinding rides orinthefaceofvirtualthreats, markers duringvirtualrollercoaster gy tosearch for specific emotional 4 | MaxPlanckResearch 18MaxPlanckResearch - - -

- 69

70 MaxPlanckResearch 4 MaxPlanckResearch | 18

Photo: Gesine Born CULTURE & SOCIETY_Learning Psychology

The nature of children’s curiosity

Children explore their environment with all their senses, and their curiosity knows no bounds. From a certain age onwards, they never seem to stop bombarding adults with questions. Many people consider this form of active learning to be ideal. Until now, however, almost nothing has been known about the strategies that children use on their own initiative. At the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, Azzurra Ruggeri and her team are developing sophisticated tests in order to understand the way children learn.

TEXT TINA HEIDBORN

t’s Friday at the Natural History ticated experiment conducted by her Museum in Berlin. In a closed-off, Research Group “iSearch – Information quiet corner in the area at the back Search, Ecological and Active Learning of the museum, a “magic machine”, Research with Children”. clearly self-made, a cardboard pyr According to the researcher, “active amidI painted black and with small learning” does not just refer to children silver stars stuck on, has been placed moving a lot while learning. The term on a table. At the front, it has a small, “active” also refers to being able to make rectangular balcony containing an egg learning decisions yourself, engaging in that rattles when it is shaken. If self-directed learning as it is known in the egg rattle is placed on the balcony, research terms. Azzurra Ruggeri uses the a colored ball on the tip of the pyra word “ecological” to describe the abil mid starts to rotate, lighting up and ity to tune, adapt one’s own learning be making sounds. havior to the specific task’s circumstanc Five-year-old Marta is impressed: es and requirements to be able to learn “Wow,” she says, and yes, she’d like to in the most effective way possible. Pro play this game. While for Marta this is a fessor Ruggeri’s first results suggest that game, for the team led by the develop even very young children are able to mental cognitive psychologist Azzurra collect and evaluate information “eco Ruggeri at the Max Planck Institute for logically,” selecting the learning path Human Development, this is a sophis that promises the greatest success. > Photo: Gesine Born Colorful, but difficult: with the monster game on the tablet, ten and eleven-year-olds are asked to learn the connection between the properties of the monster – friendly, cheeky, funny – and the number of fruits picked, shown on the top right-hand corner of each card.

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 71 CULTURE & SOCIETY_Learning Psychology

Top Rattles when shaken: the egg (center) is Individual sub-aspects of this area of ceive to solve problems, or to decide to hidden in one of the four colorful round boxes, study are now being intensively re- whom they should continue to direct which are then placed in the two larger black searched, according to Azzurra Ruggeri. their questions. However, it is particu- or white boxes. Pre-school children are asked to find out where the egg shaker is hidden by Examples include how children learn larly challenging to study young chil- shaking or opening a large box. In this game, by asking questions, to whom they di- dren of pre-school age. This is a key task when children find the egg shaker, they get rect these questions, and how much in- of the “iSearch” Research Group. The to play with the magic machine, which lights formation they obtain from the way in purpose of the tasks is to observe how up and moves. which they ask them. After all, children children spontaneously, actively learn. find out about the world through ques- Azzurra Ruggeri describes her work as tioning. According to a study by the studying “children’s potential for learn- Below The egg shaker is either hidden in University of California, Merced, chil- ing.” This is the approach used by Jean the green, blue, yellow or red box in a fixed dren aged two to five ask an average 76 Piaget, the Swiss biologist and pioneer sequence (“uniform condition”), or always to 95 questions per hour when talking of cognitive development psychology, in the same box (“skewed condition”). In the final hiding game, 3- to 5-year-olds adapt to an adult. who observed the development of his their searching strategies to the condition The question-asking games that own children and developed his semi- they were in: they tend to shake the large Azzurra Ruggeri and her team use in nal theories on this basis. box more often in the “uniform condition”, their research sound playful: why was The “iSearch” team is developing where they don’t know where the egg could the Monster Toma late to school? Who new kinds of tests in order to achieve be hidden, as compared to the “skewed condition”, where they are more likely to lives on Planet Apres? Even toddlers its goal. One particular challenge arises open the box where they learned the egg can judge which questions are the most from the fact that pre-school children should be hidden. informative and use the answer they re- do not have fully developed cognitive abilities or a rich vocabulary. In many of the standard question-asking tests,

Even distribution Distorted distribution Share (in %) of children who shake children generally ask questions that before opening are way less informative than those

White box Black box White box Black box Aged 3 asked by adults. Questions asked in these tests can be categorized into two 1 types: hypothesis-scanning questions, in Aged 4 other words, those that check a single 2 hypothesis or option (for example, “Is Aged 5 Toma late because he woke up late?”), 3 and constraint-seeking questions, which

0 25 50 75 tend to narrow down the available op- 4 Distorted distribution tions by targeting features shared by Even distribution several options (for example, “Is Toma Photos and graphic: MPI for Human Development

72 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 Photos and graphic: MPI for Human Development

