The University of Göttingen is an internationally renowned research university. Founded in 1737 in the Age of Enlightenment, the University is committed to the values of social responsibility of science, democracy, tolerance and justice. It offers a comprehensive range of subjects across 13 faculties: in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences and medicine. With about 30,000 students and more than 210 degree programmes, the University is one of the largest in Germany.
New press releases
Fair and sustainable futures beyond mining
Mining brings huge social and environmental change to communities: landscapes, livelihoods and the social fabric evolve alongside the industry. But what happens when the mines close? What problems face communities that lose their main employer and the very core of their identity and social networks? Based on previous industrial transitions, a research fellow at Göttingen University suggests ways for governments to successfully navigate mining communities through their transition toward non-mining economies.
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Understanding greenhouse gases in oil palm plantations
The rapid spread of oil palm plantations and associated high use of fertilizer raises concerns about the emis-sion of nitrous oxide (N2O), a powerful greenhouse gas. A new study by an international research team led by the University of Göttingen shows that oil palms’ photosynthesis and their response to meteorological and soil conditions play an important but still widely unexplored role in the amount of N2O produced by oil palm plantations.
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HeKKSaGOn partner universities agree further activities
The six partner universities of the German-Japanese higher education network HeKKSaGOn agreed on further joint activities at the end of their Rectors' Meeting in Göttingen. These include another call for funding for joint projects in spring 2024 and the establishment of collaboration in the cross-cutting area of "Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship".
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Award for plant biochemist
Professor Ivo Feußner, whose expertise is in plant biochemistry, has received the European Lipid Science Award 2023. The European Federation for the Science and Technology of Lipids (Euro Fed Lipid) awarded him this prize for his work on the synthesis and function of plant lipids as energy stores and signalling molecules. The award was presented in September at the association's annual European meeting in Poznań and is considered one of the highest honours in the field of lipid science.
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Unexpected curveball in miniature
Whether you are familiar with the term “Magnus effect” or not, you have certainly seen it in action. It is when a spinning ball – for instance in football, cricket or baseball – bends away from its expected trajectory, often to the surprise of the opposing team. The principle has engineering uses, for example to propel certain types of ships or aircraft. Physicists demonstrated that the Magnus effect also exists at a microscopic level, where its effects can become really significant under certain conditions.
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A plea from experts: stop personifying plants
Popular science books are all the rage. Their aim is to convey scientific topics to interested members of the public as clearly and entertainingly as possible. To succeed, authors describe the science using accessible language and concepts. An international research team tested such descriptions against scientific evidence by analysing statements from two popular science books. They conclude that metaphoric descriptions are often held as literally true, and warn against personifying plants.
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