GIRS' DAYGirls can do everything
190 schoolgirls came to the 10th Girls' Day at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). Under the motto "Science is Exciting", they built computers, discovered the chemistry of colors, and solved tricky crimes. The mentors of the Ada Lovelace Project (ALP) were there to advise and guide them.
ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIP 2012The search for the "missing" link is called off
The evolution of mankind did not begin with a bigger brain, it began with the upright gait. As curtain raiser to his lecture series "Out of Africa: Zur Globalgeschichte des Homo sapiens" ("Out of Africa: On the global history of Homo sapiens"), Professor Dr. Friedemann Schrenk, the 13th holder of the Johannes Gutenberg Endowed Professorship, takes his audience back to the roots of humanity.
SOCIAL MEDIAPrivacy is just an illusion
From party photos to relationship status to sexual orientation – self-disclosure in the social web has become part of our everyday lives. But, users rarely make distinctions between good friends, acquaintances or workmates when posting private information. As a result, the 'private sphere' is disappearing. Dr. Leonard Reinecke, Junior Professor at the Institute of Media and Communication Studies at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), has been looking closely at this trend; how are users of social network platforms like Facebook dealing with this problem of self-disclosure and the protection of their private sphere?
ARS LEGENDI PRIZE 2012One man gets excited about tiresome teaching
Mass universities need to place greater emphasis on teaching, says Dr. Malte Persike from the Institute of Psychology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). He has just been awarded the Ars legendi Prize for Excellence in University Teaching from the German Rectors' Conference and the Donors' Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities in Germany – even though he teaches a subject that most of his students dread: Psychological methodology
SYRIA"I have never experienced such a mode of disinformation before"
Günter Meyer is a popular interview partner when the crisis in Syria is the subject. Media representatives arrive in droves to talk with the professor, who works at the Institute of Geography at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). The expert on the Middle East is trying to correct the picture being propagated by mainstream journalism with its excessive bias in favor of the opposition.
SURVEYGermans spend EUR 103 billion on sport
Sport is dear to German hearts, but before Holger Preuß conducted his study nobody had any idea just how dear it is. The professor of Sports Sociology and Sports Business Administration at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) presents figures that provide impressive proof of the economic impact of sport: Germans spend at least EUR 103 billion on sport every year.
BIOLOGYA molecule folds itself into a solar sail
Professor Dr. Harald Paulsen and his team are researching the characteristics of the light-harvesting protein LHCII. The protein and its unusual self-organization skills have fascinated biologists for twenty years. It plays an important role in photosynthesis and may one day majorly increase the efficiency of solar cells.
SCHOOL OF MUSICStraight from university to the opera stage
In 1988, the famous mezzo-soprano Claudia Eder brought a breath of fresh air to the School of Music at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). Appointed to a professorship, the singer was able to combine study and practice in a unique way. Her concept continues to be very successful and she now has many imitators.
FUKUSHIMAThe media fueled fears while experts went unheard
What happened a year ago in Fukushima? What role did the media play concerning safety assessment? What are the risks of nuclear power? Dr. Gabriele Hampel, operating manager of the research reactor TRIGA of the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry at JGU, advocates an objective discussion about questions such as these. She sees the symposium "Radiation Protection - A Year after Fukushima" as a step in the right direction.
VIDEO INSTALLATIONSix years of filming on the river
The video installation 'fliozan' invites visitors to lose themselves in the fascinating network of German riverscapes. It took six years for Professor Dr. Harald Schleicher of the Academy of Fine Arts at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) to complete this monumental project. It is now on display in Duisburg.