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George Kwesiga at the lab | Photo: Tobias Hopfgarten

The mediacal treasure trove of nature – Chemists from Potsdam and their African colleagues are researching new active substances from plants

Nature provides an abundance of medically effective substances. Only a fraction of them is known so far. Especially in poorer countries, where very …
Those who know more about risks are often better able to deal with them. | Photo: AdobeStock / zhukovvvlad

Understanding and Deciding – The Harding Center for Risk Literacy now researches in Potsdam

What are the risks of a diagnosis using artificial intelligence, of health information websites or of health apps? The Harding Center for Risk …
Voltaire Prize recipient Dr. Gábor Polyák | Photo: Csortos Szabolcs

“Academic Work is Important for Society” – 2020 Voltaire Prize recipient Dr. Gábor Polyák on the prize and the work that followed

In January 2021, the University of Potsdam will award the Voltaire Prize for Tolerance, International Understanding and Respect for Differences” for …
Scientific satellites traverse the challenging region of near-earth space known as the Van Allen radiation belt. | Figure: Yuri Shprits; background: NASA

Giant particle accelerator in the sky – Electrons are locally heated to extremely high energies within the Van Allen Radiation Belts, new study finds

The Earth’s magnetic field is trapping high energy particles. When the first satellites were launched into space, scientists led by James Van Allen …
Data science can help to bring light and dark to complex processes. | Photo: Andreas Töpfer

Good News – How data science helps us to better understand the Coronavirus pandemic

The pandemic caused by the Coronavirus starting back in late 2019 still affects the lives of billions of people around the globe even half a year …
Prof. Dominik Geppert | Photo: Tobias Hopfgarten

“We can contribute to a better understanding of our time” – Historian Dominik Geppert about turning points and the task of history

In autumn 1989, the world went haywire and all eyes were on Berlin. The wall fell and within only a few months two German states became a united …
Dr. Matthias Hartlieb at the lab | Photo: Tobias Hopfgarten

Fighting Pathogens – Chemist Matthias Hartlieb develops substances that could replace antibiotics in the future

Since April 2019, Dr. Matthias Hartlieb has been a postdoc research fellow in the Open Topic Initiative of the University of Potsdam. His research …
Exercise in Corona times | Photo: AdobeStock/galitskaya

Exercise Doesn't Make Everyone Feel Good – A psychologist and a medical researcher speak about habits, common sense, and motivation

Is exercise healthy? What a question! Everyone knows this, and yet many people find it difficult to exercise regularly, to get their circulation …
Bioreactor for cultivating microorganisms in the innoFSPEC lab | Photo: Ernst Kazcysnki

Not Without Alternatives – Bioplastic made from waste replaces conventional plastics

Plastic is a part of our everyday life. It has been made from oil, natural gas, and coal for over 100 years. The negative consequences of this flood …
Prof. Dr. Safa Shoaee | Photo: Karla Fritze

New Paths to Solar Energy – Looking for the best material for novel solar cells

The solar cells of the future are made of organic material as they can be produced very inexpensively using printing technologies. Physicists at the …