As a tool of science, artificial intelligence entails numerous risks, opportunities, and ambivalences. These need to be identified and classified. However, there is no revolution in sight, according to Jens Schröter.
Distributed Peer Review (DPR): New findings on the review process
Articles in the journals Science and Nature summarise recent experiences with the use of the innovative DPR method, which were presented at the Metascience 2025 conference in London.
Now online: IMPULSE magazine "Protecting democracy"
What holds our society together in the face of the crisis of democracy? What concepts does science offer us to keep democracy strong and vibrant? We explore these questions in the latest issue of our magazine IMPULSE (in German).
Germany is at the centre of a maelstrom of global crises and conflicts. Right-wing populists are enjoying growing popularity. And many solutions are expected from the new federal government. And quickly! A conversation between sociologist Steffen Mau and Georg Schütte, CEO of the Volkswagen Foundation, about the end of the 'fair-weather democracy' (Mau) and the journey into the unknown.
Finally having a say on AI - insights into the Citizens' Assembly "AI and freedom"
Have your say on artificial intelligence and help shape the future of research on the topic. Forty randomly selected citizens from Baden-Württemberg have set themselves this task. They came together over a period of several months in the Citizens' Council called ‘Artificial Intelligence and Freedom’.
Manganese Nodules and Microorganisms: Life Fuelled by Radioactivity?
Radioactivity is generally considered harmful to life. Yet in manganese nodules in the deep sea, microorganisms might benefit from it. Or even live off it? This is the intriguing hypothesis that geoscientist Walter Geibert hopes to prove.
What happens in the brain when we are confronted with completely unknown things and situations? At TU Dresden, Christian Beste is researching what is known as the "unknown unknown". To do so, he is turning science on its head.
