B56133B56133 ResearchResearch doesn’t doesn’t have have toto be be heavy heavy.. TheThe Science Science Magazine Magazine of of the the Max Max Planck Planck Society Society4.20194.2019

Go Go paperless! paperless! The The Max Max Planck Planck Society’s Society’s magazine magazine is is AppApp for for immediateimmediate & free& free : www.mpg.de/mpr-mobile availableavailable as as ePaper ePaper: www.mpg.de/mpr-mobile downloaddownload LEARNING LEARNING Internet: Internet: www.mpg.de/mpresearch www.mpg.de/mpresearch 4.2019 4.2019 MaxPlanckResearch MaxPlanckResearch

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RESEARCH RESEARCH POLICY POLICY NUCLEAR NUCLEAR PHYSICS PHYSICS ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE & CLIMATE CONFLICT CONFLICT STUDIES STUDIES DemocracyDemocracy ParticleParticle hunters hunters BurnBurn damage damage PatternsPatterns of of needsneeds science science onon the the trail trail inin the the rainforest rainforest terrorterror

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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 Publisher’s mailing address e-mail: [email protected] (MaxPlanckForschung: 85,000 copies). It is free of charge. None Hofgartenstraße 8, D-80539 Munich Art Direction of the views and opinions expressed in MaxPlanckResearch may Tel. +49 89 2108-1719 / -1276 (in the mornings) 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 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- Content Authority Lithography schaften e.V. (Max Planck Society) comprises 86 institutes and Dr. Christina Beck (-1276) KSA Media GmbH 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 Peter Hergersberg (Chemistry, Physics, Technology; -1536) Printing & Distribution annual budget for 2018 is 1.8 billion euros. Research activities of the Helmut Hornung (Astronomy; -1404) Vogel Druck- & Medienservice GmbH Max Planck Society focus on basic research in natural sciences Editorial Staff Leibnizstraße 5, 97204 Höchberg and the humanities. The Max Planck Society is a non-profit Dr. Elke Maier (Biology, Medicine; -1064) Advertising organization registered under private law as an www.max-planck-innovation.de Dr. Harald Rösch (Biology, Medicine; -1756) Beatrice Rieck incorporated association. Its central decision- Mechthild Zimmermann (Culture, Society; -1720) Vogel Druck und Medienservice GmbH making body is the Senate, with members Photo Editor Leibnizstraße 5, 97204 Höchberg from the world of politics, the scientific comu- Susanne Schauer (-1562) Tel.: +49 931 4600-2721 nity, and the professional public, providing for Annabell Kopp e-mail: [email protected] a well-balanced partnership.

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4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 79

mi_anzeige_1/1_englisch_28_07_2017_prod.indd 1 28.07.2017 15:11:39 Uhr ON LOCATION

Take-off for the stars

Just reaching the space port is an odyssey. It will take you about 24 hours to get from Munich to Baikonur – in the middle of nowhere, some 200 kilometers east of the North Aral Sea. Close to the city, with a population of 60 000, a handful of decent hotels and some good restaurants, the Cosmodrome has been launching rockets since 1957 – first Soviet, now Russian. Over the years, many a dream has literally gone up in smoke here, but many have also come true. July 13, 2019, is a case in point. At 2.31 p.m. Central European Summer Time, a three-stage Proton-M rocket thundered into the flawless blue sky above the 43 °C hot Kazakh steppe. Watching from the ground: scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics. Stowed in the rocket’s nose: eRosita. This X-ray telescope, developed and constructed by a consortium of German research facilities headed by the Institute in Garching, Germany, flew piggyback with the Russian space observatory Spektr-RG to its observation location at a distance of one-and-a-half million kilometers from Earth. Out there, way beyond and behind the Moon, the probe from Earth will scan the entire firmament over the next four years to produce the first complete map in the mid X-ray range. It was a nail-biting wait for the watching scientists; due to technical issues with the rocket, the launch had to be postponed three times. In the end, the launch on July 13 was exemplary. eRosita survived the lift-off unscathed and then set course for its destination as planned. There was a slight delay in commissioning the observatory, but since October 13, all seven modules of the X-ray telescope have been observing the sky simultaneously, its custom-made CCD cameras operating flawlessly. The first composite images show the neighbor of our Milky Way, the Large Magellanic Cloud, as well as two interacting clusters of galaxies at a distance of about 800 million light years away.

Photo: Roscosmos The astronomers are jubilant – their long journey to the steppe at the end of the world was worth its while.

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 3 Contents

In conversation: Federal President Steinmeier says that science should 18 LEARNING 10 engage in dialog with society.

18 Speaking out PERSPECTIVES F or us, it appears natural that children should start to speak at some Prestigious award for two point. Yet learning language is a major feat, which is still not fully 06 U.S. social scientists understood even today. At the Max Planck Institutes for Psycholinguis­ tics and Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, scientists are studying 06 “Oscars of Science” for how children learn this complex system of communication, apparently Max Planck researchers without effort. 07 “There is no reason for germline therapy” 26 Singing lessons for finches 08 Quantum tricks at the push N o zebra finch emerges from the egg as an accomplished singer: each of a button young bird first has to take singing lessons. Songbirds are, therefore, 08 On the net excellent model organisms for the study of learning processes in 09 License for new drugs vertebrates. A team at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in to treat Parkinson’s disease Seewiesen is conducting research into how various songbird species learn their songs and what happens in their brains during the process. 32 Eye to eye with computers VIEWPOINT O ur eyes are our window on the world, but they also reveal a lot 10 Democracy needs science about us. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in In times when different groups in so­ Saarbruecken and at the University of Stuttgart exploit this by teaching ciety are increasingly isolating them­ computers to interpret our gaze. Ultimately, their aim is to enable selves from each other, science is also robots or avatars to communicate with us eye to eye. threatening to become just another opinion bubble. The Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier therefore demanded that scientists engage in dialog with politicians and society.

ON THE COVER Learning, or the acquisition of skills, follows complex rules and basic FOCUS principles that apply to humans, animals and computers alike. In all cases, learning in living organisms demands a high level of intellectual ability, whether by infants 18 Speaking out acquiring language skills or birds learning to sing. When it comes to machines, learning requires highly sophisticated algorithms and large quantities of data, so 26 Singing lessons for finches

that a computer can interpret human eye movements, for example. 32 Eye to eye with computers Cover: Adobe Stock/123RF; photos on this page: Axel Griesch (big picture), John Macdougall/AFP via Getty Images

4 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 In the dark: to date, particle physi- At the virtual level: Derek Dreyer uses On fire: the rainforest is afflicted by cists have searched in vain for new computer science and mathematics fires, which ultimately have an impact 46 ideas for explaining the world. 52 to research programming languages. 58 on the regional and global climate.

SPECTRUM PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY CULTURE & SOCIETY

40 The alchemy of neutron stars 46 Particle hunters on the trail 66 Patterns of terror 40 Dual-class society in the Bronze Age The detection of the Higgs boson Terrorism awakens fear and anxiety. represented a huge success. But We feel particularly helpless because 41 In good company other expected or unexpected dis- the perpetrators’ actions seem so in- Staying healthy in old age 41 coveries, which physicists hoped comprehensible. But there is actually is a lifelong task would explain the appearance of a certain logic behind the actions 41 Heavyweight at the heart of Abell 85 the world we live in, have failed to of terrorist groups. A group at the 42 Children increase life expectancy materialize. Researchers at the Max Max Planck Institute for Social 42 Imagined movements can alter Planck Institutes for Gravitational Anthro­pology discover the rules by the brain Physics and Physics are looking for which terrorists act. new perspectives. 42 Less is more 43 Every mouse is different REGULAR FEATURES 43 Nuclear clocks get to the core MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY 44 Nanoceramics from the ball mill 03 On location 44 Magnetars – simply irresistible 52 The digital language artist 16 Post from the Mississippi Brando Personal portrait: Derek Dreyer 45 Deadly networks Experiencing history in a canoe Paulo 45 A fortress for sensitive data 38 Infographic Ups and downs in the bird world ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE 74 Flashback Scheible,

58 Burn damage in the rainforest The observer In the summer of 2019, there were 76 Max Planck Community Wolfram more forest fires in Brazil than 76 Next generation Max Planck virtually any previous recorded. Center opened Scientists at the Max Planck Insti- 77 Commitment to greater tute for Biogeochemistry are look- climate protection ing at the consequences that the 78 New PhDnet steering group Dominguez/CERN, immense loss of rainforest has on ready to start local, as well as global, climate. 78 Welcome to the Planck Academy Daniel

79 Research Establishments Cover: Adobe Stock/123RF; photos on this page: Axel Griesch (big picture), John Macdougall/AFP via Getty Images

Photos: 79 Publisher’s Information

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 5 PERSPECTIVES

Prestigious award for two U.S. social scientists

Max Planck-Humboldt Research Award and Max Planck-Humboldt Medal presented in Berlin

Ufuk Akcigit from the University of Chicago is the winner of this year’s Max Planck-Humboldt Research Award. The social scientist received the honor for his outstanding contributions in the field of macroeconomics. Among other things, he has demonstrated clear relationships between innovation and long- term economic growth, as well as between innovation and social mobility. The award is linked to a research residency in Germany, which Akcigit will spend at the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH). There, he wants to study the causes of economic disparities between East and West Germany. Elliot Tucker-­ Drob from the University of Texas in Austin received the Max Planck-Humboldt Medal for his services to the field of personality and developmental psychol- ogy. He studies how social and biological processes shape the psychological development of individuals over their entire lifespan. The awards were present- ed by Michael Meister, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Max Planck President Martin Stratmann and Hans-Chris- tian Pape, President of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, as part of the Berlin Science Week in November 2019.

Newly honored: Ufuk Akcigit and Elliot Tucker-Drob (from left) at the awards ceremony in Berlin.

“Oscars of Science” for Max Planck researchers

Two of the lucrative Breakthrough Prizes have been awarded to Franz-Ulrich Hartl and the Event Horizon Collaboration

Franz-Ulrich Hartl, Director at the clump together and are one of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry main causes of severe neurodegener- in Martinsried and his American col- ative disorders such as Alzheimer’s or league Arthur L. Horwich are two of Parkinson’s disease. The Breakthrough the winners of the Breakthrough Prize Prize in Fundamental Physics was in Life Sciences 2020. The researchers awarded to the Event Horizon Collab- Artistic trophy: the winners of the Break- were honored for discovering func- oration. With eight sensitive ra- through Prize are awarded a sculpture from tions of molecular chaperones in me- diotelescopes strategically positioned the Danish artist Ólafur Elíasson. diating protein folding and preventing around the world, this international protein aggregation. In the 1980s, they consortium of 60 institutions has cap- preeminent role in these efforts. The demonstrated that – contrary to the tured an image of a black hole for the Breakthrough Prize is awarded annu- general dogma – most proteins need first time. The Max Planck Institute for ally in three categories, each of which assistance from so-called molecular Radio Astronomy in Bonn and the has a prize money of 3 million U.S. dol- chaperones in order to fold into Institute for Radio Astronomy in the lars and is therefore worth more than the correct shape. Misfolded proteins Millimeter Range (IRAM) played a any other scientific award. Photos: David Ausserhofer (top); Breakthrough Prize Foundation

6 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 PERSPECTIVES

“There is no reason for germline therapy”

Stefan Mundlos, from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, explains why there will be no “designer babies” in the near future

It was only when the first genetically mod- Society took a clear stand against inter- ified children were born in China in 2018 ventions in the germline in its discussion that many people realized how far-reach- paper on genome editing. ing the capabilities of genome editing ac- tually are. This method allows researchers How safe is the technique then? to sever DNA at a precise location and CRISPR/Cas9 does work very precisely therefore to switch genes off or insert new and almost always cuts the DNA at a de- fragments. But the genome editing of cells fined point. But despite that, mistakes from the human germline raises a pletho- can happen. Researchers are currently ra of scientific and ethical issues. In 2019, working on even more exact and less er- the Ethics Council of the Max Planck Soci- ror-prone variations of the technique. In ety prepared a detailed discussion paper any case, we will always have to check on genome editing, in which Stefan Mund- whether modified cells do indeed only los of the Max Planck Institute for Molecu- carry the desired mutations. lar Genetics in Berlin discusses the risks and opportunities of this method for the What significance will genome editing in Stefan Mundlos world of medicine. The researcher, who humans have in the future? also uses the CRISPR/Cas9 technique in his The modification of normal body cells own work, believes that concerns over definitely has great medical potential. uncontrolled manipulation of the human Conditions that are caused by one – or a Some scientists are demanding a moratorium, genome are unfounded. few – mutations, such as some forms of a voluntary commitment to refrain from leukemia, could be treated this way. I’m carrying out any modification of the human Professor Mundlos, is the modification of sure that we’ll be able to treat the first pa- germline. What you think about that? human cells ethically justifiable? tients using this method in just a few I don’t believe such a moratorium would Stefan Mundlos: It depends whether we years. On the other hand, I don’t see any be effective. The circle of scientists who are talking about normal body cells – the need for germline gene therapy, since can implement the technology is too somatic cells as they are known – or there are equivalent and ethically less wide for that. There will always be some- about germline cells: sperm and egg cells. problematic alternatives. Using in vitro one, somewhere in the world, who Somatic cells do not pass on their gene­ fertilization and pre-implantation diag- doesn’t feel bound by the moratorium. tic material. If the genome of these cells nostics, embryos free of adverse muta- And in any case, who would be responsi- is modified, the mutation disappears tions can be selected for implantation. ble for policing it? with the death of the patient. Such an in- tervention for the treatment of heredi- Many people fear that genome editing will Is there no stopping the manipulation tary conditions or cancer is comparable be used not just for treating illnesses, of the human genome then? to other cell-based therapies and is there- but also to optimize human characteristics. I’m convinced that the lack of benefit will fore ethically unproblematic. In the future, will we have particularly be much more effective than bans or vol- intelligent or tall “designer babies” thanks untary commitments regarding germline What about germline genome editing? to this new technique? gene therapy. There would be no reason That’s completely different. The task of I don’t see any danger of this happening in and therefore no “market” for it. sperm and egg cells is to provide offspring, the foreseeable future. Characteristics and so they pass on their genetic material such as intelligence, height or other char- Interview: Harald Rösch to the next generation. Manipulating the acteristics we might wish to optimize are germline will therefore affect people who influenced by many different genes. We are are not yet born at the time of modification far from even understanding these gene and cannot give their consent. That’s ethi- networks, let alone being able to manipu- cally unacceptable. As genome editing is late them. It’s quite possible that doing so also not yet precise enough to avoid caus- will be completely impossible without trig-

Photo: Edgar Zippel/MPG ing unintended mutations, the Max Planck gering undesired effects elsewhere.

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 7 PERSPECTIVES

Quantum tricks at the push of a button

Max Planck – New York City Center for Non-equilibrium Quantum Phenomena inaugurated in New York City

The new Max Planck Center will see the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter and for Polymer Research join forces with Columbia Uni- versity and the Flatiron Institute to understand, con- trol and manipulate the uniquely useful properties of quantum materials. The New York City Center for Non-Equilibrium Quantum Phenomena aims to har- ness these materials for a wide range of applications, including quantum computing and innovative mea- surement and cryptography technologies. Together, the scientists will study quantum materials that are not settled into a stable state. Scientists can perturb these materials using methods such as electric cur- rents, heat pulses and barrages of photons or by em- bedding them in quantum cavities. In non-equilibri- um states such as these, a material may exhibit new properties such as magnetism, ferroelectricity or super- conductivity. If researchers succeed in carefully con- trolling these processes, they could develop materials for wide-ranging and potentially revolutionary appli- At the official opening: Max Planck Vice President Ferdi Schüth (center) cations. The new research center at Columbia Univer- with Graham Michael Purdy from Columbia University, James Simons sity was inaugurated by all four partner institutions in from the Simons Foundation, and Maya Tolstoy and Mary C. Boyce, both November 2019. from Columbia University (from left). WORLD’S FASTEST

On the net

Neighborly assistance Marshmallow experiment 2.0 Farewell, UK! 4MPX Ultrahigh-speed cameras for intense African grey parrots voluntarily help oth- An adapted version of the famous Stan- On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom ers to obtain food without expecting ford “marshmallow experiment” from left the European Union after 47 years research and development needs. anything in return – showing they under- the late 1960s, which explored the im- of membership. But what impact will stand when they have to “lend a wing” to portance of young children’s ability to Brexit have on universities, joint research 6,600 fps at 2048x1920 pixels a peer! The parrots exhibit a high level delay gratification to future life success, programs and scientific exchange? The 12,500 fps at 1920x1080 pixels of social intelligence and willingness to shows how sweet it is to cooperate. The European University Association (EUA) cooperate. They readily help others, even study, conducted by Rebecca Koomen, has prepared an overview of the conse- • Extreme image detail when there is no immediate opportu- Sebastian Grueneisen, and Esther Herr- quences. Read EUA’s briefing with a fo- • Highest sensitivity in its class nity for return. Moreover, they return mann of the Max Planck Institute for cus on areas of relevance to universities. received favors and do not appear to be Evolutionary Anthropology, suggests https://eua.eu/resources/publications/ • Very low noise at 7e- jealous if their fellow grey parrots ob- that kids are more willing to delay grati­ 906:brexit • High dynamic range at 64,1 dB tain a better reward than themselves. fication for cooperative reasons than • 1 μs exposure (142ns option) Our YouTube video demonstrates this for individual goals. • Multi-mode flexibility fascinating neighborly assistance. https://sciencedaily.com/releases/­­

https://youtu.be/HEvO5SBiv6k 2020/01/200114104024.htm Photo: Asiya Khaki www.hsvision.de High Speed Vision GmbH | Pforzheimer Strasse 128 A | 76275 Ettlingen Germany Phantom Exclusive Distribution in DACH phone: +49 (0)7243 94757-0 | fax: +49 (0)7243 94757-29 | email: [email protected] 8 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 PERSPECTIVES

License for new drugs to treat Parkinson’s disease

The company Modag is developing a substance discovered by researchers in Goettingen and Munich

In most cases, Parkinson’s disease first brain. Under the microscope, abnormal nificantly reduces the rate of growth of appears between the ages of 50 and 60. deposits of clumped alpha-synuclein the protein deposits and delays nerve It is characterized by the loss of dopa- proteins are visible in the brain, which cell degeneration in mice. However, ap- mine-producing nerve cells in the sub- appear to be extremely toxic to nerve plications in humans remain a long way stantia nigra, a structure in the mid- cells. Until know, there were no drugs off. The company Modag has taken over that tackled the root causes of Parkin- the preclinical development of the sub- son’s disease. This is where the work of stance and, with a patent for new chem- research teams led by Armin Giese of ically modified drug candidates, agreed LMU Munich and Christian Griesinger another exclusive license with the Max of the Max Planck Institute for Biophys- Planck Society in September 2019. On ical Chemistry in Goettingen comes in. this basis, Modag can now push forward A few years back, the two researchers with the development of new drugs for discovered an active substance that sig- Parkinson’s disease.

Disrupted system: dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brain of a diseased mouse. Photo: Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology / Aron & Klein WORLD’S FASTEST4MPX Ultrahigh-speed cameras for intense research and development needs.

6,600 fps at 2048x1920 pixels 12,500 fps at 1920x1080 pixels • Extreme image detail • Highest sensitivity in its class • Very low noise at 7e- • High dynamic range at 64,1 dB • 1 μs exposure (142ns option) • Multi-mode flexibility

www.hsvision.de High Speed Vision GmbH | Pforzheimer Strasse 128 A | 76275 Ettlingen Germany Phantom Exclusive Distribution in DACH phone: +49 (0)7243 94757-0 | fax: +49 (0)7243 94757-29 | email: [email protected] VIEWPOINT_Research Policy

Democracy needs science

In times when different groups in society are increasingly isolating themselves from each other, science is also threatening to become just another opinion bubble. Yet in order to resolve global problems – particularly climate change – we need scientific expertise. At an event held by the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany on September 26, 2019 in Berlin, the Federal President therefore demanded that scientists engage in dialog with politicians and society. You can read a transcript of his speech below.

SPEECH BY THE FEDERAL PRESIDENT FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER

t is a pleasure to be here with you today, at the asset in our democracy and a fundamental right set closing event of this important and broad cam- out in our Basic Law – a freedom that we all are paign for academic freedom – which you have called on to nurture, protect and, if need be, defend. hosted to mark the 70th anniversary of our Basic Second, in a liberal democracy, academic freedom Law. (…) It is good to see that your community can I speak out, loud and clear and with one voice, on such an important issue – namely the constitution that underpins our society. For that, I extend my spe- We are witnessing attacks on cial thanks to both the Alliance of Science Organisa- tions in Germany and to all of you. (…) the freedom of science – very real You say clearly and unmistakeably – on the occa- attacks, across the globe sion of the anniversary of our constitution – that, during seven decades with our Basic Law, we have ac- complished something we can be proud of: we have brings with it the expectation that science bears re- reached a broad consensus on academic freedom in sponsibility for the world it explores, for the society our country. I would add that this was a fortunate de- in which it conducts research, as well as for human- velopment – there was much opposition, and it ex- ity and nature in general. tends far beyond the scientific community. I think that each and every one of you will agree This consensus can be summed up in two sen- with me when I say that the academic freedom we tences that we have probably heard many times be- are bound to protect and the responsibility that aris-

fore – Namely: first, academic freedom is a valued es from this freedom are inseparably linked. So, ladies Photo: John Macdougall/AFP via Getty Images

10 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 Photo: John Macdougall/AFP via Getty Images “Enlighten our democracy”: Federal President Steinmeier encourages encourages Steinmeier President Federal democracy”: our “Enlighten scientists to play a constructive role in political discussions. political in role constructive a play to scientists VIEWPOINT_Research Policy 4 | MaxPlanckResearch MaxPlanckResearch 19 11 VIEWPOINT_Research Policy

and gentlemen – will that be all? (…) We’ve paid trib- ic freedom is being challenged, we should ask ute to academic freedom, so we’re that much closer ourselves in what ways we can secure a future for this to the buffet reception. precious basic right. Frankly, no – because the agreement that exists in I want to address three areas here. Firstly, there is this room hardly mirrors the outside world. We are always also a material aspect to academic freedom. witnessing attacks on the freedom of science – very As our country’s scientists and academics, you are en- real attacks, across the globe. For this, we need not titled to a solid financial foundation. Top-notch, even look to distant lands, to strong or rising autoc- world-class research, the kind that we all want to racies, where freedom is not worth much – countries have, as well as freedom of thought and creativity – in which science must serve authority and ideology. all this requires sufficient funding. We also need not look across the Atlantic, where Our country does fare well by international com- scientific discoveries based on decades of research parison, particularly in view of increased investment are brushed aside with an abrupt tweet – where, in over the last decade and a half. That said, in the next the worst case, one can no longer distinguish be- few years, it will at least not become any easier to maintain this ambitious level. This effort requires universities and research institutes to remain fully aware of the conditions that guarantee their inde- I would like universities to be places pendence, and to be circumspect in defending these conditions. This applies as much to the political where people can experience and sphere as it does to third-party funding – for exam- learn about what democracy means ple, from business and industry. To me, however, one thing is clear: primary responsibility for ensur- ing that the basic material needs of science and ac- tween the two. No, we need look no further than ademia are met lies with the state. It is therefore not Europe, where an entire university is driven out of a bad idea for you to periodically remind everyone a country, where some opinion leaders express their of this fact. desire for a world without what they consider to be Secondly, academic freedom must apply not only troublesome experts, a world without critical think- at the very top, but also for junior scientists and re- ers and where science places itself entirely at the ser- searchers. I would like universities to be places vice of politics. where people can experience and learn about what All this should worry us. And, what is more, we democracy means. For the university to be a place must speak out when scientists come under pres- of democracy, it must first be a place of freedom. sure. We must help where we can – this includes, for Some complain that, these days, courses of study example, when academics from these countries seek give individuals too little opportunity for finding refuge here. The influx of academics under threat their calling in life and their place in society. I think shows that Germany, which has a truly difficult his- that’s somewhat exaggerated. Apart from the many tory, has today become a harbor of reason, a partner new structures and increased demands imposed by for all those who demand freedom of thought and Bologna – with Bachelor’s and Master’s courses, speech worldwide. Let us be ambitious in realising modules and grading – there is one key priority: stu- that potential. dents’ freedom, which begins with their course Yes, academic freedom is valued in this country. choices and extends to intellectual growth beyond But that is no reason for us to rest on our laurels! Par- the boundaries of their chosen subject and their ticularly given the situation around the world, par- country; this freedom should be, and should re- ticularly because we can see every day how academ- main, at the core of every academic education.

