No. 113/2021

4 HUMBOLDT KOSMOS 113/2021 EDITORIAL Dear readers, Science communication is a bit like a roller coaster ride: delight and terror are never far apart. On the one hand, scientific literacy, the much-cited basic general understanding of science and its workings, has undoubtedly grown during the pandemic. Try it out for yourself at your local supermarket: ask any random person near the cold display cabi- nets about Covid-19. You will very likely be rewarded with an informed lecture on aero- sols, mRNA vaccines and the vagaries of the latest virus mutation. On the other hand, you might also encoun- ter a determined anti-vaxxer who rails against state interference and even tells you about a large-scale conspiracy with Bill Gates pulling the strings in the background. Science communication lies between these two extremes. It has become infinitely more difficult since the spread of fake news in parts of the media and politics has increased and fil- ter bubbles on social media have raised con- spiracy theories and aggression to new levels. The situation is exacerbated by the long-stand- ing crisis in heritage media and science’s home-grown problems, such as publishing studies prematurely. Read more about these challenges, how researchers deal with them and how good science communication can flourish never­ theless in this edition. GEORG SCHOLL Editor in Chief CONTENTS Photo: Henning Mack 06 03 HUMBOLDTIANS IN PRIVATE With a full voice 06 BRIEF ENQUIRIES What drives researchers and what they are currently doing COVER ILLUSTRATION Martin Rümmele/Raufeld Medien