Photo: Gesine Born are nogoodatlearning.Here, Azzurra ing tasks,thisdoesnotmean thatthey fail todowellincertainquestion youngchildren Therefore, whenvery plains. “This is extremely difficult!” the question,” Azzurra Ruggeri ex get, andthensucceedinverbalizing thatmakesmoresensetotar category cording tothesefeatures,selectthe categorize objectsatdifferentlevelsac tures thatcanbeusedtoaskquestions, scratch, one has “to first identify fea tions fromscratch. to generatethemostinformativeques of questions,eveniftheyarenotable formation gainfromthedifferenttypes already able to assess the anticipated in sults suggestthatbyage4,childrenare type whenitismoreeffective.Theirre the moregeneral,constraint presented, even4 questions: ifbothtypesofquestionare dren canidentify youngchil demonstrate thatevenvery Ruggeri andherteamhavebeenableto reliably preferred.However, Azzurra when constraint they grow out of it, until adulthood, tendency becomeslessprevalentand pothesis seven tendtopredominantlyaskhy mative. Ingeneral,childrenuptoage and areusuallyconsideredmoreinfor late becauseofsomethingheforgot?”) Indeed, toaskgoodquestionsfrom - scanning questions;later, this - seeking questionsare the mostinformative - to5 - year - olds select - seeking - ask for example into the green box on the the egg shaker in the samesmall box, condition”, whereEvaalways places are playingthegamein “skewed black. Halfofthechildren, like Marta, boxes –oneiswhiteandthe otheris inserted intotwolarger, rectangular watches attentively. Thefourboxesare boxes, each of a different color. Marta the egginoneoffoursmall,round Eva,theexperimenter,serves hiding The trainingphase.First,Martaob OF PROBABILITIES EVEN INFANTS MAKEUSE visit themuseum. really planned:shewastherejustto enthusiastically, althoughitwasn’t Museum inBerlin.Sheplaysthegame for the egg-shaker Kell askedfive Swaboda and the research assistant Eva tion search inanon tiveness of young children’s informa gated. Is it possible to studythe effec tailored totheproblembeinvesti needs methodsthataresuitableand bang ascrewintothe wall. That is,one to wall, butitisnotagoodideatotry tool ifyouwanttobanganailinto Gerd Gigerenzer:ahammerisgood pervisor, thewell Ruggeri quotesherdoctoralthesissu This iswhythedoctoralstudentNora - year in the Natural History in the Natural History - known psychologist - old Martatosearch - verbal paradigm?

the childrenplaygamein“uni outer left sense, sheshouldjustgoon andopen all, Evaalwayshiditthere! Inthis again hiddeninthegreenbox –after strong intuitionthattheegg shakeris “skewed condition”,sheshould havea to do?BecauseMartawas inthe only onebigbox. What isMarta going egg shaker. Eva tells her she can open all boxes,andasksMartatolookforthe has toclosehereyes.ThenEvacloses shaker oncemore,andthistimeMarta During thetest,Evahidesegg asking aconstraint question, whereasshakingissimilarto corresponds toahypothesis shake thebigboxoropenit.Opening one of the two smaller boxes inside: large boxcontainstheeggshakerin are twowaysoffindingoutwhethera Eva demonstratestoMartathatthere know where the egg might be.Then “uniform condition”theyshouldnot most left ably tobefoundinthegreen,outer dren shouldlearnthattheeggisprob Thus, inthe“skewedcondition”chil ways placedintoadifferentsmallbox. form condition”,wheretheeggisal one of the young participants. young the of one to tablet the on game learning another of rules the explains assistant, student a Lence, Martín Silvia challenge: Playful - - hand side.Theotherhalfof hand box,whereasinthe 4 | MaxPlanckResearch 18MaxPlanckResearch - seeking question. - scanning

74 onto themagicmachine.She watches shaker, which she immediately places the green round box, to find the egg tating briefly, she opensit,followedby the largeboxfirst.Itrattles. After hesi the greenbox,shestilldecides toshake tion” thattheeggisalwayshiddenin Marta learnedinthe“skewedcondi Azzurra Ruggeriexplains.Although think isahighchanceforquickwin,” the solution,andyoutakewhat inside: youhaveastrongintuitionabout and thenthesmallboxyouknowhasit you canimmediatelyopenthelargebox the testeralwayshiditinsamebox, an ideawheretheeggmightbe,because ing thewrongbox.However, ifyouhave boxes first,sothatyoudon’t riskopen makes sensetoshakeoneofthelarge “If youdon’t knowwheretheeggis,it one ofthetwosmallboxesitcontains. that theeggshakerhadbeenhiddenin makes the rattling sound, indicating a largeboxfirst,tohear be hidden,andwouldhavehadtoshake have knownwheretheeggshakercould the “uniformcondition”shecouldnot green box.However, ifshehadbeenin the greensmallbox,andthenopen the largeboxthatsheknowscontains MaxPlanckResearch 4 MaxPlanckResearch | 18 which large box which largebox 5 box, whereasoverhalfofthe 4 3 another resultemerges:most ofthe If welookattheindividualage groups, INFLUENCED UNINTENTIONALLY THE CHILDRENMAY BE of theirabilityforecologicallearning. cording toAzzurraRuggeri,thisisasign always beenhiddenduringtraining.Ac likely toopentheboxwhereegghas ers inthe“skewedcondition”aremore one, as expected. However, preschool shake a large box first,ratherthan open hidden intodifferentboxes,tendto condition”, i.e.whentheeggisalways that 3 starts tomove. side. Onceagain,themagicmachine large boxandthegreenroundin Jonathan decisivelyopensthecorrect tion small greenbox–it’s theskewedcondi- He, too,isfive.Evahidestheeggin up andstartstorotate. proudly as the ball on the pyramid lights - - year year The study, nowcompleted,found Then it’s herfriendJonathan’s turn. again. Thistime during the test, - - - olds shakea large boxfirst.Over to5 olds immediatelyopenalarge - year - olds in the “uniform olds inthe“uniform - and according todoctoralstudent Nora stimuli andinstructions.For example, and improvesthedetailsof thetask, phase, during which the team modifies usually requiresanextensive pilot game too long.Forthisreason,every ticipating, andthegamecannotlast game. Indeed,childrenmustenjoypar packaged inasimple,quick,exciting questions andhypotheseshavetobe these highlycomplexbasicresearch interpret them?Whentestingchildren, of resultswouldIexpect,how do Ithenofferchildren?Whatpatterns this answeratpoint,whatoptions investigate thisquestion?IfIreceive anced. WhatgamecouldIdevelopto through inadvanceandfinelynu puzzle work: extremely well thought studies/games. Thissoundslikelogical the challengerelatedtodesigningsuch gle objectorhypothesis. sis the moretheytendtoaskhypothe sults ofthetraditionalquestion shake them.Thisresonateswiththere they tend to open the boxes rather than all, theyoungerchildrenare,more tasks, wheretheyoungerchildrenare, - scanning questionstargetingasin Azzurra Ruggerisaysthatsheloves - asking