12 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 Later, among doctoral researchers and research as- lose its ability to detect future opportunities, and sci- sistants, there is of course also the freedom to devel- ence will fall easy prey to the enemies of freedom. op one’s research topics, unfettered by dependency A few months ago, I was in Iceland, a small coun- on, or excessive influence of, one’s predecessors. Be- try at the outermost edge of Europe – and one that is cause the academic freedom to which we are paying feeling the existential impact of man-made climate tribute today begins not at the upper end of the ac- ademic salary scale, but rather must extend to all re- search assistants, doctoral and postdoctoral stu- dents, as well. Misunderstanding must not come Thirdly, and most importantly, we must firmly an- chor the freedom of research in society. I believe this to characterize the relationship will only succeed if we build trust in scientific meth- ods, renewing it where necessary. After all, the of- between science and politics ten-invoked post-factual age is dawning not only in other parts of the world. In Germany, too, 43 percent change. You can imagine what it means for a coun- of those questioned already believe that facts are a try that even has “ice” in its name when the first gla- matter of opinion. This number can and should wor- ciers cease to exist – even today. As is often the case ry us. We must, of course, understand what lies be- for such trips, I invited guests from Germany to come hind it – but more importantly, we must learn how along and represent our country. These frequently in- to deal with it. clude scientists – some of them are here in this room I believe that where there is a lack of trust in sci- – and I am happy to see all of you. entific discoveries, there is an all the greater need for As we sat down during this trip to Iceland for a trust in the process by which these discoveries are discussion with scientists about climate change, one made. The process must be credible – that is, not sub- thing was clear: no one questioned whether the facts servient to predominant interests. By advancing log- were real. The data and their interpretation were not ical arguments, verifiable facts and transparent meth- the issue. ods. And by making an honest distinction between Rather, the discussion centered on why “politics” proven findings, on the one hand, and hypotheses is not taking action, why “politics” is not living up that are still disputed in the scientific community, on to its responsibility and why “politics” – which the other hand. should finally begin listening to what scientists are Faced with public pressure, science must not be- saying – is so slow to implement the necessary mea- come yet another bubble of opinion. That is why I sures. This brings me to something that has been very want to direct the following words of encourage- important to me recently – something we must talk ment at all scientists and academics: remain en- about when it comes to academic freedom and re- gaged in the scientific process, with the ambition sponsibility – namely, the relationship between “sci- and high aim that you are engaged in “the produc- ence” and “politics” in general. tion of truth”. Because, for there to be social prog- Particularly regarding the major issue of our ress, it must be based on your findings. The big is- times, climate protection, I see and hear much in- sues of tomorrow call for not only emotional, but comprehension, disappointment and dissatisfaction also well-informed, debate. when scientists talk about “politics”. I see and hear Yes, it is politicians who must express their com- how people citing scientific facts are accusing “poli- mitment to, and garner support for, trust in science, tics” of delay and failure – not only during my trav- but science itself must also time and again create this els as Federal President, but also in town squares all

Photo: John Macdougall/AFP via Getty Images trust. Because without trust in research, society will across our country. But let me quite clearly say that,

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 13 as Federal President, it is not my role to take up the has its own rules. For that alone, it should not be de- cause of one of these sides. As Federal President, it is rided – also not by science – as being intrinsically in- my role to help reconcile differences. decisive, or even bothersome. Of course, people have reason to be impatient. Science is essentially focused on discovery – and And criticism is justified. Naturally, it is politics that politics is essentially focused on action. This means is first and foremost called upon to act. It is also right that democracy needs science – and very much so that Germany, as a country that once led the way on – yet democracy needs many more things, as well. It must weigh different views and priorities, bal- ance interests, seek majorities, struggle to find com- promises, and look after those whom progress We should regard democracy leaves behind. Politics – and climate policy in par- ticular – becomes even more effective when more as being a space in which people are given the opportunity to participate and we can jointly untie knots assume responsibility. The discussion during my Iceland trip also gave me the impression that we were actually speaking mitigating climate change and the development of different languages and talking at cross purposes. renewable energy, runs the risk of losing not only this We increasingly fell into the trap of viewing “sci- position, but also its ambition. A number of years ence” and “politics” as two orbiting planets that ago, we set ourselves lofty goals. What counts now is send out brief radio transmissions to one another mustering the political will to actually reach these and then get upset when the other side does not im- goals! That is the true benchmark of climate policy, mediately reply “roger” in confirmation. I want to and to get there politics must act courageously and make one thing perfectly clear today, namely, that with decision. misunderstanding and walls of silence must not That is all true. No one can deny anymore that come to characterize the relationship between sci- action is urgently needed. But that alone is not ence and politics. enough. Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker once said, To avoid this requires effort on both sides. Poli- “it must be the scientist’s top priority to recognize tics, for its part, must not take the easy way out – how discoveries and changing the world are inter- the path of least resistance, by choosing the small- linked”. Yes, discoveries and changing the world are est common denominator. Politics should be a closely interlinked – but they are not one and the motor – and not at the mercy of events, as appears same thing! You may be thinking “that’s a shame, to be the case all too often regarding climate change. isn’t it?” – and Plato, for one, would probably agree. Politics must have the courage to also take daring We’re in need of philosopher kings – and instead steps. Politics can take advantage of the opportuni- we have subcommittees, summits and climate cab- ties that are being created by civil society. Especial- inet meetings. ly for such a highly complex topic as climate change, As Federal President, I am not here to justify pol- it holds true that politics needs expertise and evi- itics – and I’m certainly not here to defend specific dence. Politics should get back in the habit of visit- decisions the coalition has taken on the climate pro- ing lecture halls and laboratories. Politics must time tection dossier. Yet I would like to remind everyone and again go and seek advice from experts; it must that democracy does not work like science. Democ- place its trust in scientific expertise – and it must de- racy does not function exclusively thanks to a keen fend this expertise against the notorious individu- sense of reason, or on the basis of merit, peer review als who oversimplify the world, stir up opinion and

and the impact factor. Politics in a democratic system beat the populist drum. Photo: John Macdougall/AFP via Getty Images

14 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 VIEWPOINT_Research Policy

However, my appeal is directed both ways. Science, too, especially because it enjoys certain freedoms and privileges, bears a special responsibility for the suc- cess of democracy. First and foremost, it must remain honest and transparent to both itself and the gener- al public – in line with the fact/value distinction that was drawn by Weber. This also means that when sci- ence makes normative judgments, and when it sees the need for change, science must be willing and able to step up to politicians and society – explaining, ad- vertising and acting as an intermediary. It must be willing to become part of the democratic debate. It shouldn’t put its own findings on a tall pedestal – thereby making democracy, with its many voices and Frank-Walter Steinmeier (born in 1956) has been complexity, appear to be not the way to a solution, President of the Federal Republic of Germany since but rather an obstacle. In short, we must avoid pit- 2017. The doctor of law began his political career in 1991 ting science against politics. in the state chancellery of Lower Saxony. In 1998, he Regarding climate change, we are most certainly was appointed Under-Secretary of State in the German faced with the proverbial Gordian knot. As we all Chancellery under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. One know, it can certainly not be cut by a single actor – year later, he became Chief of Staff of the Chancellery. or act of legislation. However, if in frustration over In 2005, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs this situation we each begin tugging at the knot, then in Angela Merkel’s cabinet, becoming Vice-Chancellor it will only become more snug. Therefore, it is my in 2007. During the period of the CDU-FDP coalition wish that we stand shoulder to shoulder and contin- in Berlin, Steinmeier served as an SPD delegate in the ue to demand that democracy deliver no more, but Bundestag. Four years later, he again became Minister also no less, than what it truly is: a space in which we of Foreign Affairs until January 2017. can jointly untie knots! Anything else is the apocalypse. I don’t know if you agree, but I think that the spectre of the apoca- lypse paralyzes. It does not invigorate. It creates fear where we need the courage that can bring change. It makes doubts appear larger than they are, and it drains every effort of vigour. That is what I ask of science: be persistent! Ex- plain that which needs explaining – and if need be, more than once. Point to what the future holds. En- courage others. Enlighten our democracy! Thank you very much.

This speech was given by Federal President Steinmeier on September 26, 2019 in the Futurium Berlin. It was made at the closing event of the “Freedom is Our System” campaign, which was initiated in 2019 by the Alliance of

Photo: John Macdougall/AFP via Getty Images Photo: Bundesregierung/Steffen Kugler Science Organisations in Germany.

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 15 Post from the Mississippi

Experiencing history in a canoe

Max Planck researchers cooperate with partners in around 120 countries all over the world. Here, they write about their personal experiences and impressions. Thomas Turnbull from the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin is involved in the project “Mississippi. An Anthropocene River”. As part of this venture, Turnbull paddled down a stretch of the Mississippi. He talks about a river that epitomizes the changes that humans have made to natural systems.

As a historian, I’m more at home in the archives than in a canoe. A research expedition that offered the opportunity to experience a river up close therefore seemed like quite an adventure. The Mississippi project investigated whether this river could be used to illustrate the Anthro­ pocene, a proposed geological epoch dominated by humanity. The three-month journey along the river from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico was a funda­ mental part of this project. I joined the expedition for a week, traveling from Cairo, Illinois, to New Madrid, Missouri, in the company of other researchers, artists and students from Augsburg University in Minneapolis who were spending the fall semester on and near the river. The impressions I gained on the canoe trip provide an important part of my research, in which I am investigating the history of technical change in the Mississippi Valley. During this trip, I experienced at first hand the positive and negative consequences of past technical intervention in the river’s course – the dam and levee system. The dam systems and levees were largely built in the 1930s to make the Mississippi easily nav­ igable and help keep it in its channel. This system kept floods at bay and made it possible to use the river as a non-stop transport route for bulk cargo. Nowadays, however, we know that this construction critically undermined the dynamics of the river system and gave rise to new

flood risks. Graphic: iStockphoto

16 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 Dr. Thomas Turnbull , 33, studied history at King’s College London. He worked for organizations including an environmental think tank and a project for the preservation of endangered languages. Afterwards, he studied at the School of Geography and Environment, University of Oxford. In 2017 Turnbull was awarded a doctorate for his thesis, on “Energy Resource Conservation in Britain and America , 1865 – 1981”. From 2018 working as a guest scientist at the to Max 2020 Planck, he will be Institute for the History of Science. The Mississippi project and other planned activities are all in keep

ing with his research interests, which lie between - the history of science and historical geography.

My starting point was Cairo, a small town on which the deindustrialization of previous decades has clearly left its mark. Nevertheless, the river still strongly resembles an industrial waterway. Tugboats transport cargo day and night, ranging from maize and soybeans to spare parts for oil refineries. Despite their leisurely pace, the tugboats create huge waves and their rattling drowns out the rustling of the nearby trees. Behind the wall of hickory trees and cypresses on the bank, agricultural machinery harvests vast quantities of soybeans, the hop-like scent of which occasionally wafted in our direction. Yet there were hardly ever any people to be seen. It was almost surreal. Day after day, we paddled down the steadily flowing Mississippi – a never-ending conveyor belt of water and sediment. It was much quieter and wilder than I had expected. We camped on sandbanks and tiny islands in the river. The nights were pitch black, illuminated only by the stars, our campfire and the lights shining from tugboats. The crews were no doubt puzzled by the fact that we spent the night on these narrow sandbanks – and sometimes even sang accom­ panied by a guitar. During the expedition, one of our guides found a tree trunk covered in oyster mushrooms. We watched Asian carp leap out of the brownish water and listened to the birds twittering in the trees. Often, the only signs of human habitation were the garbage of civilization that had washed up onto the banks. We even found a large plastic Star Wars spaceship, half embedded in the mud. Thanks to my experiences on the canoe expedition, I can now think in much more concrete terms about the environmental history of the Mississippi valley and its role in the Anthropocene era – for example about how flood control, industrial agriculture, the transport of fertilizers and

Graphic: iStockphoto Photo: Claire Pentecost power generation are linked by this body of water.

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 17 Look who‘s talking: most children can say their first words at just one year old, while three-year-olds are already able to conduct conversations. That makes them far more advanced than any animal, or even artificial intelligence.

18 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 FOCUS_Learning

Speaking out

For us, it appears natural that children should start to speak at some point. Yet learning language is a major feat, which is still not fully understood even today. The Departments led by Caroline Rowland at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen and Angela Friederici at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig are using a wide range of methods to investigate how children learn this complex system of communication with seemingly no effort.

TEXT TIM SCHRÖDER

he path to the laboratories have arranged everything to make sure their studies with the children. The con- where Caroline Rowland that children feel comfortable straight trast couldn’t be greater: the room has works leads through a small away, since it’s they who are the real an austere atmosphere and the walls are park. When you walk along stars of her research. bare. Nothing must be allowed to dis- it, you immediately notice She is Professor of Psychology and tract the children. In the middle of the thatT something is different. A baby blue Director at the Max Planck Institute for room, there is a large monitor with a ta- porcelain elf sits in the grass on the Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen in the ble and two chairs in front of it. This is edge of the path, and a few steps later Netherlands. She wants to find out how where the parents sit with their chil- you see a pink fairy, about the size of a children learn their native language – dren. The researchers then show scenes Barbie doll, then another, then anoth- even before they start to become profi- or images on the monitor: a dog chasing er... until you reach a side entrance. cient in many other skills. “During a cat or objects such as balls or rubber Once you’re inside, this part of the their first years of life, most children ducks – things that children are familiar Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguis- have no difficulty learning the most with from their everyday lives. Togeth- tics also looks different from the rest of complex communication system in the er with team members Julia Egger, Chris- the building with its offices and labora- known universe. I want to find out how tina Bergmann and Andrew Jessop, tories. In the hallway you see brightly they manage to do this and why this is Rowland observes which items attract colored stools shaped like mushrooms, the case.” To this end, she regularly in- the children’s attention. For this, she which are just the right size for children vites parents and their children to take uses eyetrackers, which contain in- to sit on comfortably. “And here’s our part in playful experiments. She finds fra-red cameras that follow the move- waiting room,” says Caroline Rowland her work with babies and young infants ments of the pupils and iris and are able as she opens a door onto a small play who are just starting to learn their na- to register the direction, and move- area with small chairs, cuddly toys, pic- tive language fascinating. ments, of the children’s eyes. ture books, boxes full of board games Next to the colorful waiting room is Using this technique, Caroline Row- and games that test children’s skills. one of the laboratory rooms where Car- land, together with her team and col-

Photo: Michele Constantini/plainpicture Caroline Rowland and her colleagues oline Rowland and her team conduct leagues from Liverpool University in

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 19 20 is itpossibletodetectatan early stage practicallevel,how old? Andonavery talk whentheyaretwoorthree years months, whileothersonly beginto speak theirfirstwordsat just eight ment: howisitthatsome children puzzle surroundinglanguagedevelop- The study aims tosolve the biggest NO PAUSES BETWEENWORDS process thelanguagethattheyhear. rect pictureindicateshowquicklythey with whichchildrenidentifythecor- rect theirgazetotheapple.Thespeed can measurehowquicklychildrendi- clear, child-friendlyvoice. directed to“lookattheapple”bya car are shown on the screen, they are tioned. If,forexample,anappleanda images, onlyoneofwhichismen sits in front of a screen and sees pairs of ing-while-listening” paradigm. Achild This approach is known as the “look- at whichachildprocesseslanguage. the UK,areabletomeasurespeed MaxPlanckResearch 4 MaxPlanckResearch Using theeyetracker, thescientists | 19 - important inlearningtospeak. What guage thathasbeenheard is crucially quickly andaccuratelyprocess thelan- learn languagemorequickly. dren whostrugglewithlanguage to of findingopportunitiestohelpchil their futureresearch –alsowiththeaim phenomenon ingreaterdetailaspartof project teamintendstoinvestigatethis process whattheyhaveheard.The their vocabulary, thefaster theycan er processors. What’s more, the larger grow morerapidlythanthoseofslow- their knowledgeofsentencestructure hear, andeven andtheirvocabulary sentencethatthey more fromevery clear advantage:theyareabletolearn in languagedevelopment. process language is indeed a key factor speed atwhich18-month-oldinfants early on?Thestudyshowedthatthe quires speechandlanguagetherapy acquisitiondisorderthatre- language developers, orwhethertheyhavea whether children are simply rather late For CarolineRowland,theability to Fast languageprocessorshavea - When wespeak,usedifferent accen the wordsaren’t enunciatedevenly. count the factthatin spoken language, this area,research needstotakeintoac- children processthelinguistic input.In understand thegrammar. different typesofwordsandlearningto tasks suchasdifferentiatingbetween simultaneously withotherdifficult not onlythat:theyalsoneedtodothis words inthisflowofsyllables.”And challenge isthereforetorecognize learn thelanguagefromscratch, plains. “Forsmallchildrenwhohaveto individual words,”thescientistex sentence, weleavenopausesbetween is beingsaid.“Usually, whenwesaya tempt toworkoutthemeaningofwhat ual, familiar terms and make an at- occasionally possibletoextractindivid most incomprehensible,anditisonly language: often,theflow of wordsis al recognize thisfromlearningaforeign vidual sounds and syllables. Adults will perceive isan unceasingflowofindi newborn babiesandyounginfantsfirst One keyquestionistherefore how - - - - -

Photo: MPI for Psycholinguistics FOCUS_Learning

Left Playful research: the scientists in Nijmegen perform child-friendly experi- ments to study which language abilities children have already obtained. Below Caroline Rowland is the Director of the Language Development Department at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics.

tuations, make pauses, and talk with a conversations that children hold,” Car- certain inflection of speech. We empha- oline Rowland explains. Errors typical- size what we have said with gestures ly made by children, for example, pro- and looks, and we naturally refer to ob- vide useful information since they jects and people around us. According indicate which underlying grammati- to Caroline Rowland, these factors have cal patterns the children have already not yet been taken sufficiently into ac- identified in the language. Younger count by research. In her opinion, this children often make mistakes when constitutes a complex challenge. forming plural nouns, such as “sheeps” instead of “sheep”. For example, a child CHILDREN MAKE CLEVER who says “sheeps” is using the fact that MISTAKES WHEN THEY SPEAK you can add ‘-s’ to words in English to make them plural (as in “dogs”). It just She herself tackles this challenge ­using happens that “sheep” is an exception various different methods. In other to this pattern. words, she uses a whole range of Among older children, the mistakes approaches: neuroscientific methods, change as their language ability grows. computer models, behavioral experi- A girl’s response to being tickled by the ments and detailed studies of every- father could be to say “Don’t giggle day conversations. me!” This example clearly illustrates To analyze these conversations, Car- the key issue: this isn’t an error that in- oline Rowland and her team use large volves the girl using words or parts of online databases such as CHILDES, in words in the wrong way. Quite the op- which dialogs by and with children are posite: the girl is using a pattern that transcribed into written form from au- she has frequently heard, and which dio or video files. “You can draw a very she can now use in a creative way to

Photo: MPI for Psycholinguistics large number of conclusions from the express something new, which in Photo: MPI for Psycholinguistics

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 21 this case is not quite right according to tences such as: “Look at the baby, dar- the rules of the language. Rowland ling!” Usually, in everyday language the talks of “clever mistakes”. syllable sequence “ba” and “by” occurs more frequently than the combination A colorful team: in the EVEN YOUNG INFANTS FIND of the syllable “the” and the syllable Language Development PATTERNS IN LANGUAGE “by”. Therefore, a child quickly learns Department, researchers in the fields of developmental that there is a connection of meaning and cognition psychology, Incidentally, language development re- between “ba” and “by” – the “baby”. the neurosciences, linguis- searchers advise against correcting chil- This is demonstrated by experiments tics and speech therapy dren’s mistakes when this happens. in which children hear an artificial lan- work in close cooperation Children don’t consciously learn which guage. The researchers integrate certain with experts in computer analysis and simulation. language principles they are using. In- regular elements into this language. In stead of trying to teach them rules, the imaginary sentence, “dalobitagan- adults would do better to repeat what odalobilimidenatidalobi”, for example, the child has just said, but in the cor- which is spoken fluently, the syllables rect form (“I won’t make you giggle”). of the sequence “dalobi” occur togeth- In time, the children also learn not to er in this order multiple times. It has make the “clever mistakes”. been shown that children learn these One explanation as to why even regularities very quickly, so much so very young children are able to learn that they can then easily recognize the language patterns is what is known as term “dalobi” later on when it is spoken “statistical learning”. This describes the on its own. “We have several cameras in ability of the brain to identify general the room, which film the faces of the principles in a complex environment, children in order to discover what they to observe them and to learn from have learned by looking at how they re-

them. This is clearly illustrated by sen- act to familiar and unknown sounds,” Photo: MPI for Psycholinguistics

