Every month, the podcast “exzellent erklärt” presents a research topic from one of the 57 clusters of excellence in Germany. The journey goes right across the country, and the topics are just as diverse as the locations.
Here, we give a little recap of the last ten episodes. An absolute recommendation for anyone who likes podcasts and is interested in science (and understands German)! Find it wherever you get your podcasts, and here: www.exzellent-erklaert.podigee.io
The texts for the individual episodes have been translated into English from the “exzellent erklärt” website.
Virtual Touch: Bringing the sense of touch to the Internet
Released on 01 June 2024
What would it be like to feel the handshake of a distant colleague or the hug of a loved one over the Internet? How close are we to making this a reality? The CeTI Cluster of Excellence is doing pioneering work in researching the transmission of touch via the internet, which will revolutionize important areas of our lives.
At the “Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop” (CeTI) at TU Dresden, scientists from fields as diverse as electrical engineering, computer science, psychology, medicine and computer science are working together to explore the various possibilities of the tactile internet. The interdisciplinary research forms the basis for novel applications in medicine, industry and the “Internet of Skills”. Just as the internet created access to information, the cluster aims to enable access to skills and expertise for the general public to achieve equal opportunities for people of different genders, ages, cultural backgrounds or physical disabilities.
Quantum simulation: the key to high-temperature superconductors?
Released on 01 July 2024
The behavior of individual atoms and molecules can be predicted very well in quantum physics. This becomes more difficult when many particles come together and collective effects play an important role. There are still many unanswered questions. Quantum simulation - not on the computer, but in the laboratory - should help to answer these questions. For example, the aim is to find out exactly how high-temperature superconductors work - and whether a better understanding will one day make it possible to operate these superconductors at room temperature.
In the Cluster of Excellence Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology (MCQST), scientists work on interdisciplinary research questions that cover all aspects of quantum science, from basic research to application. The aim is to research quantum effects such as entanglement and make them usable. In this way, new quantum technologies can be developed, such as highly sensitive sensors, tap-proof communication and quantum computers. The MCQST aims to become a world-leading center for quantum science and technology. In addition to the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and the Technical University of Munich, the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, the Walther Meissner Institute of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the German Museum are involved in MCQST as partners.
Energy from light - the magic of photoelectrocatalysis
Released on 15 July 2024
Energy storage is one of the major issues of our time. Photoelectrocatalysis can make a difference here. For example, solar batteries could simultaneously absorb, convert, store and release sunlight. In this basic research, it is important to find the right materials to ensure that they work as efficiently as possible. The scientists are delving deep into the nanocosmos and identifying properties that have a huge impact on performance.
The e-conversion Cluster of Excellence is researching the fundamentals of energy conversion and storage so that both can run more efficiently in the future. With every conversion, a considerable amount of energy is lost at the interface between different materials. The savings potential is enormous and a good reason to bring together the best experts in the e-conversion cluster. These are around 55 scientists and their groups based at the Technical University of Munich, LMU Munich and Max Planck Institutes in Stuttgart, Berlin and Mülheim an der Ruhr.
The physics of life: The mystery of regrowing limbs
Released on 01 August 2024
There are still many mysteries to be solved in biology. For example, we do not yet understand how animals such as the axolotl manage to regrow limbs. Nor do we know how muscles are constructed and function. The Physics of Life Cluster of Excellence is trying to decipher all of this using the tools of physics. This is done partly through experiments and partly through simulations. Work is also being carried out on various scales, from the smallest with RNA, DNA and proteins to the larger, visible scales.
How does a complex organism develop from a tiny egg cell? And how can salamanders even regrow lost limbs? These and other questions are being researched by scientists from the fields of physics, biology and computer science at the interdisciplinary Physics of Life Cluster of Excellence at TU Dresden. Together, they are investigating the physical laws that enable the structure and development of living matter in cells, molecules and tissues.
Syntopic architectures: How are local materials helping to shape the building of the future?
Released on 01 September 2024
In the “Syntopic Architectures” project, researchers from the “Matters of Activity” Cluster of Excellence want to integrate natural structures into architecture that are connected to the place where they are being built. One example of this is working with beetle wood, i.e. wood that has been attacked by the bark beetle. The consideration of materials that occur in the immediate environment and its cycles makes syntopic architecture a particularly sustainable form of building and living.