Photo: Gesine Born Photo: Gesine Born

Photo: Gesine Born ture. Eachmonstercardalso hasanad- how strongthemonsterison thatfea- a value, ranging from 1 to5, indicating “cheeky”, “funny”).Eachproperty has one belowtheother(“friendly”, three qualitieslistedinon the cards, different monster. Eachmonsterhas shows 27cards,eachcarddisplayinga power, so to speak. The tablet initially between thefeaturesofacardandits mation when learning the correlation is studyinghowchildrengatherinfor- ten-year-olds. With thisgame,theteam with akindofcardgameforseven-to MuseuminBerlin, the NaturalHistory magic machine,thereisalsoatabletat Together withtheeggshaker andits the UniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley. she spenttwoyearsasaresearcher at Azzurra RuggerifromtheU.S.,where to conductthetestswas brought by take part.Theideaofgoingtomuseums lack ofchildrenandparentswillingto the lastoptionthatshepresented. shake it.”Childrenmightjustoptfor next testrun:“You canopentheboxor shake theboxoropenit,”andin ing. She alternates saying:“You can tains theeggshaker–shakingoropen- performed tofindoutifalargeboxcon children ofthetwoactionsthatcanbe robot. Rightattheend,Evareminds emphasis, butwithoutsoundinglikea words, inthesameorder, withthesame learned byheart–alwaysthesame the gametochildrenhavebeen words thatthestudentusestoexplain precisely plannedinadvance.Eventhe actionis in Berlinisimprovised.Every Museum Eva doesintheNaturalHistory shaker gameforchildren. to arrangethetrainingphaseofegg time downtothetiniestdetailonhow Swaboda, theteamworkedforalong questions. clever asking by discover only can they special which the of monsters, powers of drawings fun-looking the include These observed. is their behavior which learning during games the enjoy children that important is it preparation: Age-appropriate On thisFridaymorning,there’s no Nothing thattheresearch assistant -

information? Indeed,thescientists ob- methods dothechildrenuse tocollect depending on thegamevariant? What ture profile?Doeslearningsuccess vary picked bylookingat the monster’s fea number offruitsacertain monster play thegameattheirbest. goodincentiveforolderonesto very younger children–pocketmoneyisa are giventencents,because–unlikefor correctanswer,picked. Forevery they mate howmanyfruitsthatmonsterhas new monsters,andareaskedtoesti sented withthefeatureprofileofsome learning phase,thechildrenarepre program. Duringthetest,afterthis of fruitsareselectedrandomlybythe the playerisallowedtoseenumber version, themonstercardsonwhich picked gets revealed. In the “passive” the numberoffruitsthatmonster want tosee:whentheyclickonthem, er isallowedtoselectwhichcardsthey game. Inthe“active”version,play- There aretwodifferentvariantsofthe FULL POINTS ONLY AMATHS PROFESSOR WON drawn –ahighlevelofuncertainty. tion fromwhichconclusionshavetobe large amountoffragmentedinforma- complex learningenvironment,avery players areconfrontedwithafairly colorful, itisalsoquitedifficult.The that while the game is attractive and with themonstercardsalreadyshows ber offruits? qualities ofthemonsterandnum- What istheconnectionbetween fruits thatthemonsterhaspicked. initially hidden.Thisisthenumberof right-hand cornerofthecard,whichis ditional two-digitnumberonthetop Can childrenlearntopredictthe A brieflookatthetabletscreenfilled CULTURE &SOCIETY_LearningPsychology - - - Many ofthetenandeleven-year-olds amount thatcanbe won is seven euros. active learning. providing proofoftheadvantag than inamorepassivecondition, thus game under active learning condi and above perform better in a mem demonstrated thatchildrenagedsev led byAzzurraRuggerihasalready However, inanotherproject,thegroup the datacollectionisstillongoing. sions andanswerthesequestions,as extreme. Itistooearlytodrawconclu- where thepropertyonbottomis an extremevalue,andfinallycards cards wherethesecondpropertyhas domized acrossparticipants),andthen is – funny, cheeky or friendly – is ran- on top of the card (which property that ly highorlowvaluefortheproperty initially selectcardswithanextreme- manyplayers can indeedbeobserved: “cheeky” and“funny”?Thistendency three monsterqualities,“friendly”, extremely lowvaluesforoneofthe the monsters have extremely high or they prefertolookupcardsonwhich in the active variant. For example, do whichcardsthechildrenselect serve With this tablet game, the maximum 4 | MaxPlanckResearch 18MaxPlanckResearch tions es of ory en 75