22 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 FOCUS_Learning

Caroline Rowland explains. “When the gathering and using their knowledge of children hear a term such as ‘dalobi’, words earlier than others, instead of fo- with which they are familiar, their lev- cusing on individual sounds, have an el of attention increases significantly advantage later on when it comes to and they look up, for example.” learning new words. Another way of studying statistical COMPUTERS HELP learning is to analyze everyday conver- ANALYZE LANGUAGE sations from databases. From these, it is possible to determine the language Rowland stresses that while this may patterns that children are exposed to sound banal, it is actually quite amaz- when they learn the language. Studies ing. “Even at just a few months, the have shown, for example, which rules brains of human infants are already apply when differentiating between Take a closer look: able to understand complex statistical types of words. For example, in English, in Nijmegen, experiments relationships of this kind – and they are some words occur very frequently in lit- on the screen are being used to study how rapidly much better at doing so than any ani- tle frames (e.g. the ... is). These frames children are able to classify mal. Babies can extract complex statis- predict, with a high degree of accuracy, terms. The faster they tical patterns from spoken sentences the category of the intervening word process words, the easier within the space of a few minutes. We (e.g. the intervening word between the it will be for them to learn can train apes to do the same, but it and is is likely to be a noun; the cake the language later on. takes hundreds of attempts before they is..., the apple is..., the universe is...). succeed.” According to Rowland, if we For example, one study shows that in want to understand why people are ca- English, nouns consist of more syllables pable of developing such a complex than verbs do, and that they are more communication system as language, it is essential to research how and why in- fants are so adept at statistical learning. In her Department, Rebecca Frost, Katja Stärk and Evan Kidd are research- ing how infants use repetitive patterns in language in order to develop a bet- ter understanding of words and gram- mar. In their research, they don’t just analyze conversations but also use be- havioral and neurophysiological ex- perimental techniques, such as eye tracking and electroencephalography, or EEG. For this purpose, hoods stud- ded with electrodes are placed onto the babies’ and infants’ heads to re- cord the weak electrical activity of the brain. In this way, the researchers are discovering how well infants use sta- tistical language learning, and how good they are at it. Such studies demonstrate that an awareness of language is developed at a very early stage, long before the chil- dren start to speak. Evan Kidd, for ex- ample, recently published a study ac- cording to which infants who later went onto have fast or slow language development reacted differently to lan-

Photo: MPI for Psycholinguistics guage in infancy. Children who start Photo: MPI for Psycholinguistics

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 23 commonly stressed on the first syllable is to test whether the the computer than other types of words. Thanks to model learns the language in the same modern computer technology, re- way as children. However, according searchers in this area have made signif- to Caroline Rowland, artificial intelli- icant progress in recent years. Automat- gence is way behind children in terms ed systems are capable of analyzing of what it can do, for example when it thousands of verbal exchanges and comes to differentiating between vari- statements in a short space of time. In ous types of words. “Even three-year- this way, scientists are gaining an in- olds know that you can’t eat adjectives creasingly thorough understanding of (“I ate the happy”), but models are un- the complex language input to which able to recognize this fact.” language learners are exposed. In Rowland’s view, the problem is not the fundamental language develop- ONLY HUMANS CAN CLEVERLY ment models. To a far greater extent, COMBINE WORDS the computer’s difficulty arises from the fact that in real conversations, lan- The connection makes the Computers can also be used to simu- guage has added noise, as it were. Peo- difference: the different late learning mechanisms and in so ple restart a sentence, make improve- parts of the brain doing, to examine existing theories of ments, and fail to finish what they are communicate with each other via a network of how children learn language. Caroline saying. For computer models, it is hard fibers. The way in which Rowland together with her project to know how to handle this noise. Then language understanding team – Evan Kidd, Raquel Garrido Al- there are the dual meanings in natural develops is also closely hama, Andrew Jessop and a colleague language, which even extend beyond linked with a nerve connection of this type. at Nottingham Trent Univesity in the different word types. Verbs can be the UK – are building computer simula- same as nouns (“I like fish.”, “John can tions that test different theories of fish”, or adjectives (“That dress doesn’t how children learn language. The idea fit you.”, “He looks lean and fit.”). Photo: Alfred Anwander/ MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences

24 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 FOCUS_Learning

“We still have a long way to go,” says Using fMRI, Angela Friederici discov- Caroline Rowland. She hopes that in ered, among other things, that during the coming years, it will be possible to the brain maturation process, a nerve find the solution to many unanswered connection is formed between two ar- questions using her portfolio of differ- eas that is closely linked to the increas- ent methods. During the process, she ing ability among children to under- also takes careful note of the work be- stand language. “Interestingly, animals ing conducted by other colleagues, don’t have this connection. That means such as Angela Friederici, who is ap- it probably plays a key role in language proaching language development from development,” she explains. This re- a different angle. The neurophysiolo- search was only possible because Ange- gist is a Director at the Max Planck In- la Friederici cooperates with clinics stitute for Human Cognitive and Brain who provided her with image data from Sciences in Leipzig. Her work focuses medical studies of newborn babies and mainly on the development of the young infants – naturally with the con- Angela Friederici, Director at the Max Planck brain, which plays a decisive role in sent of their parents. Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, is investigating the connection language learning. Caroline Rowland is also dependent between brain and language development. “In principle, Caroline Rowland and on parents who are willing to travel to I are approaching the same topic from the Institute with their children for the two different perspectives – language de- language experiments. After all, these velopment is our common denomina- visits last about an hour. However, even to make contact with people from tor,” says Angela Friederici. “I am also the youngest children are able to stay different social backgrounds, not just asking what makes us human. Humans the course, she says. Because everything with educated families who are more are the only living creatures who can is done in a playful way, the children likely to be interested in research,” says logically combine language elements are curious about what is happening. Caroline Rowland. The “Kletskoppen” and phrases. No animal is capable of do- Once a year, Caroline Rowland and her is a door opener, she explains. “If we ing that.” Dogs, for example, can learn colleagues from Radboud University want to know how language develop- individual words such as “stick” or “sit”. next door organize a big children’s fes- ment works, we also have to find out However, they can’t combine them in tival, called “Kletskoppen”, or “chatter- whether there are differences between the same way as a young infant can. boxes”. It’s a colorful, fun event, with children from all types of cultural, lan- which the researchers aim to fill others guage and social backgrounds.” This is A CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL AS with enthusiasm for their work – par- crucial; if we want to understand lan- A RECRUITMENT MEASURE ticularly parents who want to get in- guage acquisition, and eventually de- volved in their studies. velop better programs to help all chil- One of Friederici’s most important re- The event is attended by Dutch TV dren learn to talk, we need to discover search tools is functional Magnetic Res- hosts, storytellers and children’s au- how everyone learns language. onance Imagery (fMRI), which can be thors, the researchers give informal pre- used to observe certain processes in the sentations, and the children can play www.mpg.de/podcasts/lernen brain from the outside, such as nerve dozens of language games. “We want (in German) connections and the activity of certain

areas of the brain. Using this approach, she has made interesting discoveries, particularly by comparing children and SUMMARY adults. It has been known for a long l  Even very young children are capable of unconsciously recognizing language pat- time that two areas of the brain are par- terns and rules such as word relationships, types of words or sentence structure.

ticularly linked to language: the Broca l  For babies, one particular challenge is to be able to pick out individual words from area and the Wernicke area. The French the flow of sounds. However, tests have shown that they are able to identify re- surgeon Paul Broca discovered that peated syllable combinations as words within a very short space of time. people whose Broca area is damaged l  Children who start gathering and using their knowledge of words at an earlier stage lose the ability to express themselves than others are at an advantage when it comes to developing language later on. using correct grammar. In turn, the l  The development of the brain plays an important role when learning language. neurologist Carl Wernicke found that A nerve connection between two important areas of the brain, which is not formed the area later named after him is im- until after birth, is closely linked to language understanding among children.

Photo: Alfred Anwander/ MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences portant for understanding sentences. Photo: fotografa_Berlin/ MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 25 Photo: Axel Griesch Photo: Axel Griesch got its name. its got Finch Zebra the where see to imagination much take doesn‘t It

for finches for Singing lessons 1958, itwascommonpractice forsci- stitute forBehaviouralPhysiology in moved intotheformerMax PlanckIn- later Nobel Prize winner Konrad Lorenz time, whenErichvonHolst andthe living room,” as Gahr explains, at a dotted acrossthesite.“Itusedtobea the first floor of one of the buildings two desksandanopenfireplace,ison flooded withnaturallight,containing naries, chickensandfish. side some 2800 zebra finches, 500 ca- ral lake.170peopleworktherealong- Munich, which even has its own natu- T TEXT and what happens in their brains during process. the ing into research how various songbird species their learn songs in Planck are conduct Institute for Ornithology Max Seewiesen in vertebrates. processes excellent organisms model therefore for learning of study the each to singing take has young bird first Songbirds lessons. are an as accomplished egg from the emerges finch No zebra singer: Manfred Gahr’s office, a large room TOBIAS HERRMANN TOBIAS mersee ontheoutskirtsof between StarnbergandAm an almost 30-hectare site Ornithology issituatedon he MaxPlanckInstitutefor Manfred Gahr Manfred - when itlearnstosing. gate whathappensinabird’s brain using moderntechnology to investi surrounded by beautiful nature, he is my imaginationmore.”And sotoday, a laugh“thesecondoption captured birdsong. “Somehow,” saysGahrwith tids”. Theother option was to study “epigynous troglobionic microphan- ders, knownamongspecialistsas tive organsofcave-lovingdwarfspi- which involvedthefemalereproduc the UniversityofKaiserslautern,one research projects during his studies at building inthicksmoke.” since lasttime,itenvelopedtheentire “I‘m nolongerallowedtolightthefire, search site.“Unfortunately,” hesays, entists to live permanently at the re- Gahr hadthechoicebetweentwo and his team at the 4 |

MaxPlanckResearch 19MaxPlanckResearch FOCUS_Learning - > - -

27 28 Above birds simultaneously. birds eight to up record can Trost waves. brain birds’ the with them compares and computer the on data Right antenna.the to them transmit and tions vocaliza the up pick These transmitters on their backs. smallmicrophone carry which birds, her towards antenna an holds Trost Lisa electrophysiologistthe MaxPlanckResearch 4 MaxPlanckResearch Trost analyzes this Eavesdropping:

- | 19 singing exercises duringtheirfirstsum learner. The young birds do their first known asanopen-ended,or seasonal, gies: thecanary, forexample,iswhat fore nottrueofzebrafinches. ing “youneverstoplearning”isthere- point fortherestoftheirlives.Thesay whatever theyhavelearneduptothat song. Thentheyleaveschoolandsing three months in which to practice their learning phase.Fincheshaveabout closed-ended learners with a limited males thatsing.Theyareso-called originate fromAustralia,itisonlythe has tobelearned. calls, forexample,areinnate,butsong where thefemalesalsosing.Warning tions, suchasrobinsandstarlings, males thatsing,butthereareexcep In ournativesongbirds,itismostlythe Other speciesfollowdifferent strate In thecaseofzebrafinches,which - - - - ceeds along very similar linesinmost ceeds alongvery each year. whether they can acquire new syllables ferent variantsintotheir song,or life andgraduallyincorporate thedif- tire repertoireinthefirstmonthsof as towhethercanarieslearntheiren- However, ornithologistsstilldisagree PRACTICE MAKESPERFECT ing plumagechangephase. ing a break during molt, the post-breed- throughout mostoftheyear, onlytak- fall. Thebirdsthereforesing lowing and refine their singing during the fol- males thenbegintoaddnewsyllables following springandsummer. The their songs,whichtheythensingthe whole winterworkingintensivelyon mer oflifeafterwhichtheyspendthe The actuallearningprocess pro-

Photo: Axel Griesch FOCUS_Learning

Gahr, “are opportunists. In their native and arid environment, they immediate- ly start breeding soon after rainfall, ev- idently in the knowledge that the rain will produce a rich buffet of seeds and grains when their young hatch.”

EACH FINCH’S SONG IS RECORDED INDIVIDUALLY

The song learning process in bird brains is similar to language acquisi- tion in humans. The songbird’s “vocal control system” comprises several in- terlinked brain areas. In terms of its function, for example, the “caudome- dial nidopallium” resembles the Wer- nicke’s area of the human brain, which is responsible for linguistic memory. Likewise, a bird’s HVC (higher vocal center), which is activated during the learning process, corresponds to the Broca’s area of the human brain. Based on these analogies, the research being songbirds: the young birds first listen Ornithologists in Seewiesen are study- conducted by the Seewiesen-based sci- and then try to imitate what they hear. ing how birds learn to sing, focusing entists is contributing to a better un- They store the sequence of vocal sylla- primarily on zebra finches. As Gahr ex- derstanding of language learning pro- bles that they have heard in their acous- plains: “only a few genera learn their cesses in the human brain. tic memory, which then serves as a vocalizations. In addition to songbirds To study the song learning process, template against which to compare and humans, these include elephants, researchers need to know which bird is their own song. seals and whales.” Among the many singing which syllables, when and for Usually, the father serves as teach- songbird species that learn their songs, whom, which is why some of the zebra er and lead singer, but there are excep- zebra finches are particularly well suit- finches in Lisa Trost’s aviary have been tions: some young birds are known to ed as a model organism, because they fitted with a kind of backpack contain- learn their songs from their siblings, are comparatively easy to keep in cap- ing a microphone transmitter recording other bird species, and even from tivity: they are pure granivores, which individual vocalizations. The signals non-animal sources. Jürgen Nicolai for makes feeding them in the aviaries eas- picked up by the microphone are trans- example, an ornithologist who arrived ier compared to insectivores. Moreover, mitted to a computer via antennae. This at the Max Planck Institute in Seewie­ finches are sociable and can be kept in enables Trost and her colleagues from sen in 1957, whistled the folk song larger groups without problems. Gahr’s Department to record the songs “Ein Jäger aus Kurpfalz” to a group of Another advantage is that it is easy of each bird simultaneously, while al- bullfinches every day for six months. to breed zebra finches in captivity: all lowing the zebra finches to live in their Not only did the bullfinches learn to that is needed is a nesting box and social groups. whistle the song, they could also con- some nest building material. The young Other birds have an additional tinue it without hesitation if the re- birds reach sexual maturity after just miniature transmitter on their heads.

Photo: Axel Griesch searcher interrupted it at any point. three months. “Zebra finches,” says It transmits neuronal signals from Photo: Axel Griesch

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 29 FOCUS_Learning

electrodes implanted in their brains. The result: when one duet partner starts Vocal and neuronal signals are record- singing, the nerve cell activity in the ed synchronously. brain of the other bird, involved in the The electrodes are implanted in duet, changed. This causes a slow down such a way that they interface with cer- of the song the rhythm so that the part- tain areas of the vocal control system ners can take turns at singing. “The in- in the bird’s brain. During the proce- dividuals’ rhythmic duet singing is dure, the birds are anesthetized and re- therefore achieved by means of an ceive painkillers. The birds already in- acoustic signal from the duet partner,” teract with the rest of their group in a Gahr explains. In this way, both brains 1.5 cm completely natural manner at the end synchronize to form a kind of network, Length of the day, as they recover extremely acting as a single shared circuit, so to quickly from this procedure. speak. The researchers assume that sim- Neuroscientists usually connect this ilar mechanisms may also be responsi- kind of electrode to a computer via a ble for social interactions between hu- 0.6 g cable. To prevent the birds from getting mans, thus regulating the coordination Weight (without tangled up in the wires, they would of movement in couples dancing. rubber band) have to be isolated in cages without Gahr and his colleagues have also perches. Together with engineers, the looked into what happens in the researchers from Seewiesen have there- brains of young zebra finches during A bug for the back: at fore developed wireless radio micro- the learning phase when they imitate the heart of the studies phone transmitters as well as small their role model. They discovered that on song learning are the transmitters that transmit brain waves, a nerve growth factor, the so-called miniature transmitters weighing only 0.6 songs or even the heartbeat. This allows BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic fac- grams, which are the birds to move completely freely and tor), is formed in the HVC area. Among strapped onto the zebra to communicate among themselves. other things, BDNF influences the for- finches like a rucksack mation of the contact points, the so- using rubber bands. FIELD TEST IN THE SAVANNAH called synapses, between nerve cells. WITH RADIO TRANSMITTERS Therefore, the growth factor in the HVC could influence the differentia- In the meantime, the relevant technol- tion of local circuits. ogy has been developed to such an ex- However, brain activity is not only tent that it can also be used in the wild. influenced by hormone-dependent Gahr and his team, for example, have growth factors during learning phases. been studying the singing habits of “The vocal system doesn’t develop at white-browed sparrow weavers in the all without sex hormones,” Gahr ex- South African Kalahari savannah, a bird plains. For a long time, researchers had species that lives in groups in which the been exclusively interested in the male dominant pair sings in duets with in- sex hormone testosterone. This was still credible precision. The precise tuning the prevailing dogma even when Gahr of their vocal syllables aroused the in- was a doctoral researcher, but he was terest of the scientists. They were able not willing to accept it. “Testosterone to use their miniature transmitters to can be converted to estrogen in the simultaneously record and analyze the brain, which is classically seen as a fe- song and the signals of nerve cells in male sex hormone. That’s why I looked

the birds’ natural habitat. into what this estrogen actually does.” Photo: Axel Griesch

30 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 During the 1980s, cancer researchers singer. Since in many species, song is Could they get any smaller? In Seewiesen, began using antibodies to study the in- involved in partner selection and terri- scientists (Manfred Gahr, left) are working fluence of estrogen on tumor forma- torial defense, females can select males closely with engineers such as Johann Sagunsky to build even smaller and more tion. Using the same method, Gahr was whose songs differ from what they powerful transmitters. able to prove the presence of estrogen heard in their youth. Also the owners receptors in the vocal areas of the avian of neighboring territories can recognize brain for the first time. Both testosterone an intruder by the fact that he sings in and estrogen therefore play an impor­ a different dialect. Vocal learning also tant role in the development of bird- aids communication within a bird fam- song. “So finally, we found that sex ily and facilitates the development of hormones regulate the growth factor complex vocal structures, such as duets BDNF in the young zebra finches and or group singing. facilitate the learning of songs.” This is why the females of many www.mpg.de/podcasts/lernen species can also be encouraged to sing (in German) by giving them testosterone. Recent

studies on naturally singing female ca- naries show that this is probably also due to increased testosterone produc- SUMMARY tion in the female brain. l  As with most songbird species of Central Europe, only zebra finch males sing. It is still unclear why birdsongs are However, they first have to learn their song. not innate and why the animals have l  This learning process is controlled by the vocal control system in the finch’s to learn them. Song learning could ben- brain. The sex hormones testosterone and estrogen play a decisive role in efit speciation formation or provide this process.

Photo: Axel Griesch information about the origin of the Photo: Axel Griesch

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 31

FOCUS_Learning

Eye to eye with computers

Our eyes are our window on the world, but they also reveal a lot about us. Andreas Bulling and his team at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Saarbruecken and at the University of Stuttgart exploit this by teaching computers to interpret our gaze. Ultimately, their aim is to enable robots or avatars to communicate with us eye to eye.

TEXT PETER HERGERSBERG

ay more attention to your eye versely, they often have trouble reading movements,” says Andreas other peoples gazes. “It can be very dis­ Bulling with a laugh as he concerting,” says Bulling. leaves. That’s good advice. His research could help. As a com­ My discussion with him has puter scientist, he teaches computers to madeP one thing clear: viewing the understand human eye movements. world, we also allow the world to view The software he has been developing us. Our eye movements can reveal our could also help people with autism to character or the social dynamics in a interpret the gaze of others and to con­ group, to name just two aspects of trol their own eye movements, for ex­ Bulling’s research. A computer scientist ample by relaying helpful instructions who heads a research group at the Max via a pair of eyeglasses. Planck Institute for Informatics in Saar­ Andreas Bulling and his team are bruecken, he has now been made a pro­ also aiming to enable machines to com­ fessor at the University of Stuttgart. municate eye to eye with us humans. “We humans direct and analyze In the long term, humanoid robots, for such signals subconsciously,” says An­ example, would be able to interpret our dreas Bulling. “It’s something some of gazes even in a crowd, and control the us, such as people with autism, can’t movement of their camera eyes in such do.” At times, they’ll stare right through a way that we experience their own you in an unconnected way, while con­ gaze as natural. Our eye movements >

32 MaxPlanckForschungMaxPlanckResearch 4 3| 19| 19

Eye contact: Max Planck researchers have developed a computer program that can detect whether a person is looking into the eyes of another person. Photo: shutterstock words readers will fixate on. fixate will readers words which predict to able is alone, text the of basis the on that, model a developing now the since reading in movements eye studying been haveresearchers prediction: Reading mologist Louis Émile Javal was a pio­ 34 on keywords. mainly, asitturned outlater, fixating but insteadskipfromword toword, tinuously wanderalonglines oftext, He discovered that our eyes don’t con neer, investigatinghowpeople read. the 19 ing gazebehaviorbackattheendof to readoureyes. pletely newwaysfortheresearch team cial intelligence hasopened up com machine learning in the field.” Artifi­ technique. “We werethefirsttoapply to achievethis–helpedbyadecisive puter tion fordriverassistancesystems. could alsoprovideimportantinforma­ MaxPlanckResearch 4 MaxPlanckResearch 19 Bulling andhisteamareusingcom Researchers firststartedinvestigat­ th - century.is team Bulling’s Andreas aided analysisofeyemovements th century. TheFrenchophthal ­ | 19 ­ ­ ­ research eyemovements both asadata paradigm forhowthebrainfunctions.” Osnabrueck. “They provide us with a König, aprofessorattheUniversity of on cognitiveprocesses,” says Peter use eyemovementsasakindofwindow scientists studyusinggazeanalysis.“We of thementalprocessesthatcognitive Customer decision OF COMMUNICATION EYE MOVEMENTS ASACHANNEL want itto. the gazeofreaderslingerwherethey basis ofeyemovementstoensurethat designers designInternetpagesonthe attention ofcustomers.Andsomeweb information onpackagingtoattractthe they shouldpositionadvertsorprint article, whilemarketersanalyzewhere examine whatwearelookingatinan and magazine publishers, for example, icance ofeyemovements.Newspaper From the20 panies havealsodiscoveredthesignif­ panies Computer scientists like Bulling now Computer scientistslikeBulling now th century onwards,com­ century - making isjustone knew wherethevolunteers were look­ in poorlightconditions.As theyalso environmentsandoften es invarying a photowastakenofthem. on achosenpointthemonitor, and edly promptedbythesoftwaretofixate computers, thevolunteerswererepeat­ of dayswhiletheyworkedontheir books of 15 volunteers. Over a number his teaminstalledsoftwareonthenote life.Toeryday rectifythis,Bullingand computers wasn’t relevanttoev very now, the data theyreliedon to train chine learningtodothis.But,upuntil computer ment, aswaspreviouslythecasein environ­ and inaconstantlaboratory just fromaperfectlyilluminatedface ognize wherewearelooking,andnot is toteachcomputerscorrectlyrec­ with our digital devices. Their first task behavior, forexamplehowweinteract on cognitiveprocesses,butalsoour nel. Bulling’s groupisn’t justfocused source andas acommunicationchan­ Scientists have long relied on ma­ This providedtheteamwith imag­ - assisted gazeanalysis. ­ ­

