Browse Titles - 52 results
To What Extent Do Aerosol Particles in the Atmosphere Mask the Effects of Greenhouse Gases?
(Germany: Latest Thinking, 2017), 11 mins
Since the rise of industrialization more and more greenhouse gases are being emitted into the atmosphere and as a result the earth’s climate is warming. It is known that part of the temperature rise is balanced by aerosol particles in the atmosphere – partly also emitted by human activity. The extent of that b...
Open Access
(Germany: Latest Thinking, 2017), 11 mins
Description
Since the rise of industrialization more and more greenhouse gases are being emitted into the atmosphere and as a result the earth’s climate is warming. It is known that part of the temperature rise is balanced by aerosol particles in the atmosphere – partly also emitted by human activity. The extent of that balancing however is unknown. As BJORN B. STEVENS explains in this video, the researchers used a new approach to estimate how strong thi...
Since the rise of industrialization more and more greenhouse gases are being emitted into the atmosphere and as a result the earth’s climate is warming. It is known that part of the temperature rise is balanced by aerosol particles in the atmosphere – partly also emitted by human activity. The extent of that balancing however is unknown. As BJORN B. STEVENS explains in this video, the researchers used a new approach to estimate how strong this effect actually is: they used a top-down perspective and asked if the assumptions made in earlier studies are consistent with current observations. Their findings show that the cooling effect of aerosol particles is not as large as previously calculated. Most significantly, this means that we do not have to fear an increase of global warming due to cleaner air.
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Field of Study
Science
Content Type
Instructional material
Date Published / Released
2017
Publisher
Latest Thinking
Speaker / Narrator
Bjorn Stevens, 1966-
Person Discussed
Bjorn Stevens, 1966-
Topic / Theme
Climate change, Greenhouse effect
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2017 Latest Thinking
×
What Can the Origins of Multicellular Life Teach Us About How Bodies Function?
(Latest Thinking, 2019), 8 mins
Multicellular organisms first took their place in the evolutionary chain some 450 million years ago. In this video, THOMAS BOSCH seeks to extend our understanding of how human and animal bodies function via analysis of these ancient creatures. Focusing on the freshwater polyp Hydra and employing techniques includi...
Open Access
(Latest Thinking, 2019), 8 mins
Description
Multicellular organisms first took their place in the evolutionary chain some 450 million years ago. In this video, THOMAS BOSCH seeks to extend our understanding of how human and animal bodies function via analysis of these ancient creatures. Focusing on the freshwater polyp Hydra and employing techniques including molecular cell biology, modern sequencing technology and in depth study of stem cell behavior, Bosch argues that what were heretofor...
Multicellular organisms first took their place in the evolutionary chain some 450 million years ago. In this video, THOMAS BOSCH seeks to extend our understanding of how human and animal bodies function via analysis of these ancient creatures. Focusing on the freshwater polyp Hydra and employing techniques including molecular cell biology, modern sequencing technology and in depth study of stem cell behavior, Bosch argues that what were heretofore considered ancient simple creatures, are, in fact, decidedly complex. Providing important new insight into the microbial world, Bosch’s work underlines the fact that all life is multiorganismic, raising fundamental philosophical questions about how we define individuality.
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Field of Study
Science
Date Published / Released
2019
Publisher
Latest Thinking
Topic / Theme
Human body
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2019 Latest Thinking
×
What General Principles Govern the Behavior of Liquids in Porous Materials?
(Latest Thinking), 12 mins
Understanding the behavior of liquids in porous materials is important for very different areas of our lives, ranging from the recovery of oil from rock to water holding capacities of different soils. The study presented in this video is dedicated to the quest for the mechanisms behind these processes. STEPHAN HER...
Open Access
(Latest Thinking), 12 mins
Description
Understanding the behavior of liquids in porous materials is important for very different areas of our lives, ranging from the recovery of oil from rock to water holding capacities of different soils. The study presented in this video is dedicated to the quest for the mechanisms behind these processes. STEPHAN HERMINGHAUS explains that, starting out, the researchers had several ideas for what the general principle might be. They used modern techn...
