A new element is being brought in to the already well-developed and multifaceted cooperation between the Max Planck Society and Israel's Weizmann Institute: on 11 January 2012, Max Planck President Peter Gruss and Weizmann President Daniel Zajfman signed the foundation treaty for the new Max Planck Weizmann Center for Integrative Archaeology and Anthropology in Rehovot. [more]

Bence Viola from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig discovered the tooth fragments together with Russian colleagues in the Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains. Initially, he thought the inconspicuous-looking object was the molar of a cave bear. But when the remaining fragments of the tooth turned up, it became obvious that the researchers had found the tooth of a hominid. [more]

Another galaxy has appeared in the universe: However, rather than floating around in the infinite expanses of space, it sits atop the Königstuhl Hill in Heidelberg. A ceremonial act marked the inauguration of the Haus der Astronomie (House of Astronomy), a new communication centre for the science of the stars. In the building, which was modelled on a spiral galaxy, astronomic research will be conveyed in workshops, advanced training sessions and professional seminars. [more]