Photo: Wolfram Scheible FOCUS_Learning

ing, the researchers were able to create ers that is almost comparable in accu­ a comprehensive dataset, which they racy to significantly more conspicuous used to train a program to determine eyeglass devices. gaze directions, even in difficult con­ “We aren’t yet using inconspicuous ditions. “Our data set is much larger eye trackers in everyday communica­ and more natural, making it more re­ tion, but we’ve already started employ­ vealing than previous ones,” says ing them in market research and in Bulling. “But it’s still not optimal.” virtual reality computer games,” says During the training, the volunteers Bulling. Primarily, however, they are of were only sitting in front of comput­ interest for research. “In studies involv­ ers, which they looked at more or less ing social interaction, they allow par­ frontally. The program still recognizes ticipants to interact more naturally.” In eye position extremely poorly if some­ the future, they should also lend weight one moves or targets a point out of the to the findings of Bulling’s team on corner of their eye. “We’re still trying group dynamics. to figure out how to generate even more realistic data sets.” WARNINGS FOR DISPLAY JUNKIES Mobile eye trackers are one possibil­ ity. They are fairly accurate, but up to The computer scientists have, never­ now have been rather obtrusive: vari­ theless, already started to reveal some ous cameras recording an individual’s surprising insights using computer-as­ eye movement and field of view are sisted gaze analysis with conventional Focused: Andreas Bulling (right), together attached to a device similar to a pair of eye trackers. For instance, the research­ with Sander Staal from the ETH in Zurich eyeglasses, along with infrared LEDs ers equipped 20 volunteers with the and others, are developing models of how our attention is controlled, for example whose reflections are captured by the devices, and tracked their eye move­ to develop new ways of alerting computer cameras. The equipment makes sub­ ments while using smart phones. They users to incoming e-mails without inter- jects look like a cyborg – not exactly also identified the app that the partici­ rupting their concentration. unobtrusive for onlookers. pants were currently using and ana­ Bulling’s team has, therefore, devel­ lyzed what was going on in their exter­ oped a prototype eye tracker for every­ nal environment. day use with a handful of commercial­ As unlikely as it sounds, the hope a field which Andreas Bulling is now ly available cameras that are only was that such data could be used to pre­ able to pursue with an ERC grant, could marginally larger than pin heads. Even dict whether, in the seconds that fol­ also provide clues as to how a person’s though these cameras have a limited lowed, the attention of smart phone focus can be held, for example, on a resolution, the researchers can compen­ users can be shifted to their surround­ text. “We think we might be able to re­ sate for this with the right training. ings and stay there. And, at least to verse the trend that people are becom­ Using data in which camera images some extent, that’s just what the com­ ing ever more prone to getting distract­ have been linked with eye position, puter learned from the data. ed from tasks,” says the researcher. they train a computer to correctly in­ Using such models, smart phone Eye trackers can also help analyze terpret the poor-quality camera images. apps are potentially able to predict the mood in group discussions as well The Berlin start-up Pupil Labs, in which whether someone staring at their as who is in charge. The crucial method Andreas Bulling has a stake, is now phone is about to walk into an obsta­ involved was developed by Philipp marketing an eye tracker based on the cle, and give the display-fixated reader Müller, a doctoral researcher at the Max

Photo: Wolfram Scheible Photo: Wolfram Scheible concept of the Saarbruecken research­ a timely warning. Attention analyses, Planck Institute for Informatics. From

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 35 FOCUS_Learning

regular camera shots of groups of peo­ An eye catcher for everyday life: based on work by Max Planck researchers ple in discussions, his technique recog­ in Saarbruecken, the Berlin-based company Pupil Labs has developed a mobile eye tracker that resembles normal eyeglasses. nizes who is looking at whom and who is consistently looking beyond some­ one or everyone else. It can also read the mood of people from their faces. this data was fed into a model. Trained Bulling is aware that the software may Combined with voice analysis, among in this way, the computer was able to make it possible to subject people to other things, these characteristics can read from the eyes of the other sub­ a computer-based personality test – a successfully reveal whether or not a dis­ jects how neurotic they were, how well possibility that could be abused by com­ cussion is progressing constructively, they got along with others, whether panies or autocratic regimes, which, and who is emerging as the leader. their attitude to life was extroverted, even today, have already started digital­ It’s easy to understand how our gaze and how conscientiously they com­ ly analyzing people’s behavior. How­ can tell us a lot about the dynamics of pleted tasks. ever, the computer scientist stresses a group. The leader of a group tends to However, the model failed to pro­ that the technology is a long way from attract the gaze of everyone else, while vide a useful assessment of three oth­ being able to reliably determine an un­ if the mood of the group is poor, people er character traits that psychologists willing subject’s personality. This is tend to stare at the ground rather than use to characterize personality. “And not least due to the eye trackers that seek eye contact. In future, computers the predictions are not yet accurate people still need to wear right in front should also be able to interpret such enough to be useful in practice,” says of their eyes. non-verbal signals. Bulling. But the system is certain to And even if one day it does, indeed, Statistical analysis of gazes using become more reliable in the future. become possible to identify someone’s machine learning isn’t just limited to Such a complex task will require train­ character remotely and with little effort just concrete gaze patterns, however. If ing sets of more than just a few dozen using their eye movements, as with all we want to analyze personality traits, subjects. More data on eye move­ inventions, such technology can be for example, we need to be able to rec­ ments will enable more accurate char­ employed both for good and for bad. ognize highly subtle eye movement acter analysis. “Analyzing people’s personalities, atti­ patterns. Using a combination of eye tudes and intentions, for instance at a tracking and machine learning, Bulling THE IMPORTANCE job interview, isn’t new – as performed and his team of researchers, together OF DATA PROTECTION by person,” says Bulling. “However, with colleagues from the University of we’re mostly not aware it’s happening South Australia, were able to make some Such advances bode well for how we will or take it for granted, because it’s being reliable statements placing subjects into be interacting with robots and avatars in done by a human.” four character trait groups. the future. After all, computer systems Science can’t prevent misuse of its To achieve this, they asked 42 sub­ should, in the long term, be able to in­ advances in many fields, but it can con­ jects at Saarbruecken University to terpret all of our verbal and non-verbal tribute to preventing it. Data protection complete a task, on average twelve modes of communication. However, the for eye-tracking is, therefore, one of minutes long, while simultaneously fact that computers will be able to ana­ Bulling’s main concerns. “I think it’s recording their eye movements. Some lyze our personality solely on the basis crucial. As with other digital platforms, of the subjects also completed a stan­ of our subconsciously controlled gaze in particular social media, we need to be

dard psychological questionnaire, and behavior is cause for trepidation. mindful of privacy in eye-tracking,” he Photo: Pupil Labs

36 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 Promising prospects: Andreas Bulling is merely slides a cover over the lens of in, we just fade it out.” We can treat convinced that analysis of eye movements the camera. “As the scene can’t subse­ other information obtained from our for non-verbal human-machine communi­ cation will easily provide enough material quently be analyzed, we have to infer eye movements in a similar way. for his future research life. from eye movements if and when the “Which data to preserve and which to subject has moved on from the sensi­ fade out will be left to the user to de­ tive situation,” says Bulling. cide in the future.” says. “We’re at the forefront of research The ability of the software to learn As Bulling has shown, non-verbal in the field, and over the coming years is helping us solve the problem of communication with humans or ma­ we’ll continue to drive it forward.” data protection. Sometimes, however, chines, life-like virtual reality, utilizing Informational self-determination, this ability itself becomes a problem. digital devices, and data protection in in other words, control over what hap­ A well-trained program is able to read gaze analysis can all benefit from analy­ pens with our data, is generally only much more from eye movement pat­ sis of eye movements using artificial in­ considered a cause for concern when terns than we humans can, such as telligence. And he’s sure it will stay that data is used for a specific purpose. whether the eye tracker is being worn way: “It’s a gold mine,” Bulling says. However, non-existent data can’t be by a woman or a man. “However, only “There is easily enough material here misused. Bulling and his team have a portion of the eye tracker data can for me for a lifetime of research.” therefore investigated how data in the be used to determine gender,” ex­ images taken of people’s field of view plains Bulling. “As this is not required https://www.mpg.de/podcasts/lernen/ by eye trackers can be kept confiden­ for the other analyses we’re interested maschinelleslernen (in German) tial. The images can reveal not only where a person is looking, but also what they are seeing. The images may accidentally in­ clude passwords or secret codes, and, SUMMARY naturally, other people, who are unlike­ l Eye movements play a significant role in non-verbal communication. Researchers ly to want to be recorded without their are hoping that such modes of communication will be utilized by computer systems consent. Gaze analysis and machine such as robots or driver assistance systems in the future. learning once again have a role to play l Andreas Bulling’s team is refining computer-aided techniques that gauge the direc- in the solution. The scene camera can tion of a person’s gaze. They are also developing models with the help of machine learning that can identify the personality traits of individuals or the mood of a group readily be used to determine whether from eye movements. This should also help computers, for instance, to learn how we are accessing our bank account on to control the movement of a robot’s eyes to appear natural.

the computer, entering a PIN at an l The researchers are working on various technical solutions to ensure that data ATM, or are facing a stranger. The re­ gathered when analyzing eye movements is protected. searchers developed a highly analog

Photo: Pupil Labs Photo: Wolfram Scheible solution to the problem: the software

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 37 INFOGRAPHIC

RED KITE Number Ups and downs of 260 breeding in the bird world pairs Fo +562 % M The abundancy of many bird species has 40 MAIN CAUSES: decreased dramatically in Germany over shorter migration routes, Fi the last decades. Now, a new study by 158 milder winters the Ornithological Working Group on Species 1980 92 2002 12 Lake Constance in cooperation with the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Constance demonstrates that there are NORTHERN LAPWING losers and winners among the birds Number of around Lake Constance: between 1980 5 % breeding 850 and 2012, most of the species living in Completely pairs meadows, elds, and in residential areas 11 % strongly declined. Some have even disappeared New disappeared completely. In forests and 14 % -82 % M Constant additions wetlands, on the other hand, the majority 150 MAIN CAUSES: insuficient breeding success, too early and too of them still thrive. 43 % 43 % frequent mowing, intensification of agriculture Decrease Increase 1980 92 2002 12 R RESIDENTIAL AREAS Fo FORESTS M MEADOWS Fi FIELDS

BARN SWALLOW EURASIAN SKYLARK Number Number of 11,000 of breeding breeding 5,000 pairs pairs -70 % R -88 % Fi MAIN CAUSES: MAIN CAUSES: loss of small farms and 600 intensification of agriculture 3,000 nesting sites in buildings

1980 92 2002 12 1980 92 2002 12

HOUSE SPARROW GREY PARTRIDGE Number Number of 55,000 of breeding breeding 160 pairs pairs

29,000 -46 % R -100 % Fi MAIN CAUSES: MAIN CAUSES: loss of nesting sites in missing fallow land, hedges, buildings, food shortage 0 flower strips; pesticides Graphics: dpa 1980 92 2002 12 1980 92 2002 12 RED KITE Number of 260 breeding pairs Fo +562 % M 40 MAIN CAUSES: shorter migration routes, Fi 158 milder winters

Species 1980 92 2002 12

NORTHERN LAPWING Number of 5 % breeding 850 Completely pairs disappeared 11 % 14 % New -82 % additions M Constant 150 MAIN CAUSES: insuficient breeding success, too early and too 43 % 43 % frequent mowing, intensification of agriculture Decrease Increase 1980 92 2002 12 R RESIDENTIAL AREAS Fo FORESTS M MEADOWS Fi FIELDS

BARN SWALLOW EURASIAN SKYLARK Number Number of 11,000 of breeding breeding 5,000 pairs pairs -70 % R -88 % Fi MAIN CAUSES: MAIN CAUSES: loss of small farms and 600 intensification of agriculture 3,000 nesting sites in buildings

1980 92 2002 12 1980 92 2002 12

HOUSE SPARROW GREY PARTRIDGE Number Number of 55,000 of breeding breeding 160 pairs pairs

29,000 -46 % R -100 % Fi MAIN CAUSES: MAIN CAUSES: loss of nesting sites in missing fallow land, hedges, buildings, food shortage 0 flower strips; pesticides Graphics: dpa

1980 92 2002 12 1980 92 2002 12 4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 39 SPECTRUM

The alchemy of neutron stars Researchers have discovered that collisions between these cosmic objects actually produce heavy elements

On August 17, 2017, when astronomers observed gravita- nothing short of a sensation. At that time, it was assumed tional waves from two merging neutron stars together with that such a cosmic collision and the succeeding explosion a kilonova in the optical range at the same location, it was would produce heavier elements such as iron. Researchers, including scientists from the Max Planck Institute for As- tronomy in Heidelberg, have now actually identified such an element in the spectra that appeared at that time: stron- tium, which was evidently produced during the so-called r-process. This rapid neutron capture appears to be of key importance for the production of heavy elements. The kilo- nova generated a bubble that expanded at 20 to 30 percent of speed of light. The quantity of newly-formed strontium in the expanding shell amounts to around five Earth mass- es. With this discovery, the scientists have now demonstrat- ed beyond all doubt that the fusion of two neutron stars creates the conditions for the r-process in which new ele- ments are formed. (www.mpg.de/14032050)

Collision in space: this artist’s impression shows the fu- sion of two extremely dense neutron stars. Events of this type are followed shortly afterwards by a kilonova.

Dual-class society in the Bronze Age Grave finds provide evidence of stable hierarchies on South German farms

A research team whose members in- maids, or perhaps even slaves of some clude scientists from the Max Planck kind. The findings suggest the exis- Institute for the Science of Human His- tence of a social structure of the type tory uncovered early signs of social in- known to have existed in ancient equality while investigating Bronze Greece and Rome. However, the fami- Age cemeteries in the Lech Valley near lies studied in the Lech Valley lived Augsburg. These showed that there was more than 1500 years earlier. Another a significant divide between rich and interesting fact is that the women of poor as far back as 4,000 years ago – these families were not local but came both within households and between from some 400 to 600 kilometers away. generations. The families of wealthy The study was also the first to recon- landowners were buried with weapons struct family trees spanning several and elaborate jewelry. However, the generations. (www.mpg.de/13979712) grave sites also contained the bodies of poor people who came from the region and were part of the household but Valuable indicator: the ornamental dagger found in a Bronze Age grave south of Augsburg were not related to the family. It is not shows that the person buried there enjoyed a

clear whether these were servants and high social status. Graphic: University of Warwick/Mark Garlick/ESO (top); photo: K. Massy (bottom)

40 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 SPECTRUM

In good company Large brains are not a requirement for the formation Heavyweight of multilevel social groups at the heart of

The social structure of some fowl pop- rican birds, which are the size of tur- Abell 85 ulations is more complex than origi- keys, must therefore be able to keep nally thought. Researchers at the Max track of individuals in their own and In space, black holes appear in vari- Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in other groups – even though they ous sizes and masses. The record is have discovered that vulturine guinea- have relatively small brains. This is the now held by a specimen in the Abell fowl form stable social units. These Af- first time that such a social structure 85 cluster of galaxies, where a black has been described among birds. The hole 40 billion times the mass of our researchers spent one year tracking the Sun sits in the middle of the central social relationships of more than 400 galaxy Holm 15A, which is located birds, using GPS transmitters to record 700 million light years away. Re- their positions round the clock. During searchers at the Max Planck Insti- this period, they discovered that each tute for Extraterrestrial Physics and bird lives with 13 to 65 others of its the University Observatory in Mu- species. Although the guineafowl reg- nich discovered it by evaluating ularly came into contact with other photometric data and spectral ob- groups during the day, they did not servations. The astronomers had al- change group. (www.mpg.de/14071193) ready suspected that Holm 15A must be something special: the heart of this gigantic galaxy – one of Vulturine guineafowl live in close-knit groups. the largest in existence – appears This allows for mutual coordination on their extremely faint and diffuse through journeys through the countryside. the telescope. The dimmer the cen- ter of the galaxy, the denser the black hole. It is highly likely that the massive black hole in Holm 15A orig- inated when two galaxies collided and the black holes at their hearts Staying healthy in old age merged. (www.mpg.de/14210061) Record in a galaxy cluster: Abell 85, taken at the Ludwig Maximilian Uni- is a lifelong task versity of Munich’s observatory on the Wendelstein. The bright central Changing the diet of elderly mice can no longer improve their health galaxy Holm 15A has an extended, diffuse core. This conceals a black hole with 40 billion times the mass of our Sun. How can we stay fit and healthy for as with vitamins and minerals in order long as possible as we grow older? Re- to prevent malnutrition. However, searchers into aging have a simple an- waiting until they reach old age before swer: eat small amounts and eat reducing their food intake has hardly healthily. But when do we have to any effect on their life expectancy at start doing this if we wish to reap the all. Moreover, short periods of fasting benefits? And is it sufficient if we only do not provide lasting protection: if manage to keep it up for a short time? the mice eat the same quantities after- Researchers led by Linda Partridge, Di- wards as they did before, their life ex- rector at the Max Planck Institute for pectancy once again declines. The rea- Biology of Ageing, conducted animal son for this appears to be that the fat- experiments that involved putting ty tissue can remember the diet con- young and old mice on diets – with sumed over the preceding years. This varying degrees of success. Mice live tissue is no longer able to adapt the ac- longer and enjoy a healthier old age tivity of its genes to the change in if they are given 40 percent less to eat diet. The researchers assume that the from the time they reach adulthood. results can also be applied to humans.

Graphic: University of Warwick/Mark Garlick/ESO (top); photo: K. Massy (bottom) Photos: James Klarevas (top); Matthias Kluge/USM/MPE (bottom) These mice are given food enriched (www.mpg.de/14021239)

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 41 SPECTRUM

Children increase life expectancy Less is more

There appears to be a link between Whales and dolphins developed from people’s life expectancy and the num- land-dwelling ancestors approxi- ber of children they have: those who mately 50 million years ago. Nowa- have one or two biological or adopted days, these air-breathing mammals children usually live longer than those spend their whole lives in the sea. who have none. A study carried out by Researchers at the Max Planck Insti- Kieron Barclay from the Max Planck tute of Molecular Cell Biology and Institute for Demographic Research Genetics and the Max Planck Insti- and a Swedish colleague investigated tute for the Physics of Complex Sys- the reasons for this. Their analysis re- tems have now identified 85 genes vealed that parents are better off right that the aquatic mammals lost as from the start than people who have they evolved. Some of them simply no children. In simple terms: healthy, became superfluous. Whales and well-educated and prosperous men and dolphins lack a gene involved in the women are more likely to find a part- secretion of saliva, for example – they ner and have the resources to start a do not require saliva to swallow food family than those in poorer circum- underwater. The loss of other genes Jumping for joy: even stances. Moreover, the data suggests is actually an advantage: the lack of though family life is that most people change their lifestyle one specific gene means that they rarely as harmonious as it is portrayed in when they have children: mothers and are now better able to repair DNA glossy images, parents fathers adopt healthier behaviors and damage caused by the considerable can still enjoy increased are less accident-prone than childless oxygen deficiency that occurs when life expectancy. people, and they are also less likely to they are diving. Since losing other suffer from cardiovascular disease. genes, the animals are presumably (www.mpg.de/14064449) protected from blood clots and lung problems under water. They have also lost all the genes required for the production of the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin. This might be the reason why these animals can sleep with just one hemisphere of the brain, while the other hemi- sphere coordinates their movement and breathing. Sometimes the loss Imagined movements of genes can drive evolution forward. can alter the brain (www.mpg.de/13915292) Whales and dolphins evolved from Computer interfaces have a structural impact on brain substance land-dwelling ancestors. Some of their genes were not required for aquatic life.

Brain-computer interfaces work on specific movements of their arms and the principle that just thinking about feet. The participants used the performing a task triggers measurable brain-computer interface to fine-tune changes in brain activity. These sig- these imaginary movements. Their nals can be read and automatically brains were examined before and after converted into control signals, which the training using magnetic resonance can then be used to operate a prosthe- tomography (MRT). The researchers sis, for example. Researchers from the actually found measurable changes in Max Planck Institute for Human Cog- the part of the brain responsible for nitive and Brain Sciences and their motor tasks after just one hour of colleagues have now discovered that training. This method could be suit- these thoughts can leave traces in the able for rehabilitating patients who brain. During this study, the test sub- have suffered a stroke or brain tumor.

jects were set the task of imagining (www.mpg.de/14090102) Photo: Juan Cruz Mountford/unsplash; graphic: Carl Buell, John Gatesy

42 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 SPECTRUM

Every mouse is different Scientists measure the personalities of rodents

Animals have personalities, too: some personality traits. While human char- are brave, others fearful; some are lon- acter is commonly described on the ba- ers, while others love company. Human sis of five categories, scientists found character can be analyzed directly us- four categories in mice. These charac- ing multiple-choice tests; in animals, ter traits remain stable over time, even this is considerably more difficult. Sci- when the animals live in different so- entists at the Max Planck Institute of cial groups. Furthermore, genetic anal- Psychiatry in Munich have now devel- ysis showed that various characteristics oped a method of calculation with are associated with different types of which they can measure the personal- gene activity in the brain. The results ities of mice. The researchers analyzed form the basis of a more precise, per- 60 different behaviors in videos and sonalized form of psychiatry, as re- used an algorithm to search for stable searchers are now able to investigate

Some mice are curious and explore any how character is influenced by genes, new hiding place. Others are more fearful medication and age. (https://www.mpg. and prefer to stay in their nest. de/14109680)

Nuclear clocks get to the core

Excitation of thorium-229 facilitates greater precision in timekeeping

If global satellite navigation systems such as GPS or Galileo are to measure distances to within a few centimeters rather than to the nearest meter, they need more precise nuclear clocks. A team led by the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, whose members include researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, has now taken a step towards realizing these enhanced timekeepers. The physi- cists have succeeded in exciting oscil- lations in thorium-229 nuclei. These nuclei achieve significantly higher fre- quencies than the electrons that have served as the timekeepers in nuclear clocks until now. At the same time, nu- clear excitation in this thorium isotope requires much less energy than in oth- er elements and can be achieved using compact lasers. It should therefore be possible to integrate the necessary technology in nuclear clocks. (https://www.mpi-hd.mpg.de/mpi/en/pub- Assembly instructions for a nuclear clock: by exciting thorium-229 nuclei, scientists have lic-relations/news/news-item/on-the-way-to- created the conditions required to manufacture more accurate nuclear clocks that could

Photo: Juan Cruz Mountford/unsplash; graphic: Carl Buell, John Gatesy Photo: MPI for Molecular Genetics; graphic: Daria Bilous a-nuclear-clock) also make satellite navigation more precise.

