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Max Plank Society
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Environment - 12.03.2026

In Yellowstone National Park, birds primarily search for food in areas where wolves frequently hunt prey Ravens and wolves: Ravens are often seen flying with wolves, following their tracks, or gathering quickly at fresh carcasses A twist in the tale: New research reveals that ravens don't simply follow wolves, they remember common hunting grounds and regularly check back for fresh meat.
Environment - Life Sciences - 10.03.2026

A Europe-wide citizen science study reveals common buzzards are becoming more uniform in colour Mapping colour: Scientists used nearly 100,000 citizen science observations to map and track common buzzard plumage colour across Europe. Unexpected patterns: Buzzard colours vary geographically with patterns that defy theories linking colour to habitat and climate.
Social Sciences - 05.03.2026

Researchers examine the long-term demographic consequences of the Colombian armed conflict for those who survived the violence Demographic Impact: A recent study reveals that nearly 40 percent of Colombians have lost a family member to conflict-related violence. This loss destabilizes families and communities.
Life Sciences - Health - 04.03.2026

Researchers have deciphered the process by which the influenza virus steals the cap of the host RNA to replicate. In a nutshell Caught in action: A research team has revealed how the molecular copying machine of the influenza virus, termed FluPol, interacts with the human copying machinery inside the infected cell to steal the cap of the host RNA.
History & Archeology - Life Sciences - 02.03.2026

Insights into the lives of people in the Late Bronze Age: Interdisciplinary analyses (DNA, isotopes) shed light on the ancestry, mobility, diet, health, and burial practices of people in Central Europe during this period. Genetic ancestry: Genetic data reveal gradual, regionally varying changes in ancestry, along with growing ties to the Danube region, without replacing local traditions.
Health - Life Sciences - 26.02.2026

Researchers at the MPI of Biochemistry and TUM have examined the cerebrospinal fluid of 5,000 patients with neurological diseases and discovered new diagnostic and prognostic markers for multiple sclerosis.
Earth Sciences - Environment - 18.02.2026

A look into Earth's history shows that the ice-sheet melt temporarily intensified Southern Ocean stratification During the last deglaciations, the Antarctic ice-sheet melting temporary intensified the stratification of the Southern Ocean, thereby slowing global ocean circulation. The results also indicate that wind dynamics maintained deep-sea ventilation despite freshwater inflow.
Astronomy & Space - Physics - 12.02.2026

New method: Researchers at Oxford University and the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) in the Potsdam Science Park propose a new way to detect supermassive black hole binaries using gravitational lensing. Gravitational lensing: Black holes act as natural telescopes, bending light with their gravity.
Life Sciences - Materials Science - 12.02.2026

Sense of touch despite thick elephant skin: Researchers have discovered that the hairs on elephants' trunks are responsible for their extraordinary sense of touch. Special material properties: Elephant sensory hairs have a stiff base and a soft tip, which enables them to precisely feel objects and recognize where contact is made.
Astronomy & Space - Physics - 10.02.2026

New radio observations of molecular gas reveal how dozens of galaxies rapidly merge together in the early universe. An international team led by MPIfR researchers used data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to shed light on a central question of galaxy formation. They discovered shock-heated gas in one of the most spectacular aggregations of galaxies in the distant Universe.
Astronomy & Space - Physics - 06.02.2026

The cosmic particle that struck Earth in 2021 with the second-highest energy ever measured may have originated in the nearby galaxy M82 -Amaterasuis the second most energetic cosmic astroparticle ever recorded (discovered in 2021 by the Telescope Array). *Current analyses show that the particle could originate from a nearby galaxy.
Environment - Life Sciences - 02.02.2026

Ozone destroys colony-specific odor signals and leads to attacks within the colony Attack: Ants exposed to ozone are attacked by their nestmates, even though they are part of the colony themselves. Different smell: Ozone destroys colony-specific scent signals by breaking down alkenes with carbon-carbon double bonds.
Astronomy & Space - 28.01.2026

Observations with the Event Horizon Telescope enable researchers to localize the likely base of the central outflow in a massive galaxy Vicinity of a supermassive black hole: Recently published data from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) of the galaxy Messier 87 facilitate new insights into the direct environment of the central supermassive black hole.
Chemistry - Astronomy & Space - 23.01.2026

New molecule: For the first time, a complex, ring-shaped molecule containing 13 atoms-including sulfur-has been detected in interstellar space, based on laboratory measurements. Bridging lab and space: The discovery closes a critical gap by linking simple chemistry in space with the complex organic building blocks found in comets and meteorites.
Life Sciences - Environment - 22.01.2026

Research with chimpanzees shows that cooperation and leadership shape sustainable use of resources in our closest living relatives Resource use: Chimpanzee groups achieve sustainable resource use in a social dilemma. Unexpected group size effect: Groups of four chimpanzees retained access to a shared resource for significantly longer than pairs did.
Astronomy & Space - Physics - 21.01.2026

At the end of 2024, ESA-s Solar Orbiter was lucky to witness a strong solar flare - and observed the events leading up to this firework with unprecedented precision.
Health - Life Sciences - 21.01.2026

Degrader of cancer protein IDO1 prevents cancer immune suppression by cancer and offers promising strategy to support existing immunotherapies Innovative active ingredient: A new class of substances called iDegs could improve immunotherapies against cancer by breaking down the enzyme IDO1, which tumors use to suppress the immune system.
Environment - 13.01.2026

In house mice, the pay-off of mating with multiple males depends especially on the quality of food available to mothers Polyandry is common: female house mice, and females from many other species, often mate with more than one male, producing litters with multiple fathers.
Life Sciences - 12.01.2026

Male birds flexibly coordinate syllable duration and tone when matching rival songs Vocal coordination in duels : Male nightingales rapidly adjust both the pitch and note length of their whistle songs during territorial contests, coordinating these features in real-time as they match rivals' songs.
Environment - Life Sciences - 08.01.2026

Discovery: Researchers have found a new type of endosymbiotic bacteria in up to 50 percent of the wastewater treatment plants they studied that can purify wastewater and produce greenhouse gases. Microbial team: The bacteria live in ciliates and support their energy production by converting nitrate into nitrogen gas.










