On these pages you will find a selection of research news from the Leibniz Institutes.
  1. The planetary nebula NGC 7294 ("Helix Nebula"), an object from the near vicinity of the Sun

    Needle in a haystack
    07/26/2021 · Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam

    Planetary nebulae are known in the neighbourhood of the sun as colourful objects. Researchers succeeded now in detecting them in distant galaxies.

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  2. Hand holding wheat plant in a wheat field

    With great power comes great responsibility
    07/21/2021 · Leibniz-Institut für Agrarentwicklung in Transformationsökonomien

    The US has lost its leadership role on the global wheat market to the EU and the Black Sea Region, which must now take greater responsibility for ensuring global food security and fighting hunger.

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  3. Field with young cereal plants

    Using science to combat climate change
    07/20/2021 · Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research

    Agriculture and food systems are affected by the impacts of climate. The MACSUR project creates a forum that will support policy actors with scientific expertise to implement climate targets.

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  4. German ballot paper, the column "Tick here" is not filled in

    Financial hardship and voter turnout
    07/19/2021 · WZB Berlin Social Science Center

    Short-term financial difficulties prevent poor people in Germany from voting and participating in politics - such are the findings of a new study.

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  5. Marketplace of Werder near Berlin

    Covid-19 is driving people out of Germany's big cities
    07/19/2021 · ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research

    The coronavirus pandemic could give a strong boost to the existing trend of migration from city centers. Smaller cities are the most frequently mentioned destinations for relocations.

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  6. Illustration with four powerful-looking elephants at a waterhole in the jungle, with zebras, a rhinoceros and apes in the foreground.

    The rise and fall of elephants
    07/07/2021 · Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science

    The history of the proboscideans is one of glory and decline. A new study reveals how earth-historical events were mainly responsible for the evolution of more than 180 species.

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  7. TRiC knows the trick
    07/06/2021 · Leibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute

    Planarians are able to survive long periods of starvation by maintaining their stem cell pool and regenerative capacity.

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  8. Gender-neutral language in German Companies
    07/06/2021 · ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research

    35 percent of companies in Germany use gender-neutral language for external communication, while only 25 percent adopt it for in-house purposes.

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  9. Three common marmosets at the DPZ, sitting on a tree trunk​.

    Monkeys also learn to communicate
    07/05/2021 · German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research

    A Behavioral study on common marmosets provides new insights into the evolution of language.

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  10. Close-up of a mushroom growing on the ground.

    Endangered life belowground
    06/24/2021 · Senckenberg Society for Nature Research

    Current conservation practices in farmlands may be good for species living above the earth such as birds and bees, but are probably not helping life belowground.

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  11. A man is sitting alone in a room at a table, his face in his hand.

    Social isolation increases the likelihood of selfish behaviour
    06/24/2021 · Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH) – Member of the Leibniz Association

    Social distancing as a counter-measure to the COVID-19 pandemic has far-reaching social consequences which have so far hardly been discussed from an economic perspective.

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  12. There's no cheating old age
    06/22/2021 · German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research

    The average life expectancy of people has increased over the last 150 years. Studies with humans and non-human primates indicates that it is not the rate at which humans age that slows down.

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  13. Water bodies with massive algae growth

    Asteroid caused brief bloom of algae
    06/21/2021 · Senckenberg Society for Nature Research

    The asteroid that likely caused dinosaur extinction 66 million years ago also caused a global algal bloom and a mass extinction in marine ecosystems.

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  14. Animated map showing all rivers in Europe

    Dry Rivers
    06/17/2021 · Senckenberg Society for Nature Research

    60 percent of the world's streams dry up for at least one day a year - across all continents and climate zones. This can lead to impaired access to water for millions of people.

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  15. Animated graphic of the rotational motion in the universe

    Rotation in the universe
    06/15/2021 · Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam

    Astronomers have found that long tendrils of galaxies spin on the scale of hundreds of millions of light years. A rotation on such enormous scales has never been seen before.

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  16. Close-up of the amber with the enclosed live birth

    Fossilized Birth
    06/09/2021 · Senckenberg Society for Nature Research

    Researchers found a fossilized female land snail enclosed in a 99-million-year-old piece of amber together with her five young. This is the oldest record of a live birth in this class of animals.

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  17. Four organ donor cards placed on top of each other

    Organ donation during Coronavirus Pandemic
    06/03/2021 · ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research

    In Germany, the organ donation rate in 2020 was similar to that in 2019. In contrast, other European countries saw organ donation rates fall sharply.

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  18. Romanian hydroelectric power station on a small river surrounded by green trees

    More harm than good
    05/31/2021 · Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries

    Around half of the hydropower plants in Romania are located in nature conservation areas. The small plants contribute only 3 percent of Romania's electricity generation, but threaten biodiversity.

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  19. Large sugar beet with long leaves, half buried in the ground

    Sustainable cultivation of sugar beet
    05/26/2021 · Innovations for High Performance Microelectronics

    A new joint project aims to enable sustainable and pesticide-free cultivation of field crops. For this purpose, field robots and artificial intelligence are to be investigated.

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  20. Close-up of a coral with blue tentacles

    Jellyfish chips and sea cucumber soup
    05/26/2021 · Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research

    Resources such as fertile land and mineral fertilizers are becoming scarce. Scientists investigate the extent to which the sea harbours unused food resources.

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