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 43 SPECTRUM

Nanoceramics from the ball mill Tiny corundum particles for automotive catalysts and stable ceramics can now be easily produced

Automotive catalysts and materials for cutting tools and dental implants could become more robust and easier to man- ufacture than ever before. This is be- cause chemists at the Max-Planck-Insti- tut für Kohlenforschung have found a way to produce nanoparticles of corun- mechanochemical grinding α-Al2O3 dum, a particularly stable variant of alu- γ-AlOOH corundum boehmite minum oxide, simply by grinding boeh- mite, an aluminum oxyhydroxide, in a Chemistry in the ball mill: researchers in Muelheim produce nanoparticles ball mill for three hours. Until now, Al OH of corundum by grinding boehmite, an aluminum oxyhydroxide, in a ball corundum could only be produced at mill for three hours at room temperature. temperatures of 1000 degrees or under high pressure in a week-long procedure which resulted in particles that were as a resistant carrier material in auto- is already working on the large-scale larger in size. The particles produced by motive catalysts, for example, or as a production of nanocorundum using the chemists in Muelheim using mech- starting material for particularly hard the method developed in Muelheim. anochemical processes could be used ceramics. The first industrial company (www.mpg.de/14078015)

Magnetars – simply irresistible

Computer simulations show how a strong magnetic field is generated when two stars merge

Magnetic mountains are the stuff of fairy tales, but mag- netic stars really do exist. These magnetars, compact remnants of supernovae, are the most powerful magnets in space. Yet how do they acquire their remarkably pow- erful magnetic force – 100 million times stronger than the strongest magnetic field ever created by humankind? A team of astrophysicists from Germany and Britain has now solved this 70-year-old conundrum. The research- ers merged two stars with normal magnetic fields in a computer simulation. These magnetic fields are nothing special; our sun also has one that produces convective currents in its gas envelope. Collisions between stars are also relatively common in nature. This is precisely the process that the astrophysicists reproduced. The end-prod- uct of the simulation was a single star with an excep- tionally powerful magnetic field similar to Tau Scorpii, which can actually be observed in the sky. Should it one day explode as a supernova, a magnetar will be born from the debris. (www.mpg.de/13960571)

Fusion in the computer: the simulation shows the birth of a magnet- ic star such as Tau Scorpii. The illustration shows a cross-section through the orbital plane. The color reflects the strength of the mag-

netic force, while the hatching shows the field lines. Graphics: Amol Amrute/MPI for Coal Research (top); Fabian Schneider, Sebastian Ohlmann (bottom)

44 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 Graphics: Amol Amrute/MPI for Coal Research (top); Fabian Schneider, Sebastian Ohlmann (bottom)

Graphic: MPIIB/ Volker Brinkmann Deadly networks short periods, otherwise theyattack short periods,otherwise NETs mayonlybeactivatedlocallyfor as NETs, andarekilled.However, the gens adheretotheseDNAtraps,known contact with a pathogen. The patho- DNA structureswhentheycomeinto clear membranetoreleasenetwork-like blood cellsdissolvetheircellandnu the immunesystem.Specialwhite known defense mechanismutilizedby in Berlindiscoveredapreviouslyun Planck InstituteforInfectionBiology 15 yearsago,researchers attheMax that canbeprotectedseparately. This like afortress,withvarious defenses from eachother. Thesystemfunctions software componentscanbe isolated technology knownasERIMwith which for SoftwareSystemshave developed a searchers attheMaxPlanckInstitute putational effortinthefuture.Re- puter programswillrequirelesscom- keysincom- numbers orcryptographic Safeguarding passwords, credit card organ. the damage can This liver. the in vessel blood small a of wall the to adheres cell blood red A damage organ malaria cause cells Immune from each other with little computational effort computational little with other each from isolated be to components software allows technology New A fortressforsensitivedata - - book. suchasGoogleorFace line services technology morefeasiblefor usebyon isolation technology. Thismakesthe tional work than the second best quires threetofivetimesless computa veloped bytheMaxPlanckscientistsre an onlineser get asingleweakpoint,forexamplein of cyber attacks, which frequently tar- could protect sensitive data in the event (www.mpg.de edemaorcerebralswelling. pulmonary then causeliverandkidneyfailure, bleeding fromburstcapillariescan them. Insufficientoxygensupplyand walls intheorgans,thusblocking cause redcellstoadherecapillary concentrations ofNETs intheblood progress withparticularseverity. High Berlin, NETs cause cases of malaria to est resultsobtainedbythescientistsin immune diseases.Accordingtothelat the body’s owntissue

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 network: make theGDCh fulluseof From chemiststo chemists– & life sciences for chemistry     Gesellschaft DeutscherChemiker the Job market –onlineandin Job fairs andlectures Workshops Publications career paths about program for young chemists CheMento – The mentoring www.gdch.de/karriere Nachrichten ausderChemie

Particle hunters on the trail

The detection of the Higgs boson represented a huge success for the particle accelerator known as the Large Hadron Collider. But other expected or unexpected discoveries, which physicists hoped would explain the appearance of the world we live in, have failed to materialize. Now, Hermann Nicolai, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Potsdam, and Siegfried Bethke, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Physics in Munich, are on a quest for new prospects in particle physics.

Inconceivable: this artist’s impression from CERN attempts to give an idea of what the Higgs boson is all about. As significant as the particle’s discovery was, it is also hard to visualize an elementary particle of this kind. PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY_Nuclear Physics

TEXT ROLAND WENGENMAYR

n 2012, the European Organization all that small – quantity of matter was for Nuclear Research (CERN) an- left over, and it is this matter that we nounced a sensational discovery: have to thank for our own existence. At the Higgs boson had been detected present, the worlds of nuclear and par- at the world’s most powerful parti- ticle physics, including at the LHC, are cle Iaccelerator, the Large Hadron Col- engaged in an intensive search for a lider (LHC). This discovery had been a flaw of this kind in the reflected image long time coming and served as proof of antimatter. of the mechanism that gives elementa- No less mysterious – and just as sig- ry particles their mass, as had already nificant for the universe that we call been described in the 1960s by Peter home – are the concepts of dark mat- Higgs, François Englert and Robert ter and dark energy, both of which Brout among other researchers. With- should be illuminated by the LHC. out this mechanism, neither we nor the Dark matter interacts neither with universe we know would exist. Higgs light nor with known matter but makes and Englert received the 2013 Nobel itself felt by its gravity. It is the only Prize in Physics for their theoretical de- way to explain the high speeds of stars scription – Brout had died two years at the edges of galaxies – which indi- previously. The Higgs boson also pro- cate that there must be five times as vided the final missing building block much dark matter as there is visible in what is known as the Standard Mod- matter. The gravity of visible matter el of particle physics. alone does not generate sufficient ac- Since then, however, there have celerating forces. Just as hard to com- been no more reports from Geneva, at prehend is the concept of dark energy, least when it comes to other major dis- which – according to the current under- coveries at the LHC. Predictions from standing – accelerates the expansion of the world of theoretical physics had the universe and makes up around raised high hopes for particle collisions three quarters of the energy within it. in this accelerator ring, which measures What this energy might be, however, just under 27 kilometers in length. remains a complete mystery. These predictions related to a world of The LHC has made almost no progress physics beyond the Standard Model in the search for explanations for the and therefore touched upon literally asymmetry between matter and anti- existential relationships. matter the nature of dark matter and One such issue is the problem of an- dark energy. However, talk of a crisis in timatter, which should actually have particle physics stems primarily from been created in the same quantity as the fact that, so far, the experiments at matter following the Big Bang – and the CERN have failed to help solve anoth- two should immediately have annihilat- er problem in physics. For many ed one another. Fortunately that wasn’t decades, clever minds have been at- the case, for a perfectly symmetrical tempting to unify the two theoretical world of that kind would have produced pillars of physics, quantum mechanics a universe without galaxies, stars and and the general theory of relativity, planets, filled only by the light echo left into one overarching theory. In the over from this total annihilation. process, physicists also hope to reduce As astronomers have so far failed to the four fundamental forces that gov- find any antimatter in the universe, it ern physical processes in our world to is likely that a tiny, unknown structur- one common one, such as must have al flaw in the symmetry between anti- existed during the Big Bang according

Photo: Daniel Dominguez/CERN matter and matter meant that a – not to their current theories. >

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 47 14,000 weighs detector CMS the particles: new for engine search A PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY_Nuclear Physics parti 48 their ownright.Effortstounifythem in ported byexperimentalobservations plays nopartinthe microscopic world. cesses takingplaceinthecosmosbut and thereforedominatesallofthepro- ty onlytakeseffectoverlargedistances is calledthe hierarchy problem.Gravi- tude weaker;thismassivediscrepancy relativity, isahuge40ordersofmagni- of in theregimeofgeneraltheory hand, asthefourthforce thatfallswith magnetic force. Gravity, ontheother and weak nuclear force and the electro- three forces thatgovernit:thestrong particlesandthe ic worldofelementary it isbasedonlydescribethemicroscop- and thequantummechanicsonwhich The StandardModelofparticlephysics MaxPlanckResearch 4 MaxPlanckResearch Both theoriesareextremelywellsup ­cl es. Together with the Atlas detector, it detected the Higgs boson. It is also designed to discover SUSY particles, but none has been detected so far. so detected been has none but particles, SUSY discover to designed also is It boson. Higgs the detected it detector, Atlas the with Together es. | 19 - - predictions, the extra dimensions rolled predictions, theextradimensionsrolled time are rolled up. According to some in whichotherdimensionsofspace- world ismadeupofthreadlikestrings states that,onthesmallestscale, tion ofquantumgravity. String theory seeking toestablishaworkingdescrip- –oneoftheareasresearchtheory predicted byseveralschoolsofstring The existenceof these phenomenawas HAVE TO BENATURAL? PHYSICAL THEORIES DO tra dimensionsandsupersymmetries. such asmicroblackholes,rolled-upex- that have so far failed to materialize, have predicteddiscoveriesattheLHC take variousapproaches,someofwhich 75 has and tonnes million individual measurement channels in order to detect detect to order in channels measurement individual million

Among thosequestioningwhether gance ofmathematicalconstructions. symmetry, naturalness,andtheele scientists areguidedbycriteriasuchas dicted certainmeasurementresults. the LHC,butintheoriesthatpre problem liesnotintheexperimentsat wrong, somespecialistsbelievethatthe ry. Asthesepredictionsturnedouttobe the superstringsversionofstringtheo- mirror-image worldandarerelatedto cles, whichbelongtoasupersymmetric gence ofsupersymmetric(SUSY)parti- ments shouldalsohaveseentheemer- selves attheLHC.Likewise,experi- have been large enough to reveal them- up inthesespace-timewrapsshould this approachhas led researchers When developingnewtheories, - -

Photo: Michael Hoch/CERN Standard particles

Higgs boson

astray is Sabine Hossenfelder in her to Hossenfelder and a number of other book Das hässliche Universum (“Lost in theorists, naturalness therefore fails as Math”). The scientist is currently con- an aesthetic criterion – especially as ducting research into quantum gravi- mathematics, the primary tool of theo-

ty at the Frankfurt Institute for Ad- ry, offers no logical justification for an Quarks Leptons Force particles vanced Studies. aesthetic criterion of this kind. To explain her skepticism around Another guiding star for researchers the concept of naturalness, for exam- working on new theories is the princi- SUSY particles ple, she begins by asking why theorists ple of symmetry, and this approach has predicted the appearance of supersym- so far proved highly successful. In the metric particles or rolled-up extra di- world that is perceptible to humans, mensions at the LHC. “People thought symmetries occur time and time and Higgsino that the Standard Model could not be again, as do small deviations. For proof complete,” says Sabine Hossenfelder. of this, we need look no further than the “And the reason is that the Standard two halves of our own faces. While sym- Model can’t be ‘natural’ in the sense metries are thus occasionally of use also in which the word is used by high- in everyday life, they play an essential energy physicists.” role in the laws of fundamental physics. Squarks Sleptons SUSY force particles Since the early 1990s, the idea that For example, symmetry considerations theories must satisfy this abstract crite- led the British theorist Paul Dirac to pre- rion of naturalness has, in Hossen- dict the existence of antimatter. Illusory symmetry: according to some theories, SUSY particles were expected to felder’s analysis, become firmly estab- Symmetry is another criterion where join the collection of standard elementary lished without undergoing a proper Sabine Hossenfelder believes there is a particles. As they have not yet been detected process of reflection. In very simple risk that a concept of beauty that has be- in experiments, an increasing number of terms, the condition stipulates that the come established based on positive ex- physicists believe they are an illusion. masses – as well as other properties of periences could also be misleading in particles – that are relevant to quantum fundamental physics. “Perhaps the uni- gravity must not differ too much from verse is not as beautiful as particle physi­ Hermann Nicolai explains that the one another. cists would like it to be,” she says. main motivation for supersymmetry Hossenfelder’s criticism receives was originally that it would combine A LACK OF EXPERIENCE mixed responses from the world of par- internal symmetries of particle physics AT THE MARGINS OF PHYSICS ticle physics. Some find it destructive, with symmetries of space-time. This while others react positively. Specula- was seen as a step towards unifying the For example, the physicist says, we would tion about a crisis in particle physics is general theory of relativity with quan- “consider a sunflower with a height of similarly controversial. tum mechanics in order to derive a de- a million kilometers to be unnatural.” “In my view, there’s no crisis at scription of quantum gravity. However, a sunflower with a height in all – that assessment relates only to “However, these newer supersym- the order of about one meter is natural; very specific theoretical approaches,” metric models that predicted the dis- we know this from our own experience. says Hermann Nicolai, Director at the covery of SUSY particles at the LHC “In the Standard Model, all numbers are Max Planck Institute for Gravitational do not realize the original goal of ‘natural’ in this sense,” explains Hossen­ Physics in Potsdam. “On the one hand, merging space-time and internal sym- felder, “except the mass of the Higgs the CERN experiment is a complete metries,” says Nicolai. It quickly be- boson.” In the mathematical represen- success because it once again offers ex- came clear, he explains, that a naive tation used by theoretical physics, it is cellent proof of the Standard Model. application of supersymmetry would 15 powers of ten too small and there- On the other, the precise point of these conflict with observations. fore unnatural for many theorists. experiments is to eliminate incorrect “It was not until the start of the According to Sabine Hossenfelder, models from the proliferation of theo- 1980s that people came up with the idea the problem with this concept of natu- retical ideas, and that is something that supersymmetry could solve the hi- ralness is the lack of experience when that the LHC has also achieved.” erarchy problem,” says Nicolai. In oth- breaking new ground in physics. When Nicolai has never believed in SUSY er words, this theoretical construct was we look at a field of sunflowers for the particles himself, although he is very expected to close the explanatory gap first time, experience tells us that ex- familiar with the history of super­ arising from, among other things, the tremely large flowers cannot exist. But symmetry’s development. He obtained huge difference between the strengths at the margins of modern physics, we his doctorate under Julius Wess, one of of gravity and the other three funda-

Photo: Michael Hoch/CERN Graphic: DESY lack this kind of experience. According the pioneers in this field of research. mental forces. “But the price was high,”

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 49 supersymmetry and the approaches andtheapproaches supersymmetry 50 work reducedtorubble,while others thought haveindeedseen decades of tion ofperspective.Some schools of cle physicsisincrisisclearly aques- a morefundamentalapproach.” the StandardModel–justasitisfrom namely,the worldoftheory: toderive results aboveallasagreatchallengefor er emphasizes: “I therefore see the LHC colleagues imagined.”Andtheresearch is farmoresubtlethanmanyprominent rent situationgoestoshowthat“nature the StandardModel,butthatcur- quantum gravityandunifyingitwith of it comestodevelopingatheory willbeakeyfactorwhen of symmetry remains convincedthattheprinciples particles. Ingeneral,HermannNicolai end, eveniftheremaynotbeanySUSY that go beyond it are by no means at an dard Model.” isn’t muchmore toitthantheStan and simpletruthisprobablythatthere shaped tunnelinGeneva.“Theplain forerunner totheLHCinring- tron-Positron Collider(LEP)wasthe Max Planckresearcher. TheLargeElec visible attheLEPaccelerator,” saysthe signs ofitshouldalreadyhavebeen ner withalmostidenticalproperties. Model tohaveasupersymmetricpart- particle in the Standard elementary requiresevery sion ofsupersymmetry he says,becausethismostsimplever- size. This will likely pave the way for new insights into physics. into insights new for way the pave likely will size. This same the of devices conventional than energies higher far achieve could CERN, at here seen as wave, plasma a on ride particles which in accelerators experiments: collision future for Scenario MaxPlanckResearch 4 MaxPlanckResearch However, Nicolaiemphasizesthat Whether or not the theory ofparti- Whether ornotthetheory “If thisideahadbeencorrect,then | 19 - - - connected withtheHiggsboson. makes itselffeltbyitsgravity, whichis After all,darkmattercurrently only continue theirsearch fordarkmatter. rection in terms of where and how to boson willpointtheminthe right di- they hope that the analysis of the Higgs precise measurementsofit.Moreover, Model, particlephysicistswanttotake and asitisakeyparticleintheStandard of theHiggsbosonarestillunknown– cists todo.Aboveall,manyproperties is stillplentyforexperimentalphysi coming fromtheworldoftheory, there adding thatdespitethelackofprojects ture rightnow,” Siegfried Bethke says, though it’s noteasytoplanforthefu- Strategy forParticlePhysics. pates intheUpdateofEuropean CERN Council,hecurrentlypartici- the Germanscientificdelegateon tected theHiggsbosonatLHC.As of thetwomajorexperimentsthatde- design andbuildtheAtlasdetector, one his groupsubstantiallycontributedto From theMaxPlanckside,Bethkeand DIRECTION OFDARK MATTER HOPING FORAPOINTERIN THE Physics inMunich. Director at the Max Planck Institute for such experimenterisSiegfriedBethke, theory, makeofthesituation?One testing thepredictionsderivedfrom tal physicists, who are responsible for are unaffected.Butwhatdoexperimen “Particle physicsisnotincrisis–al- - - an unconventionalalternative,known spective. SiegfriedBethkeisadvocating tional acceleratorfromatechnicalper- be putintopractice. seen whethertheprojectwillactually “Higgs factory,” butitremainstobe ber ofyears,isintendedtobeonesuch has beenplannedinJapanforanum- national LinearCollider(ILC),which it canbeanalyzedefficiently. TheInter- the Higgsbosonathigherratessothat specialized acceleratorsthatproduce is therefore discussing smaller, more- first place.Theworldofparticlephysics to speak,forfindingtheparticlein LHC wasmerelythesearch engine,so boson, foritgeneratestoorarely. The suited to precise analyses of the Higgs However, theLHCisnotallthatwell and ultimatelydiscoveredAmerica. most defeatedbya mutiny on the way, ing foraseapassagetoIndia, wasal Christopher discoveries inphysics.It’s abitlike it israrelypossibletoplan major so oftenthecaseinbasicresearch. But particles. elementary even smallerstructuresintheworldof energies andthereforecastlighton This could achieve significantly higher currently beingresearched atCERN. technology, knownasAWAKE, thatis accelerator incorporate revolutionary be possiblefortheCLICtunnelto And, in the moredistant future, it may of thehotandcompactbabyuniverse. offer profoundinsightsintothephysics ated inaparticleaccelerator. after the Big Bang, and can now be cre- as an atom of gold, existed onlybriefly made in1977.Thetopquarkisasheavy prediction ofanewparticleoriginally 1995, basedonthelatestsuccessful the topquark. This wasdiscoveredin therefore also allow researchers to study er energythantheILCandwould nel in Geneva, it could achieve a high- the constructionofanew, straighttun- CERN. AlthoughCLICwouldrequire that iscurrentlybeingdevelopedat as CLIC(CompactLInearCollider), physics isimpossibletopredict–as will openthedoortoanewworldof The ILCwouldalsobeaconven Whether or not these accelerators Apparently, CLICwouldtherefore Columbus,whowentlook

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Photo: Julien Marius Ordan/CERN ranges fromvisualisingscienceviasocialmediacourses The portfolioofeightseminartypesinEnglishlanguage groups orgraduateschoolsandheldon-site. Seminars canbebookedbyscientificinstitutions,working communication skillsinahands-onapproach. offers avarietyofseminarsforscientiststoenhancetheir The NationalInstituteforScienceCommunication entire seminarportfoliovisitwww.nawik.de. All seminarsareevaluated.Foradditionaloffersandthe to presentationandmediatrainings. Comprehensible. Science Communication. entire seminarportfoliovisit www.nawik.de. All seminarsareevaluated.Foradditionaloffersandthe to presentationandmediatrainings. ranges fromvisualisingscienceviasocialmediacourses The portfolioofeightseminartypesinEnglishlanguage groups orgraduateschoolsandheldon-site. Seminars canbebookedbyscientificinstitutions,working communication skillsinahands-onapproach. offers avarietyofseminarsforscientiststoenhancetheir The NationalInstituteforScienceCommunication Comprehensible. Science Communication.

the KlausTschiraFoundation andtheKarlsruheInstituteofTechnology, KIT. NaWik (NationalesInstitut fürWissenschaftskommunikation)stakeholders are the KlausTschiraFoundation andtheKarlsruheInstituteofTechnology, KIT. NaWik (NationalesInstitut fürWissenschaftskommunikation)stakeholders are Seminar venues,asof2019 Seminar venues,asof2019 Photo: Julien Marius Ordan/CERN

entire seminarportfoliovisitwww.nawik.de. All seminarsareevaluated.Foradditionaloffersandthe to presentationandmediatrainings. ranges fromvisualisingscienceviasocialmediacourses The portfolioofeightseminartypesinEnglishlanguage groups orgraduateschoolsandheldon-site. Seminars canbebookedbyscientificinstitutions,working communication skillsinahands-onapproach. offers avarietyofseminarsforscientiststoenhancetheir The NationalInstituteforScienceCommunication Comprehensible. Science Communication. entire seminarportfoliovisit www.nawik.de. All seminarsareevaluated.Foradditionaloffersandthe to presentationandmediatrainings. ranges fromvisualisingscienceviasocialmediacourses The portfolioofeightseminartypesinEnglishlanguage groups orgraduateschoolsandheldon-site. Seminars canbebookedbyscientificinstitutions,working communication skillsinahands-onapproach. offers avarietyofseminarsforscientiststoenhancetheir The NationalInstituteforScienceCommunication Comprehensible. Science Communication. l l l l SUMMARY

phy Despite thistheoretical reorientation, experimentalparticle searcher HermannNicolai–seesymmetr However, many theorists–includingtheMax Planckre wer physicsAs someofthepredictions oftheoretical particle tection oftheHiggsboson,butotherpredicted discov The experimentsattheLarge Hadron Colliderledtothede dark matter. of theHiggsboson,whichtheyhopewillprovide cluesabout they wanttotakeprecise measurements oftheproperties accelerators. Forexample, questions withthehelpofparticle mechanics toproduce adescriptionofquantumgravity. that merges ofrelativity thegeneral andquantum theory theories. Above all,thisincludesthesearch for atheory guidelinefor thedevelopment ofnew being animportant and symmetry. as naturalness, theeleganceofmathematicalconstructions, lines for developing theories. They castdoubtoncriteriasuch researchers toabandon their insistence on theexisting guide such as supersymmetric particles, have failedtomaterialize. such assupersymmetricparticles, sicists see an opportunity toanswer numeroussicists seeanopportunity research e notborneout,anumberoftheoristsare callingon y in particular as y inparticular eries, -

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also uses a multitude of abstract, mathematical symmetries. mathematical abstract, of multitude a uses also however, physics, Theoretical existence. their predicted Dirac Paul theorist British the how is This matter. normal of those of image mirror a are which antimatter, of properties the are Symmetry mechanics. quantum of laws the follows Model Standard This boson. Higgs ing correspond- the and mechanism Higgs the as well as particles, those between acting forces the and matter up make that particles elementary the includes and world microscopic the in This describes processes physics: particle of Model Standard approach. flawed a be to this consider Critics theories. new of development the during physics particle cal Naturalness forces. fundamental four the unify to possible be may it scale, this On physics. in reference of frame tal fundamen- a constitutes which scale,” “Planck small extremely the to particles elementary the from down step the to applies also This other. the on weaker, much is which gravity, and hand, one the on force, electromagnetic the and force nuclear weak and strong the of strength the in difference large tremely problem Hierarchy GLOSSARY plays a considerable role in physics. One example example One physics. in role considerable a plays has, until now, served as a guideline for theoreti- for guideline a as served now, until has, the KlausTschiraFoundation andtheKarlsruheInstituteofTechnology, KIT. NaWik (NationalesInstitut fürWissenschaftskommunikation)stakeholders are the KlausTschiraFoundation andtheKarlsruheInstituteofTechnology, KIT. NaWik (NationalesInstitut fürWissenschaftskommunikation)stakeholders are PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY_Nuclear Physics Seminar venues,asof2019 Seminar venues,asof2019 is the term used by physicists for the ex - MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY_Personal Portrait

The digital language artist

He describes himself as a bit unconventional. Derek Dreyer does, indeed, work with languages. Not, however, with everyday languages, but with programming languages, since they’re more logical. The U.S.-born researcher works at the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems in Saarbruecken. Even though science is an important part of his life, he still makes room for passions like music. And then there’s the thing about whisky – unconventional indeed.

