Leaks: Experts Criticize IPCC for Climate Change Report Strategy
A draft of the next UN review of scientific studies on climate change has been leaked, and it's not the first time. Now, a growing number of experts are criticizing the the organization's secretetive...
View ArticleMale Menopause Myth: Testosterone Gels Over Prescribed
A supposed epidemic of male menopause is upon us -- but in reality, this is a prime example of how pharmaceutical companies create and exploit new markets. Treatments such as testosterone gels could be...
View ArticleReport by Team Doctor Suggests Blood Doping in German Football League
Blood doping is not a problem in soccer -- that, at least, is the position of the German Football Association. But a new study identified anomalously high levels in blood samples taken from hundreds of...
View ArticleDiepholz Attic Mummy Contains Human Bones
Many thought the mummy found last month by a boy in his grandmother's attic in Germany would turn out to be a phony. But scans show it contains real human bones, though probably not those of an ancient...
View ArticlePhysik: Atomuhren messen Höhenunterschiede zentimetergenau
Mit zwei Atomuhren und einer Glasfaserleitung haben Physiker den Höhenunterschied zwischen 2000 Kilometer entfernten Orten bestimmt. Der Fehler lag dabei bei lediglich vier Millimetern. Für das...
View ArticleDiepholz Attic Mummy Made of Plastic Skeleton with Real Skull
A mysterious mummy found in a German attic has kept experts busy for several weeks. Now they have finally determined it's a fake.
View ArticleScientists: Dolphin Intelligence May Be Overrated
For decades, it's been common knowledge that dolphins are among the world's smartest species. Now some researchers -- and a new book -- argue the supposed underwater geniuses aren't so special after all.
View ArticleCommentary: UN Climate Change Report Should Lead to Action
More than 800 experts from 195 countries have collaborated on the UN's lengthy new report on climate change. Despite points of scientific contention, the study uncovers worrying developments. Instead...
View ArticleScientist Uses Brainwaves to Test Ideal Prices for Products
A German scientist is developing a new way of testing prices by measuring brain waves. Some marketing critics are horrified by the idea of feel-good pricing, but others argue it could make products...
View ArticleAndrew Solomon Discusses his Book Far from the Tree
For his new book, author Andrew Solomon spoke with parents who have children completely unlike them -- with autism, Down syndrome or dwarfism. SPIEGEL spoke with him about his findings and how they...
View ArticleBizarre Rituals of Famous Geniuses: Mozart to Rand to Freud and Proust
One drank 50 cups of coffee a day, another disappeared to a stone hut in the forest to compose: Many celebrated geniuses have practiced quirky everyday rituals to help them overcome the difficulties of...
View ArticleScientists Use Computer to Mathematically Prove Gödel God Theorem
Two scientists have formalized a theorem regarding the existence of God penned by mathematician Kurt Gödel. But the God angle is somewhat of a red herring -- the real step forward is the example it...
View ArticlePaleoartist Doug Henderson Describes the World of Dinosaur Art
Douglas Henderson is probably the most important living paleoartist. Influenced by 19th-century landscape painting, he depicts a long-disappeared world. He tells SPIEGEL ONLINE about the stigma...
View ArticleAmbitious Efforts to Reduce Light Pollution in Germany and Elsewhere
The eastern German area of Westhavelland is blessed with magical night skies, darker than almost anyplace else in the country. A "dark-sky park" for amateur astronomers and nature lovers is in the...
View ArticleScientist David Keith On Slowing Global Warming With Geoengineering
Canadian environmental scientist David Keith wants to change the world's climate by creating a type of sun filter in the sky to halt global warming. In an interview, he argues the technology is...
View ArticleGerman Universities Under Fire for Taking Pentagon Contracts
German research institutions have accepted more than $10 million in contracts from the Pentagon since 2000 to cover seemingly benign topics like congenital tumors. But it appears some of these projects...
View ArticleFilmmaker Randy Olson: Climate Change Is Becoming Boring
Has the climate change "brand" been ruined? Scientist-turned-filmmaker Randy Olson says that the problem with trying to raise awareness about global warming is that it's the most boring subject on earth.