CULTURE & SOCIETY_Learning Psychology

With “iSearch”, Ruggeri and her team are now conducting empirically sup- Max Planck Innovation is responsible for ported basic research. Many of Azzurra Ruggeri’s games are conducted in sev- the technology transfer of the Max Planck eral variants. Ruggeri can also envisage Society and, as such, the link between studying learning at earlier and later stages in life. Currently, she is design- industry and basic research. With our inter- ing an eye tracking study to investigate disciplinary team we advise and support how babies actively learn by looking at where babies focus their attention. The scientists in evaluating their inventions, results contribute to building a more complete, fine-grained picture of chil- filing patents and founding companies. We dren’s learning. Her goal is to expand offer industry a unique access to the current empirical research, to obtain greater knowledge as to how children innovations of the Max Planck Institutes. learn, and then to put this knowledge Thus we perform an important task: the into practice. Indeed, she hopes that her findings will later be applied in ed- transfer of basic research results into ucational settings – wherever children products, which contribute to the economic learn. The basic research that she makes look so playful is later intended and social progress. to make a contribution towards making it easier and more effective for children to learn, for example in schools, A psychologist with a penchant for logical puzzle work: Max Planck Research Group Leader Azzurra capitalizing on what they can already Ruggeri is developing sophisticated but funny games to investigate children’s active learning. do from an early age. However, only when there is detailed knowledge of go home with around six euros and questions I considered crucial,” says how this complex process works can it more. This is not much less than the psychologist Azzurra Ruggeri. In Italy, be supported purposefully. Although adults with whom doctoral student An- she studied philosophy for five years, instructional methods inspired by ac- gela Jones previously conducted the focusing on logic, philosophy of sci- tive learning are spreading, the scien- Connecting Science and Business test. Among the children, the seven- ence and decision theory, until she be- tific findings that should inform such year-olds whom Angela Jones has also gan to find it too abstract. She was no interventions are still very limited. already tested, those who were al- longer interested in investigating deci- “There are many myths and assump- ready in their second year of school sion theory only from a logical and tions,” she says. Currently, Azzurra often did better than those who were philosophical perspective. She switched Ruggeri is also a professor of cognitive still in their first year. It is likely that to psychology and came to Germany. and developmetal psychology at the the second graders were helped by She already enjoyed working with chil- School of Education at the Technical their more advanced knowledge of dren as a scout group leader. University of Munich. maths. “Mathematical skills do play a role here,” explains doctoral student Angela Jones, “but so does intuitive learning.” The only participant to be SUMMARY rewarded with the full seven euros was l It is only possible to understand how children actively learn with the a professor of maths. help of a large number of observations and tests. To date, only few findings Onyun, an eleven-year-old from are available.

Switzerland, is very happy with his 5.80 l Pre-school age children can already differentiate between more and less euros, which he is putting into his pants effective given questions. From about age seven and above, they are able to pocket. How did he do it? “I guessed generate more effective questions themselves. www.max-planck-innovation.de and relied on luck” – at least, that’s l Children from age seven and adults perform better in memory games when what he says. The evaluation of the data they are given active control on the materials to be studied. collected from his game session will l One goal of the research is to make learning easier and more effective, likely provide a more precise insight. capitalizing on what children can do already from an early age. “I wanted to do something con-

crete, find a way to get answer to the Photo: Gesine Born

76 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18

mi_anzeige_1/1_englisch_28_07_2017_prod.indd 1 28.07.2017 15:11:39 Uhr Photo: Gesine Born mi_anzeige_1/1_englisch_28_07_2017_prod.indd 1 Connecting ScienceandBusiness and socialprogress. products, which contribute to the economic transfer ofbasicresearch results into task: the animportant Thus we perform innovations ofthe MaxPlanck Institutes. aunique accessto industry theoffer patentsfiling andfounding companies. We scientists inevaluating their inventions, team we adviseandsupport disciplinary andbasicresearch. With ourinter-industry Society and,assuch, the linkbetween the technology transfer ofthe MaxPlanck Max Planck Innovation isresponsible for www.max-planck-innovation.de

28.07.2017 15:11:39 Uhr

FLASHBACK_Space Travel

In the blazing inferno of the Sun

They looked liked oversized spools of thread, were packed full of technology from various Max Planck Institutes, and aimed to considerably improve our understanding of the Sun and the interplanetary medium: over 40 years ago, the two Helios probes were launched on a daring mission to the searing heat of our home star. However, the two spacecraft were also a symbol of successful scientific collaboration across national borders.