TEXT KLAUS JACOB

ome offices are as impersonal middle there’s a comfortable sofa, per- professor at Saarland University. But he as furniture store showrooms. fect for lounging on. The two long sides prefers just “DD”, which is what his Others can be read like a book. of the office are entirely paned with daughter Alma calls him. They reveal a lot about the glass. One of these window facades pro- Derek Dreyer is a computer scientist people who work in them. vides a view of the wooded hillsides of at the Max Planck Institute for Software That’sS the kind of office Derek Dreyer Saarbruecken; the other, a complete Systems, where he researches program- has. One of the end walls is dominated view of the corridor. Dreyer, therefore, ming languages. He is a member of the by a white board covered in cryptic has an office all to himself, but the Institute management team and head of equations that are only decipherable by transparent walls (common to all the the independent group “Foundations of insiders. Next to this are two colorful offices in this modern building), make Programming”, which comprises two drawings by Derek’s daughter. She’s the individual rooms feel almost like an postdocs and six doctoral researchers. four years old. “No, four and a half,” open-plan office. Logic and mathematics are Dreyer’s Dreyer corrects himself. With small strong suit. Spoken languages, on the children, every month counts. LOGIC AND MATH – DREYER’S other hand, are not. An American by The other end wall is completely STRONG SUIT birth, he’s lived in Germany for elev- covered by a shelf. Instead of books, the en years, but you can’t avoid speaking shelf contains row after row of whiskies, And that suits Dreyer. He’s as open and to him in English. This is primarily due although not bottles, just their card- friendly as the building, is willing to an- to the fact that the working language board boxes. Dreyer is a big whisky en- swer all my questions, and likes to laugh at the Institute is English; most of the thusiast and knows almost every kind, and engage with people. On his website,

but focuses on Scotch, not Bourbon. he writes that he can now be referred to An abstemious collection: Derek Dreyer The office feels open and comfort- as “Herr Professor Doktor Derek Dreyer” collects unique whiskies, but in his office able, bright and spacious. Right in the as he has been appointed an honorary he only displays the empty boxes.

52 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 Photo: Wolfram Scheible 54 German betterthanhespeaks it.Ifhe He does,however, understand spoken you theGermanwordforit,” hesays. “Give meanykindoffood, and I’lltell friends andacquaintancesto joinhim. for agoodrestaurantandinvites afew Japanese, Thai,FrenchorItalian. good foodmeansalottohim,whether forallfoodingredients; rect vocabulary he acknowledgesthatknowsthecor- guage thanheadmits.Ataminimum, has afarbettercommandofthelan- a little playfulness in his modesty; he cult, accordingtotheresearcher. There’s steps in. German to be spoken at home, his wife smiling. Ifthere’s ajobthatrequires Dreyer inGermanwithathickaccent, peinlich,” [it’s embarrassing]says very German ismuchbetter. “ wife isalsoaU.S.citizen,althoughher researchers come fromabroad.Andhis mechanisms. safety stringent require don‘t Rust like languages programming of components some that provesDreyer logical: It‘s MaxPlanckResearch 4 MaxPlanckResearch On businesstrips,helikesscouting Learning Germanisjusttoodiffi- | 19 Es istsehr pletely differentmatter. Dreyermostly is ...child’s play. ing thenewlanguageinkindergarten man, shelaughsathim.Forher, learn- says somethingtohisdaughterinGer- most had to drop out of graduate school most hadtodropoutofgraduate school struggled atfirst,”hesays.Indeed, heal during hisPhDstudies,however. “I His educationalprogressdid hitasnag TO BEACOMPUTER SCIENTIST PREDESTINED DREYER WASN’T ahead ofhisfellowstudents. in theU.S.Heretoo,hewasfiveyears top universities forcomputer science Carnegie Mellon University, one ofthe of theusual18.At17hemovedto university attheageof13instead cause hewasgettingbored.Hestarted he skipped several school grades be- achiever. With thehelpofhisparents, learned iteffortlessly. He’s anover Math on the otherhand is acom- - -

“and agreatinspirationto me.”His successful,” Dreyersaysabout him, atric associationintheU.S. “He’s very Academy of Pediatrics, the largest pedi- became thePresidentof American management positionsinpediatrics. He made acareerforhimselfinnumerous NYU LangoneMedicalCenter, andhas and onesister. much youngerthanhistwobrothers siblings, hewasthebabyoffamily, Dreyer isfondofrelating.Ofhisthree with his novel mous bytheauthorF. ScottFitzgerald It’s theareaofNewYork madeworld-fa tropolis, toGreatNeckonLongIsland. his parentsintothesuburbsofme- New York City, butsoonmovedwith finally earninghisdoctoratein2005. publishing hisfirstscientificpapers, He persevered,however, andwassoon in 2000,strugglingtofindhisfooting. His fatherisapediatricianatthe Derek Dreyerwasbornin1980 The Great Gatsby, as -

Photo: Wolfram Scheible MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY_Personal Portrait

His expertise is in basic research. His proofs are universal and are helping » to shape the programming languages of the future.

mother stayed at home and took care “you have to practice too many boring achieved his scientific objectives, it of the children and the household. pieces before you can master an instru- offered him long-term prospects. He Dreyer wasn’t, therefore, predestined to ment.” Maybe it’s his perfectionism knew that experience at a Max Planck be a computer scientist. that makes him shy away from tack- Institute is highly regarded in the U.S. He did, however, love math at ling things that he can’t accomplish Dreyer reaches for his smartphone school and was intent on going on to right away. He hasn’t done much sing- and shows me a worldwide ranking of study the subject. But his pragmatic ing in recent years, but he likes to tap all institutes involved in computer sci- parents encouraged him to enroll in dance, even if not in public perfor- ence and computer languages. The Max computer science as well, as it would mances. To demonstrate, he jumps up Planck Institute is near the top of the make finding a job easier. So, initially, and performs a few steps. It looks pret- list. “It was a great opportunity,” he Dreyer studied both mathematics and ty professional ... says, especially because he had the computer science, but then moved over chance to become involved in the ini- fully to computer science. He’s now A GREAT OPPORTUNITY tial development of the Institute. In glad he followed his parents’ advice. In IN GERMANY 2008, he took up the post, initially on mathematics, he would miss real-world a short-term basis. Then, five years lat- applicability. He likes the combination After studying and completing his doc- er, following an international evalua- of theory and practice that computer torate at Carnegie Mellon University, tion, he was offered a permanent posi- science offers him. Dreyer initially accepted a three-year tion with full scientific autonomy. Derek Dreyer hasn’t just excelled in independent research position at the When asked whether the move disciplines involving pure logic. He has Toyota Technological Institute at Chi- from New York and Chicago to Saar- also developed an active interest in the cago. The institution has nothing to do bruecken was a culture shock, he pro- arts. Above all, he enjoys singing. As a with cars – it’s a basic-research institu- vides a diplomatic answer: Max Planck pre-teen, he was singing in the chorus tion funded by an endowment from is “great”, and he works a lot, so the of the New York City Opera, even tak- Toyota. “It’s like a mini Max Planck In- neighborhood isn’t a major factor. ing on some solo roles. Having devel- stitute,” Dreyer says. “What’s important for me is that I have oped into a tenor, he sang in the uni- After three years, when his contract fantastic students and colleagues, and versity church choir while he was living expired, he applied for positions inter- Saarbruecken is a quiet place – a good in Chicago. And music still has a strong nationally. The field of programming place to work.” For variety, he travels, hold on him, especially classical music languages had now become his main and his job also takes him to many dif- and jazz. “My favorite composers are focus, and there was little demand for ferent places, even to major capitals Bach, Britten and Shostakovich,” he it in the U.S. Although the community such as Paris and London. So will Ger- says. “I feel proud that this year I made working in the field has grown consid- many remain his second home? He has the effort to explore Benjamin Britten’s erably in recent years, it is still relative- no plans to leave Germany in the near third cello suite. It’s not easy music. I ly small. The offer from Germany came future, he says. had to hear it about 20 times, but now at just the right time. After that, he has no idea. He has I find it amazingly beautiful.” He didn’t have to spend much time considered other possibilities, but Dreyer never learned to play an in- thinking about accepting the ten- nothing comes close to his position at strument, however. “It’s like the Ger- ure-track position at the Max Planck the Max Planck Institute. He can re-

Photo: Wolfram Scheible man language,” he says with a smile, Institute for Software Systems; if he search whatever he wants here, and has

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 55 MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY_Personal Portrait

a great team and excellent resources. lopment of Rust since 2009, and version ever, require many pointers and many He also finds the combination of re- 1.0 was released in 2015, along with the memory locations. It’s easy for a pro- search and teaching ideal. “Besides,” associated compiler, which translates grammer to lose track of them, result- he says, “my wife Rose Hoberman has the commands into machine code. ing in a pointer that could be used to a great job at the Institute, teaching Rust is now widely used by Google, call up memory that contains nonsense. our doctoral researchers to write read- Microsoft, Facebook and Dropbox, Rust has a number of mechanisms able papers and give compelling lec- among many other companies. It is de- designed to prevent this. Each pointer, tures. And her office is two doors away signed to overcome the weaknesses of for instance, has only a limited lifetime, from mine – beat that!” conventional languages. Up to now, i.e. it is only active in a specific section One disadvantage of living in Saar- languages have either been safe (they of code and is automatically switched bruecken is a universal fact of life for automatically check the work of the off afterwards when the associated data academics: the friendships he and his programmer for important classes of er- has become obsolete. Also, no two wife make are usually temporary. Most rors), or they have been flexible but un- pointers can ever simultaneously per- of their friends are students or postdocs safe (they offer programmers extensive form modifications to the same mem- from the Institute who leave after a few freedom – including the freedom to ory location. Such duplication is a com- years. A career in science takes people commit errors). mon source of errors, because the data all over the world. But an error in a complex program in memory can be modified with every Dreyer’s work is as incomprehensi- that is only revealed during initial test operation, potentially leading to bugs ble to the layperson as the formulae on runs is extremely troublesome. Trying if accessed simultaneously. his blackboard. It’s ironic that his field to locate it can drive programmers to is languages, as he has claimed not to despair. Rust is designed to manage the SAFETY WITHOUT be a keen linguist. But programming balancing act of being both universally DIGITAL BOUNCERS languages are a whole different ball applicable and safe. Understanding game to German or Japanese; they are how this can be achieved requires a lit- However, such built-in safety features structured in an absolutely logical way. tle background knowledge. come with a disadvantage: some oper- Ultimately, all programming lan- ations cannot be carried out. For in- RUST IS DESIGNED TO BE guages have a control mechanism. stance, the creation of complex data UNIVERSAL AND SAFE However, these can vary in their degree structures requires memory locations of rigor. The stricter the controls, the that can be simultaneously accessed by Dreyer’s current focus is principally on more they restrict the freedom of pro- more than one operation. To ensure the relatively young language known grammers. They’re like digital bounc- that Rust remains universally applica- as Rust, which can be used to write ers who sometimes interpret some- ble, it thus incorporates the possibility complex programs. In 2016, he was thing as an error that is definitely of the “unsafe mechanism”. The pro- awarded a European Research Council useful, calling a foul on the program- grammer can specify that certain pro- (ERC) Consolidator Grant of two mil- mer. Java is a language with strict con- gram components do not have to pass lion euros for his five-year project trols. In contrast, C and C++ are, to a through the strict security gate. Using called RustBelt. certain extent, the opposite. this mechanism, of course, runs the risk The programming language Rust Programming languages employ of errors creeping in – as with C or C++. was designed by Graydon Hoare, an control mechanisms that go way be- And that’s where the work of Dreyer employee of the software company yond a document spell-checker. A par- and his team begins. He provides for- Mozilla, best known for the web brows- ticular example illustrates how they mal proof that typical “unsafe compo- er Firefox. Initially, he created the lan- work. Most languages use pointers that nents” are, in fact, safe, so that they can guage alone and as a personal project. refer to specific data in memory. Sounds be used with confidence, even without Mozilla has been supporting the deve­ pretty simple. Complex programs, how- a digital bouncer. To achieve this, he

56 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 Photos: Wolfram Scheible has receivedforoutstanding publica gramming languages. young scientistsinthefield ofpro- prestigious international prize for gramming Languages;itis themost ery’s SpecialInterestGrouponPro Association forComputingMachin- Award conferredbyACMSIGPLAN,the the RobinMilnerYoung Researcher he isparticularlyproudof.Another ceived for the project is one award that “unsafe components”. marily concernsthemostcomplicated his involvementinthelanguagepri ly asapractical application, although the future.HisinterestinRustismere- to shapetheprogramminglanguagesof His proofsareuniversalandhelping Rust. Hisexpertiseisinbasicresearch. the fledglingprogramminglanguage suggest thatDreyerisonlyworkingon and computerscience. favorite combinationofmathematics ly, asascientist,hisworkfocuseson ly verifiedbythecomputer. Ultimate- words, his proofs are automatical other utilizes interactive proof assistants; in however.pursuit, private a just is dancing tap His Opera. YorkCity New the at sing to used even He music. classical especially music, on keen is Dreyer mathematics, as well as dance: and Music He dismissesotherawards that he However, itwouldbeamistaketo The ERCConsolidatorGrant he re- - - - - fine notes: “Every vintageiscomplete- fine notes:“Every sensitive enoughpalatetodistinguish the deal,”proffersDreyer. samples outaftertastingthem. “Partof way drinkingbinges;theexperts spit own cellars.Thewinetastingsareinno winefromtheir their homesandserve are German.Theyinviteeachotherto four weeks,allofwhom,exceptDreyer, threeto en menandwomenmeetevery edged wineconnoisseurs.Aboutadoz- The members of the club are acknowl- LOVERS OFSCOTCH THE PROMISED LANDFOR says withasmile. ting acquaintedwithGermans,”he joined awineclub.“It’s mywayofget- also lovesfinewinesandhaseven ceptional foodand,aboveall,music,he addition toenjoyingthesespirits,ex whiskies ismuchmoreeye-catching.In event, thelineofboxesexceptional nor presentedinashowyway. Inany They’re neithergivenprideofplace, shelf alongwiththewhiskyboxes. knick-knacks, they’restoredonthe tions withawaveofhishand.Like As aScotchconnoisseur, he hasa - it maybeanother. siders ithiscurrentfavorite. Tomorrow, bought abottleyesterday, andhecon- cheap” –abargain.He 100 euros,very 1960s. “Outstandingquality and,at tles onaBlack&WhiteBlend fromthe brand? Hepondersforawhile,thenset- the distilleries.Doeshehaveafavorite travels toScotlandbuydirectlyfrom them here.Butoccasionally, Dreyer even available.Theshelvesarefullof more expensive,butinmanycasesnot U.S., Scotchwhiskyisnotonlymuch Germany isthePromisedLand.In are “unconventional,abitlikeme.” Nevis, SpringbankandLedaig,which lesser-known whiskies:Clynelish,Ben the membersthroughatastingoffour did indeedtakethefloor. Heguided listens. Ononeoccasion,however, he ed vocabulary.” Itmeanshemostlyjust is consistentlyboringduetomylimit- thing interesting,butwhatcomesout up: “I’malwayswantingtosaysome- tages. AsanAmerican,hejustcan’t keep flavors ofthedifferentterroirsandvin- todescribethe ploy abroadvocabulary has ahandicap:wineconnoisseursem- ly different,”hesays.Nevertheless, For aloverofScotchlikeDreyer, 4 | MaxPlanckResearch 19MaxPlanckResearch

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ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE_Amazon

Burn damage in the rainforest

This summer, there were more forest fires in Brazil than virtually any on record. Susan Trumbore, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena, is looking at the consequences that the immense loss of rainforest has on the local, as well as global climate. She also examines the likelihood of a forest recovering from a fire. If only it is given the chance.

TEXT TIM SCHRÖDER

he rainforest in Brazil has the region, compared to the same time Fire detectors in space: been burning for decades, period in previous years, with more the fires in the south of over and over again. In than 45,000 fires in total. the Amazon Basin are particularly striking in many places, farmers are The fact that most of these fires satellite images from the setting the forest on fire, were not caused by particularly severe Nasa Earth Observatory, whileT elsewhere, clearing is taking place drought is cause for concern. The past but those in other parts on behalf of beef barons. The goal is to few summers had been even drier. This of South America are also clearly visible. obtain new farmland to grow soy, increase can be attributed to econom- mainly for fattening animals in Brazil ic interests: most fires broke out on pri- and other countries. Plenty of cleared vately owned land and close to rural land is also home to grazing cattle. settlements. Brazilian experts assume Many farmers also burn their stubble that there has been an increase of fire- fields after the harvest, not taking into based forest clearing in these areas. account that sparks can cause wildfires. The most alarming aspect is that there Reports about crop fires are nothing has been a massive increase in the new. However, particularly terrifying number of fires even in public state pictures appeared this summer, as the forests and conservation areas. fires reached catastrophic proportions Deforestation in the Amazon rain- in August. Analyzing satellite images, forest has dramatic consequences. the Brazilian National Institute for Countless plants and animals are losing Space Research, the INPE, found fires to their habitat, and it is quite likely that

have increased by about two-thirds in hitherto unknown plant and animal Photo: NASA/EOSDIS

58 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 Photo: NASA/EOSDIS 4 | MaxPlanckResearch 19MaxPlanckResearch 59 ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE_Amazon

species are being wiped out. The loss of ers to explore how deforestation im- forest is also expected to have an im- pacts regional and global climate, as pact on the climate across large parts of well as the ways in which the forest re- South America, and possibly even on a acts to such climate change. “We do global scale. The Earth system research- not have sufficient data at this point to er Susan Trumbore, Director at the Max accurately illustrate the impact of the Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Amazon region in climate models,” Jena, wants to gain a comprehensive Susan Trumbore explains. “We would understanding of the consequences like to contribute to improving climate this overexploitation has on nature. models in this respect.” She examines not only the impact on biodiversity after forests have slow- THE FOREST STILL ABSORBS THE ly begun to recover years after a fire. FIRES’ CARBON DIOXIDE She also addresses the question as to what extent the remaining forest has With regard to the local and regional become more vulnerable to further dis- climate, it is of particular importance turbances, such as drought or wind- that enormous amounts of water evap- throw, as farmland advances. She is orate in the forest of the Amazon Basin. collaborating with Brazilian research- This has a cooling effect on the forest

Top 15,000 components, 24,000 screws and bolts, and a total weight of 142 tonnes on a surface area of three by three meters, stabilized with 26 kilometers of steel cables: the Amazon Tall Tower VENEZUELA Observatory (ATTO). Left The ATTO is located 150 kilometers to the northeast of the city of Manaus, in COLOMBIA the central Amazon region that is still largely untouched. The Tanguro Ranch, meanwhile, is in the south of the Amazon Basin, where rainforest meets savanna. EQUADOR ATTO Amazonas Manaus

Amazonas PERU BRAZIL

Tanguro ATTO Porto BOLIVIA Morena Porto ATTO Rio Uatumã

Rio Amazonas

50 km Graphic: designergold and its environment, and half of this further, it could even happen that, on need to understand the role that an in- water is returned to the area as rain. A balance, greenhouse gases are released tact forest plays with regard to the glob- part of the clouds that form move on, in the Amazon region. al climate. This is why, for the past few however, providing rainfall for large Conversely, it is also likely that years, Susan Trumbore and her team parts of South America. global warming will change the forest have been involved in an extraordinary Scientists agree that owing to its and its ability to absorb greenhouse large-scale research project: ATTO, the sheer size, the Amazon region has a sig- gases. Scientists question whether the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory, an en- nificant influence on global climate. rainforest will survive a global rise in semble of three slim steel framework The Amazon Basin that feeds the Ama- temperature by more than two degrees towers, the largest of which, at 325 me- zon River covers an area of around sev- Celsius, since there is currently no rain- ters, is taller than the Eiffel Tower. en million square kilometers – about forest anywhere in the world where twenty times the size of Germany. Cur- temperatures are that high. This means THE EFFECTS OF DAMAGE TO THE rently, 80 percent is still covered by for- that the Amazonian forest might disap- TREE POPULATION est. About one-third of the amount of pear due to climate change. “It is im- carbon contained in the Earth’s atmo- possible at this point to predict what a The observatory is located deep in the sphere at the start of the industrial rev- warming of the Earth by two degrees rainforest, about 150 kilometers to the olution is still stored in this area today. Celsius or more would mean,” says Su- northeast of the city of Manaus. The Today, the forest is still able to ab- san Trumbore. “How are habitats, the journey takes several hours, and part of sorb the carbon dioxide that is released chemical and physical processes be- the distance is covered in boats on a riv- through fire clearance in Brazil. How- tween the forest and the atmosphere er. “The area is unique,” says Susan ever, it can no longer filter greenhouse and gas exchange going to change? Trumbore. It is far from any cities or vil- gases from the atmosphere that are gen- And how are these changes going to af- lages. It has the purest air anywhere on erated elsewhere as a result of the use fect our global climate?” the planet. Here, it is possible to take of fossil fuels. If the deforestation that To be able to assess the feedback ef- very accurate measurements of the ex- had initially slowed down after 2003, fect between climate change and the change of substances between the un-

Graphic: designergold but increased again in 2019, accelerates shrinking rainforest, scientists first touched forest and the atmosphere. > Photo: Achim Edtbauer / MPI for Chemistry

