Kosmos 113/2021 Communicating science Between preprint and shitstorm: ways out of the communication crisis The magazine
Guest article Why we need post-colonialism As with any new paradigm, the terms “postcolonialism”, “postcolonial criticism” or “postcolonial approach” garner strong reactions.
Focus An inheritance with long-term consequences Colonialism was all-embracing and it was violent. It re-organised the world, led to the circulation of knowledge as well as to war, displacement, slavery,...
Focus Humboldt belongs to you, but he also belongs to us Was Alexander von Humboldt an instrument of colonialism or one of the intellectual fathers of the independence movement in Spanish-America? Neither, nor, says...
Focus Questioning certainties In the global knowledge-production economy, resources and access are unfairly distributed. How this asymmetry came about, where there are still problems and...
Focus Freedom equals excellence? There was a time. Repressive science systems have become serious competitors for western research nations.
Focus Discrimination damages progress Science benefits from diversity. But those who don’t comply with the norm have to risk being disadvantaged.
Focus Immune therapy against conspiracy myths Extremism is booming and, in many countries, threatening democracy. The good news is that you can train resistance to propaganda and disinformation.
Focus Being better prepared for the next disaster Floods and drought threaten the lives of millions of people in Pakistan. Better preparedness as well as social change could alleviate the situation.
Focus Well-meant is not necessarily well done Intervention research investigates strategies to help counter climate change and infectious diseases.
Focus “Africa’s young people are our greatest asset” How can Africa feed its growing population when climate change and environmental degradation are making agriculture ever more difficult? African researchers are...
Focus Prodigious promise and mysterious mistakes Enthusiasm for all the things artificial intelligence can do is enormous – but people are also worried about the risks inherent in a technology that could...
In practice “Sorry you’re going through this” People who suffer from depression or other mental health issues could soon seek help from an artificial intelligence. Will AI one day obviate the need for...
Focus “We need a CERN for AI in Europe” Human-centred AI could constitute a huge locational advantage for Germany and Europe, says Humboldt Professor for AI, Holger Hoos. A conversation about battling...
Focus Overhasty science Never before have scientists been in greater demand as soothsayers. But half-baked publications harm their reputations. They have to do something about it...
Focus You can’t calculate it A conversation with communication scientist Hektor Haarkötter on the rules of online communication – and how best to respond to a shitstorm.
Focus The hot topic The Earth is getting warmer, the virus is rife and, more than ever before, science is expected to provide explanations and solutions. When relationships are...
Opinion On no account a monoculture In the German science system, opportunities are not fairly distributed. It is time for change. By Jan-Martin Wiarda
Focus Long live diversity The more heterogeneous the researchers in a team, the more creative the results. A journey round the world discovering diversity.
Focus "It is not enough simply to say, it is as it is!” Excellence and diversity are not a contradiction in terms, according to Hans-Christian Pape. A conversation about the power of positive incentives and diversity...
Focus Germany from the Outside The place, the people and academic life: after their stay, Humboldt Fellows complete an evaluation sheet. Read about the marks they award Germany.
Brief enquiries How racist is philosophy? To discover what holds the world together in its innermost core – philosophy seeks to find timeless truths that apply to all people. Today, however, the canon...
Brief enquiries Can AI unite the world? Artificial intelligence can boost development in poor countries and promote international cooperation when language barriers fall. Gaurav Sharma from India is...
Brief enquiries Is health a matter of sexual orientation? In many countries, queer people have problems accessing healthcare services. There are prejudices about homosexuality; in some places it is even banned. But...
Brief enquiries Can we ensure justice for indigenous groups? Some are replicas, many were looted, some were given away: during the colonial era, countless international cultural objects crossed national borders. How we...
Brief enquiries How can music save the climate? What links music with plastic waste, emissions or oil leakages? The Nigerian Olusegun Stephen Titus explores just how protest songs can trigger re-thinking and...
Brief enquiries How are you improving genetic scissors? You’re banned! With the help of CRISPR/Cas systems, bacteria protect their genome from mutations or destruction caused by pathogens. Biotechnology has adopted...
Brief enquiries Why should we indulge in idleness more often? Don’t always grab your phone when you’re waiting for a bus. Instead, just sit there and let your thoughts run free. This kind of activity – or inactivity – is...
Brief enquiries How precisely can supercomputers forecast heavy rainfall? Using computer simulations, researchers can both predict the climate in the coming decades as well as produce short-term weather forecasts for specific regions....
Brief enquiries How can you treat dangerous co-infections? It is one of the complications of operations like organ or stem cell transplantations that everyone dreads: a simultaneous infection by various pathogens, such...
Brief enquiries Do films create opportunities? Up to now, most of the films made on the continent of Africa have been low-budget filmed entertainment. But now, investors and streaming services are opening up...
Brief enquiries How does AI manipulate us? In the digital world, artificial intelligence often has the effect of reinforcing opinions. It creates filter bubbles, promotes radical tendencies and...
Brief enquiries What of tomorrow’s world of work? Artificial intelligence will have a huge impact on the way industry functions. Quite how huge will soon be illustrated by a visionary factory in Munich....
Brief enquiries Can AI save our cities from traffic jams? Apps are already calculating the ideal route through cities – using various means of transport and taking account of traffic disruption. But the apps are...
Brief enquiries How can artificial intelligence help to combat viruses? Being faster and more reliable than humans, artificial intelligence is usually used to evaluate huge volumes of data and identify patterns in them. But what...
Brief enquiries How do you use AI in the fight for women’s rights? According to the UN, the practice affects more than 200 million women worldwide: young girls are subject to genital mutilation at the hands of their parents or...