View ArticleResearchers Alarmed at Rise in German Brown Coal Power Output
Germany plans to wean itself off CO2-belching coal-fired power stations. But new figures show that coal power output in 2013 reached its highest level in more than 20 years. Researchers blame cheap CO2...
View ArticleStudy Finds King Ludwig II May Not Have Been Crazy
People have long believed that Bavarian King Ludwig II, the man responsible for building the famous castle of Neuschwanstein, was mentally ill. Indeed, he was dethroned for that very reason. But a...
View ArticleDNA Analysis Shows Native Americans Had European Roots
Despite general resistence, representatives of tribes in the US recently gave their blessing for DNA analysis of the remains of a Stone Age child. Research conducted on the boy's genes indicate that...
View ArticleDairy Farming in Europe: Effiency Paramount as EU Quotas Expire
Smaller dairy farms in Germany are rapidly disappearing, and with EU quotas on milk production set to expire next year, the process is likely to accelerate. The only way to survive is to turn cows into...
View ArticleHow Copyright Laws Prevent Easy Sharing of E-Books
Many publishing houses don't allow their products to be lent out by digital libraries for fear of piracy. Articles and books by researchers are also affected. Readers are the ones who have to pay the...
View ArticleMeteorologist Lennart Bengtsson Joins Climate Skeptic Think Tank
Meteorologist Lennart Bengtsson has long been considered a cool head in the often heated conflict over global warming. In an interview, he defends his decision to join an organization that is skeptical...
View ArticleClimate Scientists Mixed over Controversy Surrounding Respected Researcher
After joining a controversial lobby group critical of climate change, meteorologist Lennart Bengtsson claims he was shunned by colleagues, leading him to quit. Some scientists complain pressure to...
View ArticleScientist Alex Pentland Argues Big Data Can Be Used to Improve Society
In a SPIEGEL interview, American data scientist Alex Pentland discusses how data streams can be used to determine the laws of human interaction. He argues the information can be used to help forge...
View ArticleProject Seeks To Colonize the Red Planet
It might become the mother of all reality shows. Fully 704 candidates are soon to begin competing for a trip to Mars to establish a colony there. Broadcasting rights are to fund the mission, but a...
View ArticleGerman Doctor Shares Story of Ebola Encounter in Sierra Leone
After the discovery of Ebola at the only children's hospital in Sierra Leone, nurses and doctors alike fled. German physician Werner Strahl of the aid organzation Cap Anamur, who stayed behind to...
View ArticleInterview with Peter Piot Discoverer of the Ebola Virus
Almost four decades ago, Peter Piot was part of the team that discovered the Ebola virus. In a SPIEGEL interview, he describes how the disease was isolated and explains why the current outbreak is...
View ArticleRosetta Comet Landing Could Teach Us About Life on Earth
On Wednesday, astronomers with the European Space Agency will attempt a maneuver that has never been tried before. A probe from the spacecraft Rosetta is to land on a comet some 500 million kilometers...
View ArticleEbola Vaccine Search Moves Ahead Rapidly
Medical researchers are frantically testing new drugs and vaccines in the hope of slowing down the Ebola epidemic. Thus far, results have been promising. It may only be a matter of weeks before the...
View ArticleInfectious Disease Expert Jeremy Farrar on Ebola Epidemic
British medical expert Jeremy Farrar is a key figure in the fight against Ebola and other infectious diseases. In a SPIEGEL interview, he says that the development of vaccines is key because...
View ArticleNew ESA Head Wörner: 'We Could Build All Kinds of Things with Moon Concrete'
On July 1, Johann-Dietrich Wörner will become the new general director of the European Space Agency. SPIEGEL speaks with him about his dream of building a colony on the moon and the difficulties of...
View ArticleSPIEGEL Interview with Two Female Nobel Prize Recipients
In a SPIEGEL interview, Nobel Prize for medicine recipients Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and May-Britt Moser discuss the challenges women face in the male-dominated world of science and how they broke...
View ArticlePhysicist Frank Wilczek Interview About Beauty in Physics
Nobel Prize-winner Frank Wilczek talks to SPIEGEL about the universe's extraordinary symmetry, the overlap between beauty and physics and why we may be on the verge of a bigger discovery than the Higgs...