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 61 ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE_Amazon

phisticated methods to measure and calculate which amounts of which substances are exchanged between the forest and the air. Other equipment is used to measure wind direction and speed, as well as solar irradiation above the forest. The researchers working with Su- san Trumbore at ATTO not only mon- itor substance and energy exchange between the forest and the atmo- sphere. They also examine the effects that damage has on the tree popula- tion. A few years ago, entire clusters of trees near the observatory were knocked over by thunderstorms. This created clearings in the otherwise “This is pretty much the last place on dense forest that provide ideal re- Earth where we can examine the origi- search sites, the biggest of which is 28 nal impact of a large intact forest,” ex- hectares in total – about the size of 40 plains Trumbore. soccer fields. Provided, that is, that there are no fires on the southern edge of the Ama­ RESEARCH AREA IN zon combined with unfavorable wind A BRAZILIAN HOTSPOT conditions. This causes soot particle aerosols to travel northwards, for ex- Susan Trumbore and her team are able ample. As water vapor is prone to con- to conduct research on a wide range of densing on such aerosols, causing aspects here, such as the rate at which droplets to form, it is feasible that fires trees decompose and to what extent in the south can have an impact on they release their stored carbon as they cloud formation and rainfall across the do so. Severe storms may occur more entire Amazon Basin. However, experts frequently due to climate change; are not yet able to tell whether this storms that are strong enough to up- Left Susan Trumbore explores the will lead to more rain or to any chang- root trees by the dozen. The wood de- interdependencies of the Amazonian rainforest and the climate. es in the rainfall areas. composes and the forest’s biomass is re- The measurement towers were con- duced as time goes by. Top Advancing agriculture: large forest areas have to make room for structed step by step by Brazilian and Susan Trumbore and her team farmland at the edge of the Amazon German research institutions, includ- members are also examining the speed Basin. This has caused a hotter and ing the Max Planck Society with funds at which the affected forests regener- drier local climate, despite the fact from the Federal Ministry of Education ate. They have found that evaporation that the remaining forest still has a cooling effect and provides and Research. They are full of devices and photosynthesis recover within the conditions for rain. for measuring carbon dioxide, methane just a few years, as these functions are and other substances, as well as the taken over by rapidly growing shrubs amount of aerosols contained in the and trees. It takes decades, however,

atmosphere. The researchers use so- for the same amount of biomass that Photo: Paulo Brando

62 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 was contained in the old tree popula- the south of Manaus in the state of There is already evidence that the in- tion to reform. It takes even longer for Mato Grosso, the driest part of the tense deforestation is causing the cli- the forest to become nearly as biodi- Ama­zon Basin. The transition zone be- mate to become even hotter and drier verse as it was before. tween dense Amazonian forests and in this region, which already experi- Susan Trumbore compares the re- savannas is typical of the region. The ences a five-month dry season. sults from the ATTO area with mea- land on the Tanguro Ranch is inten- In addition, scientists are examin- surements taken in a second region in sively farmed. In recent years, there ing the extent to which the remaining Brazil, where she has been conducting have been more clearances in this area forest on the edge of the savanna is af- research for a number of years now. than anywhere else. fected – and whether it stands a chance This research site, the Tanguro Ranch, Researchers analyze how the local of recovery on land that has been is located in a Brazilian hotspot, where climate is changed by this loss of trees, cleared. In order to answer these ques- the forest meets cleared savannas and but they also take a look at global cli- tions, a team of experts from Brazil,

Photo: Paulo Brando farmland, about 2,500 kilometers to mate effects caused by deforestation. Germany and the Woods Hole Research Photo: Paulo Brando

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 63 Underestimated threats: fires on forest floors are invisible to satellites. Based on smoke measurements, ATTO can register these fires, too (left). Grasses can spread on cleared land and invade adjacent forests (right). They can grow even taller than Susan Trumbore, and they take light away from seedlings. They there- fore hinder the forest’s regenera- tion and they also make the forest more vulnerable to fire.

Center in the U.S. launched an unusu- more quickly. This effect continues to Ten years after a fire, the forest has not al project in the early 2000s: fire exper- this day, eight years after the last fire. fully recovered: a young, bushy forest iments carried out in three forested A noticeable number of trees are still that grows after a fire does not provide 50-hectare areas in the transition zone dying from the consequences of the the conditions for the same ecosystem to the savanna. fires. Furthermore, the now more open as the original one. Even worse: in Between 2004 and 2010, the re- forests have become invaded by vari- some areas, the forest may disappear searchers set one plot on fire every year, ous grasses. These prevent trees from completely after a fire. “We can ob- and another one only once every three growing back, as they take away light serve that fires make forests, and par- years. The third plot remained un- and nutrients from seedlings. ticularly their edges, more vulnerable,” touched. They then allowed the forest says Susan Trumbore and goes on to to recover. In the meantime, they ana- FIRES ARE MAKING FORESTS explain that a main driving question lyzed the climate conditions and sub- MORE VULNERABLE of the research is to find out whether stance flows on the burned plots, and repeated fire will eventually turn the compared these to corresponding data Measurements show that as in the forest into savanna. “We assume that from a nearby soy field, from the edge ATTO region, trees that are growing there are tipping points, beyond which of the forest, and from a measuring sta- back can perform vital ecosystem ser- a forest is no longer able to recover by tion located deeper in the forest. vices after just a few years, especially itself and will disappear,” she explains. The researchers found that the fires compared to a dry soy field. Evapora- The exact tipping point has not been did not overly affect the forest in hu- tion and photosynthesis, and therefore identified to date. mid years. In dry years, however, and the absorption of carbon from the air, This is why Susan Trumbore and these have become increasingly com- had normalized once again by 2017. her team also want to find out which mon in recent years, the fire burned a Evaporation also has a cooling effect in species of trees stand a chance of sur- large number of trees. As soon as the this hot region, and this shows how im- vival in the increasingly dry and hot re- fire had created large gaps, the sur- portant it is to conserve forests, at least gion around the Tanguro Ranch. “It is rounding forest thinned out, as it had in part, in areas used for agriculture. quite possible that species that grow become more vulnerable to wind, and However, significantly less carbon is back quickly will also die again quick-

because the more open forest dried out now stored on these plots. ly,” she says. “We do not know yet Photo: Paulo Brando

64 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE_Amazon

Dilma Rousseff, had promoted im- proved farming methods to exploit the soil more effectively, and in so doing to increase production and reduce the pressure on the forest. Jair Bolsonaro, however, is promoting an expansion of the areas used as farmland. Susan Trum- bore believes that import nations are partially responsible: “The situation is not going to change unless they urge Brazil to treat the remaining forest with greater care.” It goes without saying that people in industrial countries must pay more which species have what it takes to form to the environmental foundation attention to the origin of resources a new, robust forest under these tough- WWF. However, China is the biggest used to make the food that they buy – er climatic conditions.” importer of soy, accounting for 60 per- and promote products and practices Susan Trumbore was also shocked cent of global production. About half that recognize the value of rainforests. by the extent of the fires that afflicted of this is produced in Brazil. After all, finger-pointing is not going this region a few months ago. Howev- The predecessors of president Bol- to save the Brazilian rainforest from er, she points out that the land that is sonaro, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and further destruction. cleared every year has somewhat de- creased in recent years. Significantly

bigger forest areas were still disappear- ing every year in the early 2000s. The SUMMARY scientist cannot tell to what degree the l In summer 2019, an extraordinarily large number of fires raged in the Amazonian devastating fires of 2019 are linked to rainforest. Many of these were started deliberately and were boosted by increasingly the policies pursued by the Brazilian dry conditions.

president Jair Bolsonaro. “The long re- l Teams working with the Max Planck researcher Susan Trumbore are examining the cent drought period is likely to have ways in which the rainforest and the climate affect each other, at both the Amazon Tall contributed to this, too.” Tower Observatory (ATTO) in the heart of the rainforest and on the Tanguro Ranch in At any rate, in her view, Brazilians the State of Mato Grosso. are not solely responsible for conserv- l In areas that have been cleared, and where much less water evaporates, it is getting ing the Amazonian rainforest. “People hotter and drier. This also has an impact on rainfall in other areas, as the Amazonian rainforest determines the water balance of the entire region. The CO2 that is released from industrial nations are good at tell- through clearing has an impact on the global climate. ing others how to do it right. At the end l If the forest is allowed to grow back on cleared land, the exchange of carbon dioxide of the day, we citizens of industrial and water between the vegetation and the atmosphere can reach almost its original countries have contributed to creating level after just a few years. However, far less carbon is stored in degraded forest, this situation,” she says. Around 80 per- which remains more vulnerable to heat, drought and windthrow. This in turn can lead cent of soy imported to Germany to further die-off and a rapid shift to a new stable state of savanna vegetation.

Photo: Paulo Brando comes from South America, according Photo: Paulo Brando

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 65 CULTURE & SOCIETY_Conflict Studies

Patterns of terror

Terrorism awakens fear and anxiety. We feel particularly helpless because the perpetrators‘ actions seem so incomprehensible. But there is actually a certain logic behind the actions of terrorist groups. Carolin Görzig and her group at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle have set themselves the task of discovering the rules by which terrorists act. Their findings are shedding more light on the enigma of terrorist plots.

TEXT MECHTHILD ZIMMERMANN

66 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 Photo: Filip Singer/shutterstock tions are:whatmotivates terrorists? talk about theirwork. The key ques ment with the terrorism researchers to the crimescene–wehavean appoint- gy –justoneandahalfkilometers from Planck Institute for Social Anthropolo- later describetheincident. German FederalCourtofJusticewould the PublicProsecutorGeneralof bab shop.Thiswasanactofterror, as and, abitfurtheron,customeratke then shootsapasser-byonthestreet Themurderer have beenotherwise. door resistshisefforts;itcouldeasily the highest Jewish holiday. The locked H That sameafternoon,attheMax gathered forYom Kippur, the Jewishcommunityhas to enterthesynagoguewhere Noon. Anarmedmantries alle (Saale), October 9, 2019. - -

ly. Thetopicbeing studiedbytheMax next toherjustshakeshead silent- ers andcandles.Thewoman sitting of Hallehavelaidoutacarpet offlow- snack bar, in front of which the people elderly womanpointsto theclosed An the siteofshootingonOctober9. tram passesthekebabshopthatwas le trainstationtotheInstitute, Two weekslater, onthewayfromHal- OR INDISCRIMINATE ATTACKS ARENOT RANDOM gent thanever, remainunanswered. day. Fornow, ourquestions,more ur- willhavetotakeplaceanother terview perpetrator isstillontherun.Thein- ways outofviolencearethere? How doterroristgroupsdevelop?What But thecityisparalyzedand with the subject,challengingmore the think themoreinvolvedyou become amination ofviolenceand terror. “I could no longer bear the constant ex- turned tootherissuesbecause they zig knowscolleagueswho eventually cally onourdoorstepisashock.”Gör- But havingitsuddenlyhappenpracti- order tounderstandtheconnections. ing, somethingthatcanbeanalyzedin me, the topic has always been intrigu- Institute inHalleforfouryears.“For ing on the subject with her team at the for the past 15 years and has been work- ducting research intoterroristgroups er Carolin Görzig.She has been con difference,” saysResearch GroupLead- a to home. ists’ Learn”hascomehauntinglyclose Planck Research Group “How ‘Terror- “This proximity does indeed make attack on the Jewish community. Jewish the on attack an planned had perpetrator The Halle. in synagogue the of front in shot was woman a where location the secure officers police In the aftermath of the crime: 4 | MaxPlanckResearch 19MaxPlanckResearch

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- it becomes to conduct research in this the state. For many years, Florian ders in Christchurch, when a right-wing field,” says Görzig. She has empathy for Köhler, an ethnologist at the Institute, extremist caused a bloodbath in two her interviewees, but is careful to main- has been observing the situation on the mosques. He demanded revenge for the tain a professional distance. ground for many years. “Initially, one deed in an audio recording, but explic- This is fortunate for us, because of Boko Haram’s strategies was to fulfill itly refused to attack churches, suggest- without researchers like Görzig, terror- functions that the state was failing to ing that they don’t do things like that; ism would remain as much a mystery as provide. The group presented itself as a it’s completely beyond the pale.” ever. Contrary to popular belief, terror- social movement, issuing microloans ists do not engage in rampages of blind for example, which won them a lot of QUESTIONING THE NEED violence against everything and every- support.” However, sentiments turned FOR VIOLENCE one. Rather, their actions follow certain against the group as they increasingly patterns, and it is possible to identify resorted to violence against civilians. In order to promote their mission, ter- the logic behind them. Terrorist organi- Boko Haram’s objective is to intro- rorist groups deliberately seek publici- zations plan and set themselves objec- duce Sharia law, the Islamic legal doc- ty. It’s easy enough to find out what tives, but they also have things they will trine based on the Koran. The group their objectives are. Fürstenberg ex- not do and lines they will not cross. An- also rejects democracy and West- plains: “There are a surprisingly large other important question for Görzig ern-style education. In this respect, it number of documents from terrorist and her team concerns the dynamics resembles al-Qaida, the “Islamic State” groups, including books, pamphlets that unfold within a group and its lead- (ISIS), the Taliban and many smaller and letters. Or there are semi-public ers – dynamics that can even result in a groups of the jihadist movement, forums on the Internet in which terror- renunciation of violence. which operate in numerous countries ists exchange information.” The re- around the world. These groups are so search group uses sources such as these ATTACKS SHOW MEMBERS: named because of the central impor- to gain insights into the inner workings “WE ARE DOING SOMETHING” tance they ascribe to jihad, which they of various organizations. interpret as the spread of Islam through However, it is not always possible to armed struggle. identify clear patterns in the behavior Thus, terrorist violence is generally of terrorist groups. Both the groups and not arbitrary. Fürstenberg emphasizes the contexts in which they operate can the great importance of political objec- vary significantly, even within Europe. tives. “In the case of ISIS, one could see This becomes evident when one consid- how important the concept of the Ca- ers how terrorism develops in the first liphate was – also in terms of the place. As Michael Fürstenberg, a politi- group’s ‘branding’.” But another cen- cal scientist in Görzig’s group, explains, tral priority is often ensuring the con- one commonality is generally a sense of tinued existence of the organization. injustice. “Many terrorists feel like vic- “The group must survive, spread and tims and see themselves as fighting grow. Thus, the violence initially serves against oppressors.” That is why they to legitimize the unit and, as it were, to never refer to themselves as “terrorists”. bomb it into the public consciousness. They often form part of a mass move- An attack also demonstrates to its own ment with popular support, or at least members: we are doing something.” that’s how they see themselves. Often, Thus, at the lower levels of these the decision to sympathize with or even organizations, violence can become join a terrorist organization is also in- an objective in itself. The management fluenced by an individual’s personal cir- level usually has more of an instrumen- cumstances and the wish to belong. tal understanding of violence, notes In West Africa, especially in Niger Fürstenberg based on his observations and Nigeria, where the Islamist terror- of the al-Qaida terrorist network: “They ist group Boko Haram is active, there have espoused a set of guidelines by are additional contributing factors: the legitimizing certain types of violence terrorists there benefit from bleak pros- whilst clearly rejecting others. It was pects for the future among the local quite interesting that the leader of population, and from the weakness of al-Qaida spoke out following the mur-

68 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 CULTURE & SOCIETY_Conflict Studies

Research Group Leader Carolin Görzig Islam.” This self-reflection in prison in similar reflection processes, the re- has conducted extensive research into was stimulated by experi­ences such as sults of which they recorded in several the Egyptian Islamist movement Gamaa conversations with liberal and secular books. As she notes, their self-criticism Islamija, among others. The group ac- fellow prisoners. is surprisingly far reaching: “They real- tively engaged in terroristic activities Görzig analyzes this process of re- ized, for example, that as a leader, one from the 1970s to the 1990s. Members flection using a concept developed by can easily become reluctant to correct of the Gamaa Islamija carried out a organizational researchers Chris Argyris one’s course for fear of losing followers massacre in an ancient Egyptian tem- and Donald A. Schön. According to or losing ground to competing organi- ple complex in Luxor in 1997, as a re- this theory, if a company wants to de- zations. And nevertheless, they reflect- sult of which the Egyptian state under- velop further, it is not sufficient to look ed on their views and made a decision took a major crackdown against the at individual decisions. Instead, it is to renounce violence.” group. Numerous leaders and thou- also necessary to question the underly- sands of followers were arrested, and ing routines and unwritten rules. In COMPETITION BETWEEN many were killed. many companies, for example, mis- TERRORIST GROUPS While in prison, the leaders began takes are covered up rather than being to question their violent actions. addressed – thus making problems This is an important insight, Carolin “They came to realize that their means even worse. Managers therefore need Görzig thinks, with particular relevance had become an end in themselves,” to try to question and shake up such for how negotiations with terrorists are Görzig explains. “And that this ran routine practices. conducted. “Anyone who demands that counter to their actual objective, which Görzig’s findings suggest that the a terrorist group first completely aban- was to lead people in accordance with leaders of the Gamaa Islamija engaged don its objectives is essentially asking

Traces of terror: the Islamist group Boko Haram is known for its brutal actions in Nigeria. The group benefits from the weakness

Photo: Mohammed Elshamy/picture alliance/AA of the state. In its more peaceful early years, it even assumed functions that the state was not fulfilling.

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 69 70 peacefully andthatitisalso possible to the ANCthatchangecanbe achieved ical organization.TheIRAlearned from the ANCtransformeditselfinto apolit After theendofapartheid, however, the blackpopulationinSouth Africa. violence tofightdiscriminationagainst leader wasNelsonMandela,alsoused organization, whosemostprominent Congress (ANC).Duringthe1970s,this guidance fromtheAfricanNational so, theyinturndrewinspirationand at theturnofmillennium.Indoing Ireland, similarlyrenouncedviolence Ireland withtheBritish-ruledNorthern for the unification of the Republic of organization whichfoughtfordecades Irish RepublicanArmy(IRA), a terror as Görzig’s findingshaveshown.The tions isnotasrareonemightthink, ists toreflectupontheirmeans.” tiations should aim to encourage terror- for completesurrender. Instead,nego- The South African freedom fighter served as a role model for the IRA, an Irish Republican terrorist organization, when it when organization, terrorist early the Republican in Irish an violence IRA, the abandoned for model role a as served Ireland. fighter Northern freedom Belfast, in African wall a South The adorns picture Mandela‘s Nelson that coincidence no is it violence: than rather Politics MaxPlanckResearch 4 MaxPlanckResearch Self-critique byterroristorganiza- | 19 2000s . - often resultsinanescalation elsewhere. ist groupbecomesmoremoderate, this more radical.” ment splitandthecoregroup became ideas. Theresultwasthat the move- that resultedintheformulationofsuch Haram, itwasresistancetoleadership central importance.InthecaseofBoko which suchdebatesareinitiatedisof comparison showsthatthelevelat sions abouttheuseofviolence.“The ca hasalsoengagedininternaldiscus- terror groupBokoHaraminWest Afri- As FlorianKöhlerreports,theIslamist HAVE FUELEDVIOLENCE DRONE ATTACKS without losingtheirbase. could implementachangeofdirection tatives taughtIRAmembershowthey means. Forexample,theANCrepresen accomplish victoriesthroughpolitical Generally speaking,whena terror- - tember 11attacks,andthe numerous dent GeorgeW. BushfollowingtheSep “War onTerror” declared byU.S. Presi- ing totheresearchers’ findings,the with massivecountermeasures. Accord- state respondstoterrorist activities attacks onSeptember11,2001. eventually culminatedintheseriesof their “distantenemy”,theU.S.,which tivities by directing violence against And al-Qaida in turn expanded their ac- ing Gamaa Islamija’s deradicalization. members switchedtoal-Qaidafollow- ers thattheyareontherightside.” it were. They want to show their follow- their profilesthroughactions,as for similarobjectives.Andtheyrefine competition betweengroupsstriving zations, Görzig reports. “There is always members may migrate toother organi- possible outcome.Alternatively, some A splitintomultiplegroupsisone Violence canalsoescalatewhena For example,someGamaaIslamija -

Photo: alamy Photo: alamy

Graphic: Michael Fürstenberg based on Rapoport, D. C.; The four waves of modern terrorism; In: Attacking terrorism: elements of a grand strategy (Eds. Cronin, A. K.; Ludes, J. M.). Georgetown University Press, Washington, D.C. (2004) the spiralofviolencewillcontinueand ple intothearmsofterrorists. sponsible fordrivingmanyyoungpeo- especially inPakistan,havebeenre- civilian victimsofU.S.droneattacks, terror wavespeteroutbecause their years isdue to agenerationaleffect: that eachofthesewaves last around40 1980s. AccordingtoRapoport, thefact ly motivatedwavebeganin theearly the 1990s,whilstcurrent, religious the NewLeftwavefrom1960sto tween the1920sand1960s.Thencame lowed byananti-colonialwavebe lasted untilaboutthe1920s,wasfol- since 1880.Theanarchist wave,which en the form of four overlapping waves cording toRapoport’s model,hastak- develop inthefuture.Terrorism, ac they discusshowterrorismwilllikely scientist DavidRapoport,inwhich ticle, based on a modelby U.S. political Michael Fürstenbergpublishedanar- there,” saysMichaelFürstenberg. tion ofjihadistsisgrowingupright have supportedISIS.“Thenextgenera- back anyoftheirownnationalswho pean statesarenotpreparedtotake ularly problematicisthefactthatEuro thing thattheresearchers seeaspartic- One and thestateisoverwhelmed. too, thousands are being held in camps ultimately rehabilitatingthem.InIraq, trials, punishingtheperpetrators,and pable of addressing the crimes in fair a situationoflawandorderthatisca- tioning state in Syria, and certainly not grated intosociety. Thereisnofunc tured inSyriaandIraqcanbereinte unresolved issueofhowterroristscap- the mainproblemareasasbeing struggle. Theresearch groupseesoneof ontheir that theIslamistswillcarry In July 2019, Carolin Görzig and Thus, thereisreasontobelievethat ------viet Union.However, theIslamistshave became obsoletewiththeendofSo their independence. And theNewLeft when thecolonizedstatesweregiven ti-colonial groupsachievedtheirgoals the wakeofFirstWorld War. Thean tially realizedbypoliticalupheavalsin tives oftheanarchists wereatleastpar- end of the previous waves. The objec- velopments usually contributed to the waves.” One reason is that political de- wave astotheideologicallymotivated rules applytotheendofreligious self isskepticalastowhetherthesame Görzig notes, however: “Rapoport him- “LONE WOLVES” RIGHT-WING EXTREMISTSAS begin tolosesteam. Islamist terrorshouldsoongradually objectives. Accordingtothisthesis, younger generationtopursuetheir energy isnotenoughtoinspirethe willcontinue. 40 some lasting each waves, of series a has in terrorism developed Rapoport, David scientist political to according violence: of flow and ebb The 1880 2 3 1 s Cross-wave organizations (i.e. IRA, POL) IRA, (i.e. organizations Cross-wave extremism?) (right-wing wave New wave religious the of Decline wave religious the of Continuation/renewal Anarchism 1920 s Anti-colonialism 1960 s - - New Left