Understanding the behavior of liquids in porous materials is important for very different areas of our lives, ranging from the recovery of oil from rock to water holding capacities of different soils. The study presented in this video is dedicated to the quest for the mechanisms behind these processes. STEPHAN HERMINGHAUS explains that, starting out, the researchers had several ideas for what the general principle might be. They used modern techniques and 3D computer simulations to single out the right candidate. But only the rediscovery and adaption of an old two-dimensional simulation lead to the breakthrough in finding the actual mechanism.
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Field of Study
Science
Publisher
Latest Thinking
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2017 Latest Thinking
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What Generates the Magnetic Field of the Jupiter Moon Ganymede?
(Latest Thinking, 2017), 11 mins
Over decades believes such as 'the magnetic fields of planets in our solar system are all the same' or 'moons don’t have magnetic fields' were widely held. At the example of Ganymede, Jupiter’s biggest moon, both premises were proven wrong. ULRICH R. CHRISTENSEN examines the theory of the so-called iron snow r...
Open Access
(Latest Thinking, 2017), 11 mins
Description
Over decades believes such as 'the magnetic fields of planets in our solar system are all the same' or 'moons don’t have magnetic fields' were widely held. At the example of Ganymede, Jupiter’s biggest moon, both premises were proven wrong. ULRICH R. CHRISTENSEN examines the theory of the so-called iron snow regime as the cause of magnetism: This theory assumes that iron crystallizing at the top of Ganymede’s core, sinking down as snowflake...
Over decades believes such as 'the magnetic fields of planets in our solar system are all the same' or 'moons don’t have magnetic fields' were widely held. At the example of Ganymede, Jupiter’s biggest moon, both premises were proven wrong. ULRICH R. CHRISTENSEN examines the theory of the so-called iron snow regime as the cause of magnetism: This theory assumes that iron crystallizing at the top of Ganymede’s core, sinking down as snowflakes, and remelting at greater depth generates a dynamo process within the core and creates the magnetic field. A simulation tailored to the scenario clearly displayed the characteristics of Ganymede. As explained in this video, the insights gained hereby confirm the theory of the iron snow regime driving the dynamo process of Jupiter’s biggest moon. Furthermore, the model matches the other known facts about Ganymede. More details about the moon are expected in the early 2030s when the JUICE Mission will provide further data.
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Field of Study
Science
Content Type
Instructional material
Date Published / Released
2017
Publisher
Latest Thinking
Topic / Theme
Space
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2017 Latest Thinking
×
What is the Fundamental Microscopic Structure of Space-Time in our Universe?
(Germany: Latest Thinking, 2018), 14 mins
What are the building blocks of our universe that everything is made of? In this video, ASTRID EICHHORN explains how her work seeks to reveal the fundamental microscopic structure of space-time. While recent pioneering experiments have confirmed aspects of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, this work seeks...
Open Access
(Germany: Latest Thinking, 2018), 14 mins
Description
What are the building blocks of our universe that everything is made of? In this video, ASTRID EICHHORN explains how her work seeks to reveal the fundamental microscopic structure of space-time. While recent pioneering experiments have confirmed aspects of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, this work seeks to overcome the limitations of current observational technology through theoretical investigations of the relationships between quantu...
What are the building blocks of our universe that everything is made of? In this video, ASTRID EICHHORN explains how her work seeks to reveal the fundamental microscopic structure of space-time. While recent pioneering experiments have confirmed aspects of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, this work seeks to overcome the limitations of current observational technology through theoretical investigations of the relationships between quantum space-time, quantum gravity and matter. With undoubted implications for our understanding of Dark Matter and the Standard Model of particle physics, the real-world applications of this kind of foundational research can have profound effects on all of our lives.
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Field of Study
Science
Content Type
Instructional material
Date Published / Released
2018
Publisher
Latest Thinking
Speaker / Narrator
Astrid Eichhorn, fl. 2019
Person Discussed
Astrid Eichhorn, fl. 2019
Topic / Theme
Scientific research, Universe, Physics, Space
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2018 Latest Thinking
×
What Is the Fundamental Physics Behind the Information Processing of Black Holes?
presented by Georgi R. Dvali, 1964- (Latest Thinking), 12 mins
The objectives of the research in theoretical physics presented in this video are to understand the fundamental physics behind the properties of black holes and to find out whether black holes are unique in their way of information-processing. As GIA DVALI explains, the research he developed together with CESAR GO...