TEXT HELMUT HORNUNG

The date is the 10th December 1974, Launch Complex 41, Cape Ca- who rides his sun chariot – drawn by four fiery stallions – across naveral in the U.S.: a Titan 3E Centaur towers above the launch pad. the sky every day and bestows light and heat upon the Earth. The countdown goes according to schedule. When it reaches zero, The probes were built by Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm, act- the rocket is shrouded in white smoke and seconds later disap- ing as the main contractor, in close collaboration with the Ger- pears into the Florida sky, leaving behind a trail of fire. The engines man Federal Ministry of Research and Technology and the Ger- accelerate the launch vehicle to an immense speed of over 14 kilo- man Test and Research Institute for Aviation and Space Flight. meters per second, which is necessary to deliver the precious car- Seven of the ten experiments on board were developed by German go in the nose cone safely to its destination – close to the Sun it- scientists, and four measuring instruments originated from the self. The cargo in question is the Helios 1 space probe, and Ameri - Max Planck Institutes for Aeronomy, Astronomy, Nuclear Physics, can and German researchers have high hopes for the mission. and Extraterrestrial Physics. The U.S. National Aeronautics and It all began back in 1966, when German Chancellor Ludwig Er- Space Administration (NASA) supplied the two launch vehicles hardt and U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed an agreement and made its Deep Space Network available for communicating to conduct a joint mission in our solar system. The two countries with the probes. The project cost 700 million marks in total, of were anything but equal partners: on the one hand, the Ameri- which the Germans contributed 450 million. cans were racing the USSR to the Moon at the height of the Cold For West Germany, this was not simply about scientific know- War and had already achieved considerable success in relation to how. In the early 1970s, the country was also keen to expand its space travel; on the other, the Germans had practically no experi- knowledge of technology and the management of large-scale » ence in this area and hadn’t yet built a single probe of their own. projects, with the aim of one day being able to conduct national At first, the mission’s destination was deliberately left open. and international research programs successfully. With Helios, That was a question for the scientists to worry about. This was those responsible were therefore entering uncharted territory in where the then Max Planck Institute for Physics came in. In the every respect. early 1950s, the Institute’s Astrophysics Department was led by “It was a bold plan, carried out without a great deal of risk as- Ludwig Biermann. The fact that comet tails always have a sim - sessment,” recalls Eckart Marsch. The physicist joined Helmut ilar shape led the researcher to conclude that the Sun must con - Rosenbauer’s group at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterres- stantly emit an invisible stream of electrically charged particles trial Physics as a postdoc in 1976 and spent the next few years into space. Indeed, the Soviet Luna 1 probe managed to detect working on the analysis of data from the plasma experiment and this so-called “solar wind” on its way to the Moon in 1959; the the instrument for magnetic field measurements. Even the orbits wind was primarily made up of protons and electrons, as well represented a risk, as they brought the probes to within 50 mil- as helium-4 nuclei. Now, a decade later, the plan was to take a lion kilometers of the Sun. At this distance, the terrestrial scouts more detailed look at the solar wind and conditions close to the were exposed to eleven times as much heat as the Earth and Sun, as well as analyzing the interactions between the central reached temperatures in excess of 350 degrees centigrade – hot - star and our planet. ter than the melting point of lead. In June 1969, the mission agreement was officially ratified and “The shape of the probes was designed based on thermal en- fleshed out in more detail. Two more or less identical probes would gineering considerations,” says Marsch. In brief, the “spools of be fired into space. They were named after Helios, the Greek god thread” were two meters high, weighed 370 kilograms, and were

78 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 RÜCKBLENDE_Lockstoffe

Left An oversized spool of thread: the shape of Helios was designed based on thermal engineering considerations. The outer body of the probe is alternately covered with special mirrors and solar cells that supply the spacecraft with energy.

Right A successful start: the Titan 3E Centaur rocket lifts off punctually to deliver Helios 1 to its destination close to the Sun. The mission is a huge success, as is that of the twin probe, Helios 2. A third probe was also built, but this was not launched into space and instead ended up in the Deutsches Museum in Munich.