CULTURE Studies &SOCIETY_Conflict er scenario as quite probable: a com- new one,”saysFürstenberg. gy ofthewaveortransformingitintoa could succeedinmaintainingtheener- suggest thatthejihadistmovement objectives. “Thereissomeevidenceto made littleprogressinachievingtheir ly fromthepreviouswaves.Forthem, right-wing extremistsdiffersubstantial cently, theattackinHalle. Zealand, inMarch 2019 –and,mostre on twomosquesinChristchurch, New October 2018andtheterroristattack on asynagogueinPittsburg,U.S., 2007 andcontinuingwiththeattack Underground (NSU)between2000and man terroristgroupNationalSocialist with theseriesofattacksbyGer- right aroundtheworld,beginning signs ofgrowingviolencefromthe wing extremists. There are already pletely newwaveofterrorbyright- years. It remains to be seen how the pattern However, incertainrespects,the But bothheandGörzigseeanoth- 1980 s Religious 4 3 | MaxPlanckResearch 19MaxPlanckResearch 2 2020 1 Future of terrorism? of Future s 71 - - _Conflict Studies CULTURE & SOCIETY Chat with Lise, Albert and Otto. At the beginning of the 20th century, Berlin-Dahlem was the German Oxford. Here, Lise Meitner, Albert Einstein and Otto Hahn convened to discuss nuclear fission, first uranium reactors and elec- tron microscopes. The Foundation had the historical lecture hall restored at the Right at their doorstep: people Max Planck Society‘s Harnack House, bring flowers and candles to the synagogue following the enabling today’s brightest minds to right-wing extremist attack in Halle. For the researchers at network and share their ideas here. the Max Planck Institute in Halle, it is a shock to suddenly be confronted with the subject of their topic so close to home. violence is not only a means to an end, and terrorist activities. “For example, sessions in previous years. Are we focus-

but an essential part of their ideology, rhetoric such as that used over and over ing too much on the perpetrators and ADVERTISING says Fürstenberg: “They want to bring by the AfD gives people the feeling that ignoring the victims? How much un- about a kind of civil war of whites hostility against religious groups, mi- derstanding can and should we show against everybody else, a race war.” The grants or political dissidents is accept- for the terrorists we are dealing with? fact that many attacks are committed able, and in such a climate a few feel Are we at risk of allowing ourselves to by lone perpetrators is also striking. In called upon to resort to violence.” be used as propaganda tools? the early 1990s, the American neo- The research group members are However, the group does not want Nazi Louis Beam, a former member of anything but happy to receive corrob- to simply sit by and watch as the new the Ku Klux Klan, spread the concept of oration of their prognosis so quickly developments unfold. “We’re planning “leaderless resistance” among right- and almost right on their own door- to intensify our research into right- The Max Planck Foundation has sup- wing extremists, calling upon individu- step. “We weren’t trying to tempt fate wing terrorism,” says Görzig. Some of al perpetrators or small groups to carry with our prediction,” says Görzig, “but the group’s findings on Islamist terror ported the Max Planck Society for more out attacks as “lone wolves”. the attack in Halle does make us think.” can be applied to right-wing extrem- than ten years by providing targeted A concept such as this is problemat- The researchers are revisiting many eth- ists. Thus, insight into these patterns ic for ensuring rule of law in Germany, ical questions that they had already could perhaps also help to counteract funding for top-level innovative and because the legal definition of terror in dealt with in workshops and training right-wing terror. cutting-edge research at the more than this country requires a terrorist attack to be backed by an association compris- 80 institutes, enabling breakthroughs ing at least three people. The relevance in frontier science. As a patron, you can of this definition is questionable in the SUMMARY Internet era, says Fürstenberg: “The tra- make a crucial difference by creating l Terrorists do not view themselves as perpetrators of violence, but instead see ditional distinction between group and themselves as resisting oppression and pursuing political objectives. additional scope to keep this research individual perpetrators cannot really be l They see violence as a means to achieve these objectives. But violence also helps ahead of the curve in the international maintained, because the ‘lone wolves’ maintain the cohesion and public visibility of the group. form part of a digital pack. Their ideo- l In the past, terrorist groups have renounced violence when the leaders realized scientific competition. Join us! logical and tactical equipment is drawn that these means were not appropriate for achieving their actual political goals. from the online community.” l There are currently signs that a new wave of right-wing extremist terrorism Görzig also sees a clear connection is beginning. Max-Planck-Foundation between the increasingly aggressive language used by right-wing politicians Photo: Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters Deutsche Bank www.maxplanckfoundation.org IBAN DE46 7007 0010 0195 3306 00

72 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 Photo: Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters

ADVERTISING www.maxplanckfoundation.org Otto. Lise, with Chat

Albert and and Albert the historical lecture hall restored at the Foundation had The microscopes. tron fission, first uranium reactors and elec HahnOtto convened to discuss nuclear Einstein Meitner,Here, Lise and Albert Berlin-Dahlem was the German Oxford. At the beginning of the 20th century, IBAN DE46 7007 0010 DE46 7007 0195IBAN 00 3306 Deutsche Bank Max-Planck-Foundation competition. scientific ahead of the curve in the international additional scope to keep this research by creating make difference crucial a in frontier science. apatron, As you can institutes,enabling breakthroughs 80 than more the at research cutting-edge and innovative top-level for funding than ten years by providing targeted theported Max Planck Society for more The Max Planck Foundation has sup Max Planck Society‘s Harnack House, enabling today’s brightest minds to network and share their ideas here. and share ideas their network

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FLASHBACK_Animal Psychology

The observer

Following her arts degree, multi-talented Mathilde Hertz pursued a career in science. In the 1920s and 1930s she conducted research in the fields of animal psychology and sensory physiology at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Biology in Berlin – until the Nazi regime put an end to her career.

TEXT ELKE MAIER

The hermit crab is in a hurry. It has just been He instructed her to help with the prepara- expelled from its mollusc shell and is now tion of sculptural reconstructions of fossil teetering around the water basin without sets of teeth. This was not just an opportu - protection. To ward off possible predators, it nity for the young woman to practice her needs a new shelter as quickly as possible. observation skills; she also developed an But which one to choose? interest in the animals’ phylogenetic histo - To learn about the criteria that crabs ry. She attended lectures in zoology and use to select their dwelling, Mathilde Hertz palaeontology and conducted scientific would chase the animals out of their shells studies of prehistoric teeth. In 1925, she and then offer them different alternatives – obtained her doctorate with her thesis » both natural ones and models made from Observations of primitive mammalian teeth. Her plaster. She meticulously recorded her sub- doctoral supervisor, the zoologist Richard jects’ reactions. von Hertwig, awarded her the top score of It was the winter of 1932/33, during which summa cum laude. the scientist spent a number of months This was how Mathilde Hertz gained en- studying hermit crabs at the Laboratorio try into the world of science. She moved on biológico-marino in Majorca. She normally from fossil mammalian teeth to modern day worked at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for echinoderms: under Döderlein’s supervision, Extraordinarily talented: Mathilde Hertz Biology in Berlin-Dahlem, where she con- was a visual artist and animal psycholo- she worked on brittle stars that were discov- ducted research on carrion crows and jays, gist, and one of just a few women in ered in the German deep-sea expedition of as well as honey bees and cabbage white Germany to qualify as professor in 1930. 1898 and 1899 and the German Antarctic ex - butterflies. She was extremely productive pedition of 1901 to 1903. and her work was published in renowned specialist journals. No- The researcher was then granted a scholarship that took her to body thought that her career would soon be over. the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology in Munich, and she even- Nowadays, only few people know about Mathilde Hertz, while tually moved to Berlin in 1927. The Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for the complete opposite is true for her father. The physicist Heinrich Biology offered attractive working opportunities, including for Hertz is famous for proving the existence of electromagnetic women. Mathilde Hertz conducted research in the Department waves, thus paving the way for wireless communication. The fre- for Animal Genetics and Biology that was led by Richard Gold- quency unit ‘hertz’ was named after him. His daughter, Mathilde schmidt. The quality of her work was so impressive that she was Carmen, was born in Bonn on January 14, 1891. She was just under not only awarded a position as an assistant, but a building was three years of age when her father died at only 36. fitted out especially for her, where she was able to conduct inde- After graduating from high school, Mathilde Hertz took up art pendent experiments without any further work duties. studies in Weimar, Karlsruhe and Berlin and then worked as a Inspired by the work on the problem-solving behavior of sculptor. Unable to live off her art alone, she accepted a job at the chimpanzees by the psychologist Wolfgang Köhler at the anthro- library of the Deutsches Museum in Munich in the fall of 1918. The poid research station in Tenerife, Mathilde Hertz began to re - zoologist and privy councilor Ludwig Döderlein, who became the search the area of animal psychology. She was particularly in- Director of the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology in Munich in terested in the abilities and achievements of animals. Hertz

1923, noticed her drawing and sculpting skills. believed in what was known as Gestalt psychology, according Photo: TU Darmstadt

74 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 RÜCKBLENDE_Lockstoffe

Busy as a bee: in hundreds of individual experiments, Mathilde Hertz observed the flight patterns of bees and the food sources that attracted them most.

to which animals and their interaction with their environment must be considered as a whole. The approach of Gestalt psychol- ogists is based on the notion that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Perception could therefore only be understood as a whole, and not by breaking it down into ever smaller units. Mathilde Hertz made a name for herself in expert circles, es- In a letter to the Reich Minister of the Interior, he appealed for the pecially with her comprehensive work on the visual perception of “urgent reconsideration of the administration,” pointing out that honey bees. She placed different black-and-white figurines on a it would be “gratefully acknowledged at home and abroad, if the table, interspaced with bowls of sugared water. In hundreds of in- daughter of Heinrich Hertz, the sole discoverer of wireless waves, dividual experiments, she observed the flying patterns of bees, could continue her scientific work.” Surprisingly, the answer was and noted down the food sources the bees were particularly at- positive: Mathilde Hertz was permitted to stay on at the institute. tracted by. This allowed her to draw conclusions regarding the However, for her, this was only a deferral. The situation in Ger- shapes and patterns to which bees respond most strongly. many affected her so strongly that she decided to emigrate to Eng­ In 1930, Mathilde Hertz was one of only a handful of women land a year later. In January 1936, she set up her new workplace at in Germany who obtained the qualification for professorship, for the Researcher Department of Zoology at Cambridge University. her work entitled "The organization of the optical field of honey bees" . She moved into a little terraced house on 3 St. Margaret’s Road, Assessment committee member Wolfgang Köhler praised “Miss Girton, Cambridge. Her mother and her sister, the paediatrician Johanna Hertz, who was four years older than Mathilde, followed her six months later. Jüdische Allgemeine (a Jewish newspaper), January 4, 2008 The working conditions at Mathilde Hertz’ new research unit The president of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society an undisputed were favorable, but even so, her productivity decreased rapidly. » authority figure of science in Germany, Max Planck, campaigned She gave up her work entirely around 1939/40 and never returned on her behalf. He explained that Ms Hertz should be classified as to it. It remains unclear to this day what prompted her to aban- “Aryan” due to her family background, and also pointed out that don science. Possible triggers may have been severe family prob- the dismissal of the famous scientist’s daughter would make a lems, such as her mother’s death or her sister’s mental illness, as bad impression overseas. a result of which she was eventually institutionalized. In 1942, Mathilde Hertz described herself as “sick and unable to perform any scientific work, now or in the future.” Her emigration, and in Hertz’ outstanding talent” and the relevance of her research: “Each particular the fact that Germany and England were at war, were of her projects has significantly advanced animal psychology, as a cause of great sorrow to her. well as general Gestalt psychology.” Mathilde Hertz spent the following years living in impover- She was then granted full authorization to teach zoology at ished circumstances: “Visiting her made me sad. The daughter of universities. Between 1930 and 1933, she gave various lectures at a great scientist is living in a miserable and reclusive state, and is Berlin’s Friedrich Wilhelm University as a senior lecturer. She held dependent on the charity of a foreign people,” a visitor wrote in colloquia, conducted research, and supervised staff members and 1956. He reported that the old lady was living in complete seclu- doctoral researchers at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute. Mathilde sion in two little rooms, and that she was almost blind in one eye. Hertz appeared to be destined for a distinguished career. He described her as being too proud to accept any money, simply Then she received a letter from the Prussian Minister of Sci- because she was Heinrich Hertz’ daughter. ence, Arts and National Education, dated September 2, 1933: “To This prompted the physicist and Nobel Prize winner Max von Miss Dr. Mathilde Hertz in Zehlendorf, Andréezeile 69: Pursuant Laue to step in – with success. Mathilde Hertz was granted a mod- to § 3 of the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Ser- est pension and a compensation, based on the fact that under oth- vice of April 7, 1933, I hereby revoke your authorization to teach at er political circumstances in Germany, she would most likely have the University of Berlin.” An “Expert for Race Research” had classi- been appointed Associate Professor. Mathilde Hertz died in Cam- fied her as non-Aryan. bridge at the age of 84 and was buried next to her father in the Mathilde Hertz was doubly affected, as the new civil service family grave in Olsdorf Cemetery in Hamburg. law also applied within the Kaiser Wilhelm Society. As a result, she She authored more than 30 scientific publications, all of was also threatened with expulsion from her research institute. which were written between 1925 and 1935. Mathilde Hertz also Unlike at the university, however, she had a prominent advocate left her mark as an artist: the Hall of Honor of the Deutsches Mu- there. She was supported by Max Planck, the President of the Kai- seum is home to a marble bust of her father that was made based

Photo: TU Darmstadt Photo: Damien Tupinier/Unsplash ser Wilhelm Society. on her designs.

4 | 19 MaxPlanckResearch 75 MAX PLANCK COMMUNITY

Next generation Max Planck Center opened Researchers from Germany and Sweden are studying the impact of human-generated environmental changes on insects

“Europe has been spared diseases transmitted by insects for a long time. However, in recent years, diseases such as West Nile fever and Chikungunya have spread further north. The spread of malaria and dengue fever is also fa- cilitated by global warming. We hope that through the new cooperation at the Max Planck Center, we can devel- op better methods to combat these dis- eases,” explains Rickard Ignell, Profes- sor of Plant Protection Biology and an expert in the ecology of vector insects at the Swedish University of Agricul- tural Sciences. Three research groups are involved in the Max Planck Center: the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, with its Evolutionary Neu- roethology Department, the phero- Co-directors (cd) and group leaders (gl) of the Max Planck Center “next Generation Insect mone research group at the Depart- Chemical Ecology” (from left to right): Silke Sachse (gl, MPI-CE, Jena), Martin Andersson (gl, Lund ment of Biology at the University of University), Christer Löfstedt (cd, Lund University), Rickard Ignell (cd, SLU Alnarp), Mats Sandgren Lund, and the chemical ecology re- (gl, SLU Uppsala), Peter Anderson (gl, SLU Alnarp), Bill Hansson (cd, MPI-CE Jena), Markus Knaden search group in the Department of Plant (gl, MPI-CE Jena), Sharon Hill (gl, SLU Alnarp), Susanne Erland (nGICE coordinator). Protection Biology at the Swedish Uni- versity of Agricultural Sciences. Anthropogenic changes in the environ- threatened with extinction, diseases The three organizations also benefit ment also affect insects. The Max Planck transmitted by insects are on the rise from each other in terms of methodol- Society, the University of Lund and the due to climate warming. ogy. While at Max Planck, researchers Swedish University of Agricultural Sci- “As a result of climate change, en- in Bill Hansson’s lab are studying odor- ences now work together to study inter- tirely new challenges emerge with re- guided behavior in insects and the un- actions between insects, the climate and gard to pest and vector insects. Our new derlying neurobiological substrates of humans at the new Max Planck Center research cooperation aims to find out odor perception, the research group at “next Generation Insect Chemical Ecol- what impact these global changes have the University of Lund is well known ogy”. Together, they hope to find out on insects, and why,” says Bill S. Hans- for its research into the role of chemi- how climate change, greenhouse gases son, Director at the Max Planck Insti- cal signals for the communication be- and air pollution influence the chemi- tute for Chemical Ecology. “Our collab- tween insects. In turn, the scientists at cal communication between insects. oration at the Max Planck Center opens the Swedish University of Agricultural The collaborative center was officially up new opportunities to systematically Sciences have excellent knowledge in launched in January. study the effects of environmental the field of vector biology and are fo- Over the past 100 years, the influ- changes caused by humans,” adds cusing particularly on the question of ence of humans on ecosystems and the Christer Löfstedt, Professor of Biology how the behavior of disease-spreading climate as a result of industrialization at the University of Lund. insects is mediated by external chemo- has become increasingly obvious. The The scientists in the research center sensory cues and internal physiological climate is heating up, and sea levels are mainly want to examine how higher processes. rising. Mass occurrences of pest insects temperatures, greenhouse gases and air All three research organizations such as the bark beetle are more fre- pollution impact the olfactory system of contribute 500,000 euros each to the quent, and pests are spreading to ever insects, and how insects adapt to these Center every year. Doctoral research- wider areas. At the same time, there has changes in their environment. This re- ers and postdocs will mainly conduct been a drastic decline in total insect bio- search could make a signifi­cant contri- research at one of the three institu- mass everywhere in Europe. While pol- bution towards solving global pro­blems tions, while at the same time having linating insect species, which play an in the context of the climate crisis, glob- access to the infrastructure and exper-

important role in our ecosystem, are al nutrition and combating diseases. tise of the other groups. Photo: Mårten Svensson

76 MaxPlanckResearch 4 | 19 MAX PLANCK COMMUNITY

Next generation Max Planck Center opened Commitment to greater climate protection

Max Planck Society to focus on work-related air travel

Global warming concerns us all – the federal government’s various ways of counteracting the harmful effects of the Climate Action Program 2030 states: “Climate protection is a carbon dioxide emitted during work-related trips. task for society as a whole.” German research organizations The most widely used carbon dioxide compensation

are also currently investigating how they can reduce their CO2 concept currently involves the payment of credits to non- footprint. The area under scrutiny is work-related air travel. governmental organizations, which then use the money to According to a study by ETH Zurich, 55 percent of the high- pay for measures to offset the emissions. These organiza- er education institution’s carbon dioxide emissions are gen- tions carry out evaluations of the climate protection pro­ erated by flights taken by its staff. In order to make work-re- jects they fund and are themselves certified by independent lated travel throughout the Max Planck Society more cli- national and international institutions. Alternatively, the mate-friendly, the Max Planck Sustainability Network is ask- funds can be used to sponsor internal measures for reduc- ing staff to sign a voluntary commitment to dispense with ing carbon dioxide. air travel. So far, 380 staff have agreed not to use air transport According to the position paper, the concept most suit- for distances of less than 1,000 kilometers, provided the rail able for the Max Planck Society should be investigated care- journey can be completed in less than twelve hours. fully. Until then, the authors recommend cooperating with “We are delighted that so many colleagues are already the non-governmental organizations and imposing a levy involved even though we have not really publicized the on work-related trips depending on the means of transport campaign as yet. We hope that even more colleagues will used. The position paper is supported by the Chairman of take part and we can top one thousand signatures,” says the Scientific Council, Tobias Bonhoeffer of the MPI of Neu- Julian David Rolfes, doctoral researcher at the MPI for Coal robiology in Martinsried: “It would show the Max Planck Research in Muelheim an der Ruhr. In mid-October, more Society in a positive light if we were to take on a pioneering than 1,800 employees at the higher education institutions role when it comes to sustainability. This topic will there- in Berlin responded to a similar call by the Scientists for fore be on the agenda for the Scientific Council’s next meet- Future movement. ing in February 2020.” However, not every symposium can be reached by rail, However, most research organizations are currently un-

and not every trip can be replaced by a video conference. For able to compensate for the CO2 emitted during work-related this reason, the Sustainability Network has issued a position trips; as yet, there are no regulations that apply to all employ- paper on compensating for carbon dioxide emissions. In it, ees in the Civil Service. In its strategy paper on climate pro- the authors describe the advantages and disadvantages of tection, the Max Planck Society therefore says that it is in fa- vor of asking the Joint Science Conference (GWK) for legal clarity. This initiative is expressly supported by Max Planck Secretary General Rüdiger Willems: “The key strategies for work-related travel should be avoidance, reduction – and if these are not possible, compensation. For this, we urgently need legal certainty.”

Call for personal commitment to climate-friendly work-related travel at ht tps://t 1p.de/mpg-selbstverpflichtung (in German)

Email address for signatures [email protected]

Trains instead of planes: the Max Planck Sustainability Network is calling for climate-friendly business trips. Photo: Mårten Svensson Photo: Samuel P. / Unsplash

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New PhDnet steering group ready to start

The doctoral researchers used the three-day conference to engage in exhaustive discussions of what happened in 2019 and what 2020 has in store

will once again be paid to equal opportunity, communica- tion and open science. There is still a lot to do in all of these areas. “One of the things I appreciate about the General Meeting and our work for PhDnet is that we are constant- ly called upon to deal with new and previously unfamiliar topics, for example with regard to the problems experienced by international doctoral researchers,” added Nikki van Teijlingen Bakker of the MPI of Immunobiology and Epi- genetics (3rd from left), who is the BM section’s new repre- sentative for 2020. The other members of the new steering group are Simon Hofmann (HSS, MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Scienc- es, left), Sarah Young (CPT, MPI of Colloids and Interfaces, 2nd from left), Cornelia van Scherpenberg (Deputy Spokes- person, MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 2nd Looking forward to new challenges: the freshly elected members from right) and Julia van Beesel (General Secretary, MPI for of the PHDnet steering group. Evolutionary Anthropology, left). In January 2020, they will take over from their predecessors chaired by spokesperson “I’m looking forward to another year with the steering Alexander Filippi of the MPI for Chemistry. group during which we will intensify our dialog with Ad- The Annual General Meeting of PhDnet took place from ministrative Headquarters and enhance the experiences of November 4 – 6 on the Max Planck Society’s Fassberg campus junior scientists within the Max Planck Society,” empha- in Goettingen. Representatives of all the Max Planck Institutes sized the newly elected spokesperson for 2020, Lindsey took advantage of the three-day conference to engage in Bultema of the MPI for the Structure and Dynamics of Mat- intensive dialog, discuss the work carried out in 2019, set goals ter (photo above: 3rd from right). In 2020, special attention for 2020 and form new working groups.

Welcome to the Planck Academy

As of February 2020, the Max Planck Society offers all employees Max Planck- wide, target-group-specific opportunities for further training and personal career development. Whether special welcome and support offers for man- agers, coaching for Directors or postdocs, professional and personal career development for early career researchers or advanced training opportuni- ties for science managers, the Planck Academy bundles all these offers un- der one roof. Its portfolio will be gradually expanded over the coming months. Access is easy and user-friendly. Various learning, development and net- work formats are used, as are presence and online formats, coaching, men- toring and self-reflection tools. In the Planck Academy, presence formats are linked with virtual offerings, for example with e-learning modules, how-to videos or webinars. The basis for this is the Learning Management System (LMS). Photo: Maria Eichel / MPG (top)

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