Open Access
presented by Georgi R. Dvali, 1964- (Latest Thinking), 12 mins
Description
The objectives of the research in theoretical physics presented in this video are to understand the fundamental physics behind the properties of black holes and to find out whether black holes are unique in their way of information-processing. As GIA DVALI explains, the research he developed together with CESAR GOMEZ has two important findings. Firstly it shows that quantum criticality is the basic principle of the information storage capacities...
The objectives of the research in theoretical physics presented in this video are to understand the fundamental physics behind the properties of black holes and to find out whether black holes are unique in their way of information-processing. As GIA DVALI explains, the research he developed together with CESAR GOMEZ has two important findings. Firstly it shows that quantum criticality is the basic principle of the information storage capacities of black holes and secondly it manifests that other systems of nature can process information the same way. This has important implications for the understanding of elementary particles and for cosmology.
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Field of Study
Science
Content Type
Instructional material
Author / Creator
Georgi R. Dvali, 1964-
Date Published / Released
2017
Publisher
Latest Thinking
Topic / Theme
Astronomy
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2017 Latest Thinking
×
What Is the Quantum Spin Hall Effect and Why Is It Important?
(Latest Thinking, 2019), 9 mins
The quantum spin Hall effect was first proposed by Kane and Mele in 2005. In this video, LAURENS MOLENKAMP outlines how his team’s focus on mercury telluride has provided notable insights into this phenomenon. Conducting transport experiments on special semiconductors grown using a molecular beam epitaxy machine...
Open Access
(Latest Thinking, 2019), 9 mins
Description
The quantum spin Hall effect was first proposed by Kane and Mele in 2005. In this video, LAURENS MOLENKAMP outlines how his team’s focus on mercury telluride has provided notable insights into this phenomenon. Conducting transport experiments on special semiconductors grown using a molecular beam epitaxy machine, Molenkamp’s findings include the identification of the quantum Hall effect in a three dimensional topological insulator and the pot...
The quantum spin Hall effect was first proposed by Kane and Mele in 2005. In this video, LAURENS MOLENKAMP outlines how his team’s focus on mercury telluride has provided notable insights into this phenomenon. Conducting transport experiments on special semiconductors grown using a molecular beam epitaxy machine, Molenkamp’s findings include the identification of the quantum Hall effect in a three dimensional topological insulator and the potential for topological superconductivity. With future applications in fields including quantum metrology andtopological quantum computing, Molenkamp’s research continues to extend our understanding of the physical makeup of our universe.
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Field of Study
Science
Date Published / Released
2019
Publisher
Latest Thinking
Topic / Theme
Physics
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2019 Latest Thinking
×
What New Insights Can Archeology Provide Into Homo sapiens’ Emergence from Africa?
(Hamburg, Hamburg State: Latest Thinking, 2018), 12 mins
Traditional theory holds that _Homo sapiens’_ first moved Out of Africa into Eurasia along coastal routes some 60,000 years ago. In this video, MICHAEL PETRAGLIA explodes this theory demonstrating that modern humans emerged from Africa much earlier and, at least some of the time, via inland routes. Employing sat...
Open Access
(Hamburg, Hamburg State: Latest Thinking, 2018), 12 mins
Description
Traditional theory holds that _Homo sapiens’_ first moved Out of Africa into Eurasia along coastal routes some 60,000 years ago. In this video, MICHAEL PETRAGLIA explodes this theory demonstrating that modern humans emerged from Africa much earlier and, at least some of the time, via inland routes. Employing satellite imagery to identify ancient rivers and lakes in what are present-day desert regions, the team pinpointed adjacent archaeological...
