Research and society

Measurements have clearly shown the direction in which the climate is developing: the average global temperature has risen by about 1 degree Celsius from the pre-industrial age to 2017. How far it will increase by the end of the 21st century ultimately depends on how quickly and extensively humans can change their climate-damaging behaviour. Scientists from various Max Planck Institutes are working on making climate forecasts even more accurate. They are investigating which measures are required to limit climate change to a tolerable level. more

The United Nations Biodiversity Convention defines biodiversity as the diversity of all living organisms, habitats and ecosystems on land, in freshwater, in the oceans and in the air.  more

In Germany, animal research is primarily carried out in the areas of basic research, medicine and veterinary medicine. Animal research can also be required to identify factors that pose a risk to the environment. The toxicity of chemicals is also investigated using animal research. It is a legal requirement that all active substances are tested in animal experiments for effectiveness and side effects. more

In a white paper, Christoph Rosol, Benjamin Steininger, Jürgen Renn and Robert Schlögl outline the significance of digitalization in the Anthropocene and outline the background and goals of the new research field of geoanthropology. more

Gene scissors, molecular scalpel – these descriptive terms are intended to convey what the new method of gene editing with rather unwieldy name of CRISPR/Cas9 can do. more

Open Access (OA) refers to a publishing and distribution model for scholarly communication that makes research information available to readers online at no cost, rather than the traditional model of charging readers for access.  more