The Cluster of Excellence “Matters of Activity” investigates the intrinsic activity of materials. This activity can be discovered as a new source of innovative strategies and mechanisms for rethinking the relationship between analog and digital and for developing sustainable and energy-efficient technologies. Biology and technology, mind and material, nature and culture intertwine in a new way.
The universe in the laboratory: how artificial intelligence (AI) helps in the search for elementary particles
Released on 15 September 2024
The search for new elementary particles is like looking for a needle in a haystack. In the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) particle accelerator at CERN, particles of the highest energy collide 40 million times a second. Most of the time, nothing exciting happens during these collisions. But if something does happen, it is important not to miss the moment. It would make the most sense to record all collisions continuously. But such gigantic amounts of data cannot be stored. So it has to be filtered beforehand - and artificial intelligence can help with this.
What is dark matter? Where do stars and galaxies come from? How did life on Earth originate and is there life elsewhere in the universe? The ORIGINS Cluster of Excellence is researching precisely these and other questions with over 120 working groups from the fields of astrophysics, biophysics and particle physics. ORIGINS is a joint project of the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The Max Planck Institutes for Astrophysics, Biochemistry, Extraterrestrial Physics, Physics and Plasma Physics, the European Southern Observatory, the Leibniz Supercomputing Center and the German Museum are also involved.
Plant research: defying climate change with computer models
Released on 01 October 2024
The consequences of climate change are jeopardizing harvests and therefore the world's food supply. Even though we have centuries of knowledge about agriculture, we still lack concrete knowledge about why plants are the way they are. The new challenges in particular make it necessary to find out how plants react to certain external conditions. At the CEPLAS Cluster of Excellence, researchers are working with computer models to run through various scenarios and develop new hypotheses on plant metabolism.
CEPLAS (Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences) investigates how plants adapt to changing environmental conditions, how they can colonize almost any habitat on earth and how this knowledge can be used by agriculture. The key to understanding this adaptability is the genome, because genes control plant growth and the conversion of light energy into chemical energy. This knowledge should enable plants to adapt to changing conditions, thereby making a significant contribution to solving a global challenge - securing our food supply.
New therapies against cancer: putting tumor cells into hibernation
Released on 01 November 2024
Every year, around half a million people in Germany are diagnosed with cancer. The disease was the second most common cause of death in Germany in 2023. Age is and remains the main risk factor for the disease, which calls for new measures and therapies against the backdrop of increasing life expectancy and an ageing population.
In the Tübingen Cluster of Excellence “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies” (iFIT), more than 200 researchers are working to better understand fundamental tumor biology processes in order to develop new and innovative cancer therapies. Scientists from the research areas “Functional Target Identification and Molecular Tumor Therapies”, “Immunotherapies” and “Molecular and Functional Multiparametric Imaging” are working hand in hand in an interdisciplinary environment.
Hunger and depression - what our brain has to do with it
Released on 01 December 2024
It has been known for years that our brain controls and influences processes and diseases to a greater or lesser extent. With this in mind, research at the CECAD Cluster of Excellence will take a closer look at two diseases: Depression and obesity. But not only that, both are also being researched under the aspect of ageing.
The Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD) at the University of Cologne is a research center dedicated to the study of cellular stress responses and their role in age-related diseases. Researchers at CECAD work on an interdisciplinary basis to understand how molecular and cellular mechanisms lead to diseases such as cancer, diabetes, inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. The aim is to develop innovative therapies to better treat age-related diseases and promote the healthy ageing process.
Cryptography: cyber attacks, ransomware and AI
Released on 01 January 2025
Cryptography is like an invisible protective force that makes our everyday lives more secure. Whether in keys, bank cards or smartphones - encryption technology ensures that our data remains protected. But despite this security, there are always attacks from outside, often involving powerful actors such as intelligence services. They use sophisticated methods, such as barely recognizable hardware Trojans, to gain access to sensitive information. In recent years, artificial intelligence has raised the playing field of attacks to a new level. Efficient attacks and deepfakes, i.e. deceptively real fake images and videos, are challenging us. How can we protect ourselves against ransomware attacks and at the same time prevent falling for digital deceptions?
The Cluster of Excellence “CASA - Cyber Security in the Age of Large-Scale Adversaries” pursues the goal of enabling sustainable security against large-scale, particularly nation-state attackers. The research is characterized by a highly interdisciplinary approach that examines not only technical issues but also the interplay between human behaviour and IT security.