MAX PLANCK COMMUNITY

Building Bridges in Berlin

How six PhDnet doctoral students organized the “Visions in Science” conference

The biggest interdisciplinary conference for Max Planck junior scientists lasts three days, but the preparations take months. Any number of obstacles need to be overcome on the way – and still not everything ends up being perfect. Breaking down barriers between sci- entific disciplines, promoting new in- tellectual approaches and understand- ing how others see things – this is the aspiration behind the meeting of some 100 doctoral students from all insti- tutes who get together every year for the annual “Visions in Science” confer- ence. Based loosely on mathematician Leonhard Euler and his Seven Bridges of Königsberg problem, the organizing team chose the motto “Bridge the Gap” as a sign of this exchange across all Sec- tions of the MPG. Busy organizers: Gianna Triller (right) speaks with Hans-Dieter Burkhard, professor at HU Berlin, With such a large conference to and Stas Wüst (left), while Filippo Guarnieri discusses preparations with Jan Niklas Grieb and stage, in Berlin, while also doing their Christoph Sträter (back, left to right). Below, the participants of the conference. doctoral work and facing many stum- bling blocks along the way – the team for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching), mately attributable to compromises, im- that took on the task realized in hind- Stas Wüst (MPI for Heart and Lung Re- provisation and a bit of luck. sight that the conference motto could search, Bad Nauheim), Leonhard Horst- For example, the MPI for Infection equally apply to the tricky feat of orga- meyer (MPI for Mathematics in the Sci- Biology made its historic lecture hall nization that went on behind the scenes. ences, Leipzig) and Christoph Sträter on the Charité Campus available, the The team consisting of Filippo Guar- (MPI for the Physics of Complex Sys- catering team made every effort to ad- nieri (MPI for Gravitational Physics, tems, ) did eventually manage dress everybody’s culinary needs, and Golm), Gianna Triller (MPI for Infection to make the impossible possible – a fact the podium discussion was even ar- Biology, Berlin), Jan Niklas Grieb (MPI that, despite careful planning, was ulti- ranged to take place in the spectacular Photos: Dennis Fink/Mediomix