covered with optical reflectors – known as “cold mirrors” – that Helios 1 also specifically examined zodiacal light – a diffuse light reflected around 90 percent of the incident light back into that can be observed at our latitudes after sunset in the west or space. The entire underside of the skin was lined with insula- before sunrise in the east. This phenomenon is attributed to the tion. Lastly, the spools of thread rotated about their axes once reflection and scattering of sunlight by particles in the interplan- a second in order to distribute the incident heat evenly over the etary dust and gas cloud, which forms a ring-like disk around the surface and avoid “sunburn”. With all of these design measures, Sun in the ecliptic plane. As the probe approached the Sun, the the spacecraft were so well insulated that the inside tempera- on-board “Experiment 9” did not record a significant change in the tures never rose above 30 degrees centigrade, and the probes color of zodiacal light. This confounded expectations, leading the even needed to be heated while at the furthest point of their or- researchers to conclude that the particles, which are only a few bit from the Sun. thousandths of a millimeter in size, do not get smaller near the After a smooth launch and a three-month journey through the Sun. However, the brightness of the zodiacal light was shown to solar system, Helios 1 (denoted by some authors as Helios A) increase 15-fold relative to that observed on Earth. reached the closest point of its orbit to the Sun (“perihelion”) on Exactly ten months after this spectacular rendezvous at the 15 March 1975. Moving at a record speed of over 252,000 kilome- heart of the solar system came the launch of the twin probe, He- ters per hour, the probe raced past the Sun at a distance of 46.29 lios 2 (Helios B). With a perihelion of 43.5 million kilometers, the million kilometers, approximately a third of the distance between second probe managed to get even closer to the Sun than Helios 1, the Earth and the Sun. Two days later, the scientists working un- if only slightly. For this probe, too, communication took place via the three large 64-meter antennas of the NASA Deep Space Net- Süddeutsche Zeitung, 18 March 1975 work, the 100-meter dish of the Max Planck Institute for Radio As- tronomy in Effelsberg, in the Eifel mountains, and – as a transmit- With surprise and astonishment, the participating scientists ting station – the 30-meter antenna in Weilheim, Upper Bavaria. tracked the German-American solar probe Helios as it completed » This was the first ever double mission of its kind. “However, it its flyby of the Sun. was also unique because no mission before or after it has ever taken in situ measurements so close to the Sun,” says Eckart der project leader Herbert Porsche at the control center in Ober- Marsch, adding that the mood in the Helios team was buoyed by pfaffenhofen expressed their satisfaction. “All of the probe’s com- this success. The lifespan of the probes was also impressive: orig- ponents are working perfectly,” Porsche said at the time. Helios inally designed to last 18 months, Helios 2 continued operating un- was, he said, exceeding expectations “including in terms of the til December 1981, and Helios 1 until March 1986 – that is, for over quality of the data.” ten years. “Strictly speaking, the mission isn’t even dead yet,” says A press conference was hastily convened to present the initial Marsch. "After all, the scientific data is still being analyzed today, scientific findings. For example, the solar wind was stronger than for example, at Kiel University." expected, moving through interplanetary space at speeds of up Indeed, no other space probe in the past 40 years has flown as to 850 kilometers per second with relatively large fluctuations in close to the Sun as Helios. However, this is set to change: on 12 Au- intensity and showing exceptionally rapid temporal and spatial gust 2018, NASA launched the Parker Solar Probe. After a series of variations. It was also considerably warmer than assumed and fol- complicated orbital maneuvers over the next few years, the probe lowed a 27-day cycle corresponding to the rotation of the Sun. will approach the Sun to a distance of just over six million kilome- Close to the star, the number of interplanetary dust particles in- ters, from where it will study the outer layers of its atmosphere. creased tenfold relative to that encountered at Earth’s orbital ra- Early November this year already saw the spacecraft approach to dius. And the “protective wall” of the solar magnetic field was so within around 25 million kilometers, breaking the record of the

Photos: MBB (left); NASA (right) dense that the low-energy cosmic radiation couldn’t penetrate it. legendary Helios scout.

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 79 MAX PLANCK COMMUNITY

Digital worlds at the Harnack House

From September 20 to 23, the Harnack House in Berlin was once again transformed into a second home for around 200 alumns and junior scientists from the MPG

Max Planck Vice President Angela D. Friederici opened this year’s alumni conference.

alumna of the IMPRS for Neurosciences in Goettingen, added that it is often “seemingly coincidental events during a career” that open up new possibilities. Moreover, another important factor should not be forgotten: luck. However, the Max Planck Symposium focused not only on career paths but also on the challenges and prospects of digitalization: “At present, we are teaching our children subjects in which they are already being outper- formed by machines; mathematics, for example. However, if we want to remain competitive in the future, we have to foster those attributes in our children of which machines are not yet capable – creativity, empathy and complex interpersonal networking.” This was the third conference of junior scientists and MPG This is how Tosja Zywietz, alumnus of the Fritz Haber Insti- alumns in Berlin. This year’s plenary lectures, panel discus- tute and CEO of Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik, aptly sions and workshops focused on the topic of digitalization summarized the future challenges associated with digitaliza- and the wide variety of career options it encompasses, from tion. “In just 20 years, machines will already be controlling autonomous driving through legal tech to artificial intelli- and simplifying large parts of our lives that are currently man- gence in biomedicine. The speakers included founders and aged by people, as a matter of course,” adds Zywietz. More- CEOs from the fields of industry and science, among them over, the challenge is not digitalization in itself, but the way Vice President of Bayer AG and alumna of the MPI for Mo- in which society handles it. Zywietz concluded with the lecular Genetics, Monika Lessl. During the interdisciplin- words: “Rather than flying to Mars, let us make sure that clean ary presentations and networking sessions, the alumns re- water is available to everyone free of charge.” On the second ported on their career paths, which were “extremely diverse day, separate topics ranging from artificial intelligence to data and by no means predictable,” as Max Planck Vice Presi- science were explored in career workshops. As is tradition, the dent Angela D. Friederici expressed in her opening speech. intensive daytime program ended with evening conversation During the panel discussion, Pooja Rao, CEO of Qure.ai and and a jam session in the garden and the Einstein Lobby.

18 Max Planck scientists secure high levels of EU funding

The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded the Starting Grants for 2018

The award winners included eight female scientists and ten years ago can apply provided they realize their project at a male scientists from various Institutes of the MPG. They will European research institution. From all the applicants through- each receive up to EUR 1.5 million for their research projects. out Germany, the MPG was again the most successful institu- The ERC awards Starting Grants every year. Scientists who tion in this round, ahead of the Ludwig Maximilian University completed their doctoral studies between two and about seven in Munich (10 grants) and the Helmholtz Association (6 grants). Photo: MPG

