news 2024

We all know what it's like when the penny suddenly drops. Animals too experience such moments of insight. They could prove useful for research, according to Ekrem Dere. For generations, researchers have been pondering the question of how and where consciousness is formed in the brain. Professor Ekrem Dere from Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, proposes a new approach to researching conscious cognitive information processing.

Team led by physicist Ursula Wurstbauer demonstrates collective behaviour of electrons in two-dimensional crystals for the first time If you make a material thinner and thinner, there comes a point when it undergoes a seemingly miraculous transformation: A two-dimensional material that consists of only one or two layers of a crystalline solid sometimes takes on completely different properties than the same material with greater thickness.

Bonn researchers confirm three other genes for increased risk in addition to the known TLR7 gene Whether or not a person becomes seriously ill with COVID-19 depends, among other things, on genetic factors. With this in mind, researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn, in cooperation with other research teams from Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy, investigated a particularly large group of affected individuals.

An image of the the James Webb Space Telescope shows the oldest and coldest known exoplanet Using the James Webb Space Telescope, a team of astronomers led by the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy imaged a new exoplanet that orbits a star in the nearby triple system Epsilon Indi. The planet is a cold super-Jupiter exhibiting a temperature of around 0 degrees Celsius and a wide orbit comparable to that of Neptune around the Sun.

A new study on climate communication has just been published in the journal "Frontiers in Climate" "Global warming," "greenhouse effect," and "climate catastrophe" are all terms we are familiar with from international public discourse on the looming effects of climate change. But these terms seem to be limited in their efficacy: "One of the key problems with climate communication is that it does not adequately convey the severity of the issue.

Rocks undergo changes over millions of years. Yet it is possible to extract information from them about the climate at the time of their formation. Fluids circulating underground change rocks over the course of time. These processes must be taken into account if they are to be used as a climate archive.

Researchers at the University of Göttingen investigate consumer acceptance   Companies and institutes are currently working on biotechnological processes for the production of dairy products without the use of cows: In so-called precision fermentation, egg and milk proteins are produced with the help of bacteria, yeasts or other fungi.

Research team studies how technology conspiracy beliefs emerge and foster a conspiracy mindset As technology proliferates, misinformation and conspiracy theories seem to flourish. Conspiracy beliefs specifically about technology include popular commercial technologies, such as Amazon Echo and Google Search, as well as non-profit technologies designed to support health, such as contact tracing apps.

Freiburg researchers develop new formal description of internal world models, thereby enabling interdisciplinary research A team of scientists led by Ilka Diester , Professor of Optophysiology and spokesperson of the BrainLinks-BrainTools research centre at the University of Freiburg, has developed a formal description of internal world models and published it in the journal Neuron .

International research team led by scientist from Freie Universität Berlin proposes that elevated levels of antibiotic resistance genes be considered a new factor of global change Human-caused global change is a complex phenomenon comprising many factors such as climate change, environmental contamination with chemicals, microplastics, light pollution, and invasive plants.

Bonn researchers solve the hidden mystery of the role of astrocytes for learning processes and memory in the brain Star-shaped glial cells, so-called astrocytes, are more than just a supporting cell of the brain. They are actively involved in learning processes and interact with the nerve cells. But what exactly is it that astrocytes do? Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn are using a biophysical model to clarify how astrocytes interact with nerve cells to regulate rapid adaptation to new information.

A team at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Würzburg, Germany, led by RNA expert Chase Beisel, has developed a new technology for the precise detection of RNA using DNA-cutting Cas12 nucleases. CRISPR-Cas systems, defense systems in bacteria, have become a plentiful source of technologies for molecular diagnostics.

For the first time, the recovery of unique geological samples combined with sophisticated modelling provides surprising insights into when and where today's Antarctic ice sheet formed. In recent years global warming has left its mark on the Antarctic ice sheets. The "eternal" ice in Antarctica is melting faster than previously assumed, particularly in West Antarctica more than East Antarctica.

Researchers investigate the strong interaction of cholera toxin with a key ganglioside on the surface of intestinal cells Cholera infections caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria can be life-threatening and the trigger is the cholera toxin produced by the bacteria. It binds to the surface of intestinal cells - more precisely, to certain "sugar lipids" (GM1 gangliosides, GM1) on the cell surfaces.

There are currently around 1.8 million people living with dementia in Germany. Due to increased life expectancy, the proportion will continue to grow: based on data from the Federal Statistical Office, experts expect up to two million cases in 2033. For the first time, an intervention study was carried out to prevent mental decline in older GP patients.

This new concept could allow the needs of previously separate industries to be combined. A research team from the University Alliance Ruhr, Germany, has found a catalyst that can be used to convert ammonia into the energy carrier hydrogen and the fertilizer precursor nitrite. The production of hydrogen and the production of fertilizer have so far been separate chemical processes.

Artificial intelligence can detect lies much better than humans. This also has an impact on social interaction, as a recently published study shows. Humans are bad at recognizing lies. As studies consistently demonstrate, their judgments are barely better than chance. This inability could be one of the reasons why most people refrain from accusing others of dishonesty.

International team of evolutionary biologists investigate genomic underpinnings for the adaptive potential of spoonworts Plant cold specialists like the spoonworts have adapted well to the cold climates of the Ice Ages. As cold and warm periods alternated, they developed a number of species that also resulted in a proliferation of the genome.

New study on user perception of data collection purposes highlights a lack of clarity in privacy notices The European Union and the United Kingdom mandate via the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that users of web services must give their informed consent for their data to be collected and used.

With 8200 solar masses, the black hole fills the evolutionary gap between stellar and supermassive black holes Newly identified fast-moving stars in the star cluster Omega Centauri provide solid evidence for a central black hole in the cluster. With at least 8200 solar masses, it is the best candidate for a class of black holes astronomers have long believed to exist: intermediate-mass black holes, formed in the early stages of galaxy evolution.