Traditional theory holds that _Homo sapiens’_ first moved Out of Africa into Eurasia along coastal routes some 60,000 years ago. In this video, MICHAEL PETRAGLIA explodes this theory demonstrating that modern humans emerged from Africa much earlier and, at least some of the time, via inland routes. Employing satellite imagery to identify ancient rivers and lakes in what are present-day desert regions, the team pinpointed adjacent archaeological and paleontological sites which were then precisely dated. Not only does the work present evidence that _Homo sapiens_ was already moving Out of Africa some 200,000 years ago, it also shows that these migrations occasionally happened inland. Along with giving us a deeper understanding of the history and abilities of our ancestors, positing a link between ancient Out of Africa migration and episodes of climate change, Petraglia’s research also has fascinating relevance to contemporary debates.
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Field of Study
Science
Content Type
Instructional material
Contributor
Michael Petraglia, fl. 1987
Date Published / Released
2018
Publisher
Latest Thinking
Topic / Theme
Humans and human ancestors, Evolution
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2018 Latest Thinking
×
What Science Will Be Remembered Centuries from Now, and Why?
(Latest Thinking, 2017), 16 mins
Some sciences like geology, astronomy or demography require a time scale of observation and study of phenomena that last longer than a human life span – and even that of civilizations. These “Sciences of the Archives” rely on the contribution of scientists who store their data and knowledge for the generatio...
Open Access
(Latest Thinking, 2017), 16 mins
Description
Some sciences like geology, astronomy or demography require a time scale of observation and study of phenomena that last longer than a human life span – and even that of civilizations. These “Sciences of the Archives” rely on the contribution of scientists who store their data and knowledge for the generations following after them. In this video LORRAINE DASTON explains how an interdisciplinary group of scholars investigated which condition...
Some sciences like geology, astronomy or demography require a time scale of observation and study of phenomena that last longer than a human life span – and even that of civilizations. These “Sciences of the Archives” rely on the contribution of scientists who store their data and knowledge for the generations following after them. In this video LORRAINE DASTON explains how an interdisciplinary group of scholars investigated which conditions enable such scientific endeavours that depend on long-lived collections. They studied historical sources and how these records are kept to identify patterns across millennia and cultures. The findings indicate that a key driver for the people involved in building these archives is an almost utopian vision: The believe that their discipline will continue to make use of the archives and that future insights will depend on these records.
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Field of Study
World History
Content Type
Instructional material
Date Published / Released
2017
Publisher
Latest Thinking
Topic / Theme
Sciences
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2017 Latest Thinking
×
Which Chemical Traits Protect the Roots of Dandelions Against Insect Damage?
produced by Latest Thinking (Hamburg, Hamburg State: Latest Thinking, 2017), 11 mins
Plants use certain chemical compounds to defend themselves against animals that feed on them. As JONATHAN GERSHENZON explains in this video, dandelions are a very good model to research the defences of plants because they are especially robust. The research team therefore investigated dandelions to identify the co...
Open Access
produced by Latest Thinking (Hamburg, Hamburg State: Latest Thinking, 2017), 11 mins
Description
Plants use certain chemical compounds to defend themselves against animals that feed on them. As JONATHAN GERSHENZON explains in this video, dandelions are a very good model to research the defences of plants because they are especially robust. The research team therefore investigated dandelions to identify the compound that protects the roots from being damaged by insects. They studied dandelions from different regions and with different levels...
Plants use certain chemical compounds to defend themselves against animals that feed on them. As JONATHAN GERSHENZON explains in this video, dandelions are a very good model to research the defences of plants because they are especially robust. The research team therefore investigated dandelions to identify the compound that protects the roots from being damaged by insects. They studied dandelions from different regions and with different levels of these particular compounds. In a next step they compared the amount of damage after exhibiting them to an insect that feeds on the roots. After altering the plant's production of this compound the researchers found that dandelions with reduced levels of the compound were fed on more heavily by this particular insect.
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Field of Study
Science
Content Type
Instructional material
Contributor
Latest Thinking
Date Published / Released
2017
Publisher
Latest Thinking
Speaker / Narrator
Jonathan Gershenzon, 1955-
Person Discussed
Jonathan Gershenzon, 1955-
Topic / Theme
Plants, Botany
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2017 Latest Thinking
×