80 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18 Photo: MPG

Photo: MPI Magdeburg Step by step to greater sustainability nomic aspectssuchastheCO to encompassecological,social andeco tainability inthiscontextisunderstood tions themselves more sustainably. Sus- search processesandscientificinstitu- These includemeasurestostructurere- able development(FONA)since2010. search projectsforpurposesofsustain- which hasbeenfundingscientificre- Munich was the BMBF’s initiative, cantly bydoingso.Thechangeover, cal consumptioncouldbecutsignifi- even thoughenergy, waterandchemi- cycled papermeansitisoftennotused thought ortheallegedinferiorityofre- seems downrighttrivial,yetlackof to beswitchedrecycledpaper.” This Group Leader. “We wantedourprinters it unimportant,”saystheResearch particularly spectacular, butneitherwas lished in2015:“Ourfirstprojectwasn’t the grouphastakensinceitwasestab- on thesmallbutimportantstepsthat in Munich,atwhichSchweizerreported search were invited tothesymposium leagues inthefieldsofscienceandre- that itmakessense!”Almost300col we areproving that it’s possible – and Schweizer. “AttheMPIinMagdeburg, possible? “Yes, ofcourse,”saysJakob ly research, doweneedit?Isiteven search (BMBF).Environmentallyfriend- ofEducationandRe Federal Ministry ability symposiumorganizedbythe sented theinitiative’s workatasustain Schweizer, oneofthefounders,pre- Complex Technical Systems.Jakob initiative attheMPIforDynamicsof tions greeneristhegoalofavoluntary friendly future.Makingresearch opera- contributing toanenvironmentally The MPG and its scientific projects are universities andnon-university insti human resources management.Several of scientificworkandfamily-friendly at theMPIinMagdeburg. in amoreenvironmentallyfriendlyway tic thatdocumentswillsoonbeprinted ever, thesustainabilitygroupisoptimis not runningabsolutelysmoothly. How dination processattheInstitute,isstill which wasprecededbyacomplexcoor Sustainability group at MPI Magdeburg presents its projects at a symposium a at projects its presents Magdeburg MPI at Sustainabilitygroup Another topic at the symposium in Another topicatthesymposiumin 2 footprint footprint ------

search, yetwehavetoaskourselves exchange is essential for successful re- to reducetheCO planning biggerprojects–forexample Institute, thesustainabilitygroupisalso lishment ofabikerentalsystematthe ing otherinitiativessuchastheestab- tainable,” says Jakob Schweizer. Follow- way in which we do research more sus- should notstopusfrommakingthe wind farmsintosyntheticgas.“This converting superfluousenergyfrom ergy systemsbydeveloping methods of of renewableenergiesintoexistingen- working onimprovingtheintegration MPI inMagdeburg,forexample,are tion andbiodiversity. Researchers atthe ous projectstopromoteclimateprotec- its Institutesareimplementingnumer- theMPGisnotapartofFONA, though tutions areinvolvedinFONA.Even ations comes from air travel. “Scientific ations comesfromairtravel. “Scientific ted duringthecourseofscientific oper- Hannes Buchholz, Sophia Pistorius, Stefanie Markstein, Sara Grundel and Jakob Schweizer (from left). left). (from Schweizer Jakob and Grundel Sara Markstein, Stefanie Pistorius, Voigt, Sophia Andreas Buchholz, Kohls, Emilija Hannes Schulze, Peter projects: their of symbols with group sustainability The A largeproportionoftheCO 2 footprint. 2 emit- expense, emphasizesSaraGrundel. penses Act allowsforsuchadditional emissions.” TheGermanTravel Ex of environmentallyfriendly research. talk withotherpeople,also in thearea symposium how inspiring it can be to all, hehasjustexperiencedat the BMBF’s Institutes,” saysJakobSchweizer. After sustainability initiativesatother MPG MPI. “We wouldliketoconnectwith to focussolelyonprojectsatitsown burg sustainabilitygroupdoesnotwant scientific sector. However, theMagde Wegener Instituteistakingactioninthe practicing CO authorities, forexample,arealready andanumberofFederal Chancellery measuresforoffsettingCO pensatory should atleastbethinkingaboutcom deburg. “Andifwedohavetofly, we Grundel, teamleaderattheMPIinMag traveling withinGermany,” saysSara and whetherweneedtogobyairwhen tripisessential service whether every MAX PLANCK COMMUNITY MAX PLANCK 4 2 offsetting.TheAlfred | MaxPlanckResearch 18MaxPlanckResearch The 81 - 2 - - -

