max planck
Genome of extinct Siberian cave-dweller linked to modern-day humans
Researchers have discovered evidence of a distinct group of “archaic” humans existing outside of Africa more than 30,000 years ago at a time when Neanderthals are thought to have dominated Europe and Asia. But genetic testing shows that members of t…
Young children sensitive to others’ behaviors and intentions
Young children’s helpfulness is tempered when they see that the person they intend to help has harmed another person. But it also diminishes when they see that the object of their attention meant to harm another, even if no harm was done.
That’s t…
Synapses recycle proteins for the release of neurotransmitters
Neurons communicate via chemical transmitters which they store in the bubble-like synaptic vesicles and release as required. To be able to react reliably to stimulation, neurons must have a certain number of “acutely releasable” vesicles. With…
All genes in 1 go
The majority of rare diseases are hereditary. But despite significant progress in genome research, in most cases their exact cause remains unclear. The discovery of the underlying genetic defect is, however, a prerequisite for their definitive…
Waiting for the right moment
Pathogens make themselves feel at home in the human body, invading cells and living off the plentiful amenities on offer. However, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, together with colleagues at Harvard Unive…
Chinese restart mothballed German fusion device
One of the world’s most successful fusion devices of the eighties, the ASDEX experiment of Max-Planck-Institut f?r Plasmaphysik at Garching, near Munich, went into operation again on 2 December 2002 at Southwestern Institute of Physics in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. Five years after shutdown in 1990 ASDEX was given to the People’s Republic of China. The ASDEX (Axially Symmetric Divertor Experiment) large-scale device was shut down in 1990 after ten years of successful experimentation, when its successor, ASDEX Upgrade, went into operation. The internationally acclaimed results achieved with ASDEX ? including the discovery of a plasma state with improved thermal insulation ? made it one of the most successful fusion devices of the eighties.
Speeding star indicates mondo black hole in middle of Milky Way
Researchers say they’ve successfully tracked a star racing around a dark mass at the center of our Milky Way galaxy, offering strong support for the theory that a black hole is at the center of our little corner of space. Astronomers at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics tracked the orbit of the closest known star to the black hole candidate Sagittarius A*, a dark mass 3,000,000 times the mass of the sun. Following the star for 10 years, they found that it does indeed orbit Sagittarius A*. Approaching the black hole’s maw, the star reaches its highest velocity, whizzing past it at 5,000 kilometers per second.