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The Power of Images

How animal rights activists purposefully generate sympathy lecture hall ruins at the Museum of With disturbing footage of monkeys used in leagues in the United Kingdom. There, Im- Medical History. “We were thrilled experimentation, animal rights activists perial College London fell victim to an to be able to get top scientists like are not seeking to present a full picture. undercover investigation in April 2013 car- Julia Fischer, Jürgen Renn and Alex- When it comes to scandal-mongering, how- ried out by the British animal rights orga- ander Borst to come and hold the ever, the truth is discarded, as the example nization BUAV. scientific talks.” of the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cy- In a compilation of shortcomings, the But did they really manage to bernetics shows. BUAV set out 180 alleged infringements of build actual, passable bridges be- In the programs broadcast by stern TV animal welfare regulations. The Animals in tween Julia Fischer’s field research on September 10 and 17, illegally obtained Science Regulation Unit (ASRU), the body with the friendly bonobos (behavior- footage from the animal holding facility of responsible for monitoring animal experi- al biology) and areas such as Alexan- the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cy- mentation in the UK, published the findings der Borst’s neurobiological work on bernetics was shown under the title “Suffer- of its investigation several weeks ago. The the visual cortex of the fruit fly, ing for Science.” A British (BUAV) and a Ger- accusations were substantiated in only five which he presented with the catchy man animal rights organization (SOKO cases, but – according to the ASRU – “they title “In the fly’s cockpit”? “Everyone Tierschutz) succeeded in infiltrating the did not involve significant avoidable or un- presented their cutting-edge projects MPI in Tübingen with an activist who was necessary pain, suffering, distress or lasting here, there’s no doubt about that. employed as an animal care worker for six harm” at any time. But evidence of thinking outside the months. SOKO Tierschutz praised this ac- An initial investigation of the situation box and even boldly presenting their tion as the largest “undercover investiga- in Tübingen by Prof. Stefan Treue, the ex- visions for the next ten years – that’s tion into animal welfare in ” to pert appointed by the President of the MPG, something I would like to see even date. is also pointing in the same direction. The more of,” remarked Norman Gerst- A few minutes of film material were ed- head of the German Primate Center con- ner, team leader of Visions 2013. ited together from the 100 hours of foot- firmed that employees at the institute Nevertheless, the event has been age. The selection of images was by no treated the animals with great care: “No ne- gathering speed since 2012 owing to means an objective portrayal of the way an- glect of the animals has been observed, and the generous support of the MPG and imals are held and treated at the institute – the documents provide evidence of close sponsors like BASF, McKinsey, Lanxess the images chosen were those most suit- medical care of the animals at the insti- and Corporate Quality, and the able for making an emotional impact on tute,” said Treue. An investigation is, of events in Bremen and Dresden gener- people and discrediting animal experimen- course, being carried out independently of ated a certain pressure to deliver. tation research. this by the authorities in Stuttgart, who “That’s why, when I look back, I’m The images show animals directly after have sent the institute a comprehensive list not entirely satisfied with the out- surgery. These images are hard to watch, of questions. come of the conference,” said this but are hardly different than those after sur- National TV coverage was limited year’s team leader, Filippo Guarnieri. gical intervention on humans. They show a to stern TV and Bild, but there was clearly What the critical junior scientist seriously ill animal whose case the Max greater interest regionally, where the re- doesn’t mention is that he also wrote Planck Society explained in detail in the sup- porting was generally well balanced. How- and defended his dissertation during plement to the position statement pub- ever, the intensity and intolerant aggres- the twelve months he was preparing lished on its website. SOKO Tierschutz mis- siveness of the well-organized and inter- the conference – preferring to dwell used this case to suggest misleading con- connected animal rights activists on social rather on the positive experiences: clusions. Moreover, the images also showed media and via e-mail was very damning. “Our team gave its best and, for my behavioral patterns in animals that animal Numerous Max Planck Society employees part, I can say that I learned a great attendants and animal welfare officers at – not just those at the institute in Tübin- deal about team communication. the institute had never observed. gen – were exposed to abuse and offensive And the conference was certainly bet- There are now various pieces of evi- remarks. ter organized than any other I’ve ever dence indicating that certain footage was To ensure that their supporters contin- attended,” he summed up, laughing. actually provoked by manipulating the an- ue to make donations, the animal rights or- imals or their environment. Many images ganizations upped the ante: a demonstra- were produced when the infiltrated ani- tion was organized in Stuttgart at the end All of the speeches are available to view on mal attendant was alone with the ani- of October and the BUAV announced the maxNet.tv: mals. This gave him the opportunity to in- publication of a comprehensive report. The maxload.rzg.mpg.de/wp fluence the situation. The MPG has also question remains: Are the objectives of the (maxNet.tv is accessible from within the inter- outlined one such case in detail. These ex- organizations always as genuine as they nal IP realm and, of course, for maxNet users) periences are congruent with those of col- claim?

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A New Chapter for

Nobel Prize laureate Eric Kandel gives the first Harnack Lecture before 250 invited guests

Eric Kandel held the first Harnack Lecture in the Goethe Hall.

Bridge-building between the times – MPG whose financial support enabled With great humor and wit, he ex- this is an apt motto for the re-inaugu- the project to be carried out. plored how the new contemporary ration of Harnack House in Dahlem. The new Harnack Lecture played a psychoanalysis was reflected in the Eighty-five years after Adolf von Har- prominent part in the celebratory eve- portrait art of Klimt, Kokoschka and nack inaugurated the building as an ning at the end of October. In the fu- Schiele, and also looked at the discov- international meeting venue for the ture, this honorary lecture will be held eries of modern neuroscience. Kandel, (KWG), the vil- annually by an internationally re- who was born in Vienna in 1929, had la designed by Carl Sattler is now a nowned scientist at the invitation of to flee from the Nazis to the US. With contemporary conference facility for the President. In this way, the MPG his Nobel Prize-winning neurological the Max Planck Society following a aims to commemorate the Founding research, he made significant discover- two-year renovation period. “Respect President of the Kaiser Wilhelm Soci- ies about the molecular bases of mem- for tradition inspired our architects to ety and his commitment to an inter- ory formation. embrace the historic spirit of this ven- national focus, excellence and open- ue using modern materials for the mindedness. The Harnack Lecture on maxNet.tv: present era,” remarked Max Planck The series was launched by Eric maxload.rzg.mpg.de/wp President Martin Stratmann at the Kandel, who also sought to build a opening ceremony in the Goethe Hall. bridge between the times in his lecture (maxNet.tv is accessible from within the internal IP realm and, of course, for maxNet users)

He also thanked the patrons of the “Art and science in Vienna circa 1900.” Photo: Amac Garbe/MPG

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