View ArticleAtul Gawande Talks about Death and Caring for the Elderly
Bestselling author Dr. Atul Gawande's new book focuses on medical care for the dying. In an interview, he speaks with SPIEGEL about end-of-life priorities, when treatment is a mistake and how rules in...
View ArticleMathematician Ken Ono Talks About His Search For Ramanujan
Ken Ono is an award-winning mathematician who specializes in number theory. As a kid, his parents pushed him hard to be the best, and it almost drove him to ruin. He talked to SPIEGEL about young...
View ArticleProject "Icarus": Following Birds On Their Way South
There are 1.6 billion songbirds in Europe and half of them fly south for the winter. Scientists would like to follow them -- but keeping up isn't easy. At least for now.
View ArticleForscher messen kürzeste Zeitspanne
Sprinter kämpfen um Hundertstelsekunden, bayerische Forscher sind schon 16 Nachkommastellen weiter. Sie haben nun die kürzeste, je registrierte Zeitspanne gestoppt.
View ArticleOrnithologist Richard Prum on Duck Sex and Human Evolution
In an interview, Richard Prum, an ornithologist and curator at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University, discusses the violent mechanics of duck sex, the beauty of bird-mating rituals...
View ArticleSpaceX Chief Engineer Says Musk Isn't Going Anywhere
The problems are piling up for Elon Musk, the eccentric billionaire behind SpaceX. Could the space exploration company one day jettison its embattled founder? We asked Chief Engineer for Launches Hans...
View ArticleRocket Lab Prepares Satellite Launches at Rock-Bottom Prices
In an interview, Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck discusses his company's ambitious plans to tap the growing market for transporting satellites into space. He sees a bright future for his company and its...
View ArticleAstronomer Avi Loeb on the Interstellar Body 'Oumuamua
Astronomer Avi Loeb believes that the interstellar object dubbed 'Oumuamua could actually be a probe sent by alien beings. Given the evidence that has so far been gathered, he says, it is a possible...
View ArticleDavid Attenborough Interview: 'Not a Dangerous Business'
Sir David Attenborough has long been a household name for his landmark nature documentaries for the BBC. Now, his Netflix series "Our Planet" is starting on April 5. In a DER SPIEGEL interview, he...
View ArticleCOVID-19 Remedy?: High Hopes for Remdesivir in the Coronavirus Fight
When the coronavirus pandemic began, the pharmaceutical company Gilead pulled remdesivir out of its storeroom. The drug, which had proved to be ineffective against other illnesses, could have a future...
View ArticleWhat the Coronavirus Does Inside the Body: Anatomy of a Killer
SARS-CoV-2 does much more damage to the human body than initially assumed. It can attack any number of organs and even penetrates the brain. But why do some people experience worse symptoms than others?
View ArticleMushroom Expert Merlin Sheldrake: "Fungi Can Teach Us a New Way of Looking at...
Fungi's role in our world has been vastly underestimated, says biologist Merlin Sheldrake. They can even make decisions, just like us.
View ArticleNobel Prize in Physics Winner: "It's Unbelievable All That's Going On at the...
German astrophysicist Reinhard Genzel was just awarded the Nobel Prize in physics. In an interview, he talks about how he discovered the black hole at the center of the Milky Way.
View ArticlePhysiker David Deutsch: »Es gibt eine Wahrheit. Aber wir sind unfähig, sie zu...
Fly to the stars? Conquer the climate crisis? Mankind can solve all problems, argues British physicist David Deutsch. Progress, he says, is the key: technical, moral, political and scientific.
View ArticleThe Search for the Origins of SARS-CoV-2: "The Results on My Screen Were:...
Evolutionary biologist Florence Débarre has long been searching for genetic sequences from the market in Wuhan. Recently, she made an astounding discovery. What does it tell us about the origins of the...
View ArticleÖtzi Shows His True Colors: New Analysis Indicates that Austrian Iceman Was...
Every year, hundreds of thousands of museum-goers visit Ötzi in the South Tyrolean town of Bolzano. New research, though, shows that the famous model of the man from the Chalcolithic age is inaccurate....
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