Nature isn’t always on our side

For many people, food and chemicals just don’t belong together. But does a long list of ingredients and additives mean that our food is unnatural or even unhealthy? Professor Daniel Wefers, a food chemist from the University of Halle, advocates a more pragmatic view of things. Read more

Die Debatte, wie Kinder am besten schreiben lernen, bewegt von jeher die Gemüter. Die Sprachdidaktikerin Prof. Dr. Anke Reichardt sucht nach neuen Wegen für den Schriftspracherwerb. Außerdem fordert sie ein gesellschaftliches Umdenken im Umgang mit Rechtschreibfehlern. Read more

Genius? Plagiarist? Or both?

Georg Friedrich Handel based his compositions on the works of other artists more than almost any other musician of his era. Although such practices are often rejected as “plagiarism” or “forgery” in the modern world, they should be studied carefully in Handel’s case. The musicologist Professor Wolfgang Hirschmann reviews the research carried out so far. Read more

Global crises require global solutions

The World Health Organisation (WHO) was originally founded to assess global health risks. However, during the Corona pandemic, the WHO’s influence has declined significantly and nation states have taken over emergency management. Dr Jonathan Everts, a professor of human geography, puts this fact into perspective. Read more

Gender issues in the Bible

When it comes to sexuality and gender roles, a fair share of people refer to the Holy Scripture. However, biblical scholar Professor Stefan Schorch says no clear answers are to be found in the Old or New Testament – and he explains why they shouldn’t be expected. Read more

Psychology for the Stasi

The internal security service of the former German Democratic Republic (Stasi) used highly targeted psychological methods to discredit dissident citizens and break their resistance. In the 1970s, the Stasi even introduced “operative psychology” as a subject at its university in Potsdam-Golm. Professor Uwe Wolfradt explains how psychology was misused by the Stasi and how it affected its victims. Read more

Context: Are there too many academics?

It is frequently said that universities must orientate their courses towards the labour market – or else risk of a wave of unemployment. Professor Manfred Stock, educational sociologist, explains why this is wrong and how universities even adapt the labour market to themselves. Read more

What is the east?

The question of the east, of what is specifically East German is discussed in politics and the feature articles of national daily newspapers. What should be explained and why? The religious scholar Professor Daniel Cyranka puts the topic into context. Read more