Brief enquiries How do you intend to outsmart invasive ants? They travel the world unnoticed on ships or lorries, hidden in the earth in a flowerpot or in a crate full of fruit. The spread of invasive ant species is...
Brief enquiries Why should we listen to women when it comes to fighting climate change? Extreme aridity and drought; and when it does rain, it rains so heavily that everywhere is flooded – this is the reality of climate change in Botswana.
Brief enquiries What line does the law take on antisemitism? Time and again, Jewish people in Germany are confronted with hostility and attacks. Politicians promise to tackle antisemitism with all the tools of a...
Brief enquiries How do planets come from dust? Stars, dust and baby planets are the orbit of astrophysicist Paola Pinilla’s research. With the help of high-performance telescopes on Earth, she regularly...
Brief Enquiries What can stop you, Mr Guck? Recently, it was the 30th anniversary of my accident. I have now been in a wheelchair for almost twice as long as I was able to walk.
Brief Enquiries How stony was the path to mathematical heights? Where we lived was completely cut off from the outside world. There was no electricity and no transport connections.
Brief Enquiries Mr Mole, how do queer people fare in exile? Even as a child I used to ask myself how people in different societies lived together and why things in other countries were so different from what I was used...
Brief Enquiries Ms Ombaka, what’s it like being a single parent and a researcher? My story begins four years ago. Three things happened in my life all at once: I was offered a new job at my university in Kenya, I was granted a fellowship by...
Brief Enquiries How did you become Ethiopia’s first female Professor, Ms Mekonnen? When I went to Germany in 1988 to do my dissertation, that was totally unusual for a woman from Ethiopia.
Close up on research The heritage researcher The past, for Sophia Labadi, is very much alive. The ethnologist and expert on heritage studies explores how heritage sites and European museums can promote...
Close up on research She monitors the monitoring Margaret E. Roberts’ research field could not be more pertinent. With the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning, the political scientist and data...
Close up on research The Linguist Kofi Yakpo was once a big shot in German rap. Today, he is a professor of linguistics, researching into the emergence of Creole languages and uncovering the...
Close up on research Cyprien Verseux, the Martian Air, fuel and drugs – what about if they could all be produced on Mars? A drop of blue-green algae brought from Earth and cultivated on Mars could suffice, says...
Close up on research The hidden costs of violence The Humboldt Professor Anke Hoeffler studies the causes of violence – whether in civil wars or people’s own homes – and what it eventually costs.
Close up on Research Spellbound by the Black Hole An international network of radio astronomers managed to take the first picture of a blck hole in space. Leader of the alliance: Humboldt Research Award Winner,...
Close up on Research Energised Wilfred Fritz managed to carve his path through racial barriers and became one of the first non-whites to study at the South African Stellenbosch University.
Close up on Research The Fight against Obesity and Diabetes The number of overweight people in the world is increasing rapidly. Matthias Tschöp is searching for a drug to curb our voracious appetite and improve our...
Close up on Research “You Can Open A Shell Company in Five Minutes” Brooke Harrington spoke to people who only seldom give interviews, let alone divulge tax tricks. In order to get to the heart of the matter, the economic...
Close up on Research Witches, Fashion Fiends and Cabinets of Curiosities Ulinka Rublack’s book about the astronomer Johannes Kepler, who defended his mother in a witchcraft trial, caused a stir. Drawing on old sources, the historian...
Close up on Research The High-Flyer: Martin Wikelski The biologist, Martin Wikelski, studies animal migration – from space. In his project ICARUS, he collects the data from animals fitted with GPS transmitters.
The faces of the foundation Combatting powerlessness Who actually does what at Humboldt headquarters? Who are the people behind the scenes making sure that everything runs smoothly? This page is devoted to the...
The faces of the Foundation Great at changing direction Who actually does what at Humboldt headquarters? Who are the people behind the scenes making sure that everything runs smoothly? This page is devoted to the...
The faces of the Foundation The go-to woman for AI Who actually does what at Humboldt headquarters? Who are the people making sure that everything runs smoothly? This page is devoted to the colleagues at the...
The faces of the Foundation More than just neighbours Who actually does what at Humboldt headquarters? Who are the people behind the scenes making sure that everything runs smoothly? This page is devoted to the...
The faces of the Foundation No need of words to understand each other I work on the Philipp Schwartz Initiative that offers at-risk researchers a safe haven at German universities. I manage the programme.
The Faces of the Foundation Always Good for a Tango Who actually does what at Humboldt headquarters? Who are the people behind the scenes making sure that everything runs smoothly? This page is devoted to the...
The Faces of the Foundation The Rooftops of Berlin Who actually does what at Humboldt headquarters? Who are the people behind the scenes making sure that everything runs smoothly? This page is devoted to the...
The Faces of the Foundation The Science Behind It Who actually does what at Humboldt headquarters? These are the colleagues at the Humboldt Foundation, their lives at work and beyond. Today: Dr Johannes Belz.
The Faces of the Foundation Lots of Little Concerts Who actually does what at Humboldt headquarters? Who are the people behind the scenes making sure that everything runs smoothly? These are the colleagues at the...
The Faces of the Foundation Mrs @nline Who actually does what at Humboldt headquarters? Who are the people behind the scenes making sure that everything runs smoothly? These are the colleagues at the...
The Faces of the Foundation Full Thrusters Ahead! Who actually does what at Humboldt headquarters? Who are the people behind the scenes? This page is devoted to the colleagues at the Humboldt Foundation. Today:...