MAX PLANCK COMMUNITY

Strengthened and focused

Annual PhDnet conference in Tuebingen sets new topics for 2019 and beyond

Career planning, reconciling career and Filippi (MPI for Chemistry), Vice Spokes- Section Representatives for the BMS, family life and the abuse of power: person and Treasurer Nikki van Teylin- Lisa Linhoff (MPI for Experimental Med- these were the topics of this year’s PhD- gen Bakker (MPI of Immunobiology and icine), for the CPTS, Lindsey Bultema net conference in Tuebingen. A survey Epigenetics), Secretary General Esther (MPI for the Structure and Dynamics of of doctoral students was also conduct- Tabitha Earbin (MPI for Foreign and Matter) and for the HSS Raquel Sirotti ed and a new committee elected. International Criminal Law) and the (MPI for European Legal History). “It was an exciting year for us with plenty of work,” said spokesperson Jana Lasser in her opening speech. “The main projects we decided on in 2017, career & mentoring, parenthood and political commitment, particularly in Germany’s nationwide N2 network, were joined by another topic that became highly relevant due to the reports published in summer: the abuse of power. The position paper published on the PhDnet website was intended to make a clear statement. We are delighted that the task force established by the MPG with the mandate to investigate working atmosphere was able to com- mence its work with the involvement of PhDnet,” added Lasser. A survey was again conducted this year with the aim of underpinning PhDnet’s future work with statistics. In total, 2,522 doctoral students partici- pated in the survey, equivalent to a response rate of 50 percent. The themes addressed included supervision, good scientific practice as well as career and family planning. “It became clear that Pathways in science we will have to focus even more strongly on subjects such as vacation regula- Whether in industry or in science, there are many ways in which postdocs can tions, weekend work and the many rea- use their experience and interests to build a successful career. In order to raise sons for breaking off doctoral studies,” awareness of these possibilities, the organizers of the event, which is held in commented a spokesperson from the cooperation with alternating partner universities, invited 100 postdocs from working group that conducted the sur- the LMU and various MPI to attend presentations, workshops and networking vey. All in all, however, doctoral stu- sessions in Munich on 12 October (photo). Two Career Steps are scheduled for dents at the MPG are still very satisfied 2019: in summer at the MPI for Brain Research in Frankfurt and in the fall at the with the facilities at their Institutes and Friedrich Schiller University in Jena. the international working environment. A new committee was also elected;

this consists of Spokesperson Alexander Photo: Matthias Francke

82 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 18

Kaiserslautern SAARLAND Erlangen “Germany,“Germany, AustriaAustria andand SwitzerlandSwitzerland areare knownknown Saarbrücken Heidelberg BAVARIA Stuttgart

Tübingen Garching forfor theirtheir outstandingoutstanding researchresearch opportunities.opportunities. BADEN- Munich WÜRTTEMBERG Martinsried Freiburg Seewiesen AndAnd academics.comacademics.com isis mymy go-togo-to portalportal forfor jobjob Radolfzell postings.”postings.” Publisher‘s Information MaxPlanckResearch is published by the Science Translation MaxPlanckResearch seeks to keep partners and friends of the and Corporate Communication Office of the Proverb oHG Max Planck Society up to date on the latest research conducted at Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science. Marktplatz 12 the Max Planck Institutes. Four editions of the magazine are pub- Legal headquarters of the Association: Berlin. 70173 Stuttgart lished in German each year, all of which are translated into English. ISSN 1616-4172 Tel. +49 711 164090-0 At present, the English version has a circulation of 10,000 copies JobsJobs for for bight bight minds minds e-mail: [email protected] ( : 85,000 copies). It is free of charge. None Publisher’s mailing address MaxPlanckForschung Hofgartenstraße 8, D-80539 Munich Art Direction of the views and opinions expressed in MaxPlanckResearch may academics.comacademics.com is is the the No. No. 1 1 job job listings listings site site for for science science and and research research in in Germany, Germany, Austria Austria Tel. +49 89 2108-1719 / -1276 (Fax: -1405) Julia Kessler, Sandra Koch be interpreted as representing the official views of the Max Planck e-mail: [email protected] Voßstraße 9, 81543 Munich Society and its associated bodies. Reprint of texts is permitted only andand Switzerland. Switzerland. Visit Visit academics.com academics.com and and discover discover a a rich rich variety variety of of attractive attractive positions positions at at The magazine as ePaper: www.mpg.de/mpresearch Tel. +49 89 27818770 with the prior approval of the publisher. Photographic rights may App for free download: www.mpg.de/mpr-mobile e-mail: [email protected] be granted by agreement. The Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissen- Lithography universitiesuniversities and and other other organisations, organisations, plus plus comprehensive comprehensive career career advice. advice. Content Authority schaften e.V. (Max Planck Society) comprises 84 institutes and KSA Media GmbH Dr. Christina Beck (-1276) research facilities where around 23,400 employees, including Zeuggasse 7, 86150 Augsburg Editors-in-Chief some 6,700 employed scientists, work and conduct research. The Printing & Distribution RegisterRegister now now and and bene bene t tfrom from our our free free job job o o ers ers and and services services at: at: www.academics.com www.academics.com Peter Hergersberg (Chemistry, Physics, Technology; -1536) annual budget for 2018 is 1.8 billion euros. Research activities of the Vogel Druck- & Medienservice GmbH Helmut Hornung (Astronomy; -1404) Max Planck Society focus on basic research in natural sciences Leibnizstraße 5, 97204 Höchberg and the humanities. The Max Planck Society is a non-profit Editorial Staff Advertising organization registered under private law as an Dr. Elke Maier (Biology, Medicine; -1064) Beatrice Rieck incorporated association. Its central decision- Dr. Harald Rösch (Biology, Medicine; -1756) Vogel Druck und Medienservice GmbH making body is the Senate, with members Mechthild Zimmermann (Culture, Society; -1720) Leibnizstraße 5, 97204 Höchberg from the world of politics, the scientific comu- Photo Editor Tel.: +49 931 4600-2721 (Fax: -2145) nity, and the professional public, providing for Susanne Schauer (-1562) e-mail: [email protected] a well-balanced partnership.

MaxPlanckResearch is printed using FSC®-certified and other controlled materials.

4 | 18 MaxPlanckResearch 83 Research doesn’t have to be heavy.

App for Go paperless! immediate & free download The Max Planck Society’s magazine is available as ePaper: www.mpg.de/mpr-mobile

Internet: www.mpg.de/mpresearch