Languages are constantly evolving. Whenever two languages come into contact, they interact with one another. In some cases, such interaction results in entirely new languages, so-called creole languages. Professor of Romance linguistics Ralph Ludwig explains how and why these languages are a subject of research, and what we can learn from them. Read more
Anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorders are major themes of traditional psychology. Happiness and playfulness are seldom discussed. Positive psychology, which has gained a lot of attention in recent years, looks at precisely these aspects. Psychologist Dr René Proyer explains why. Read more
Every human being shares his or her body with a countless number of tiny organisms, for example, bacteria. Up until a few years ago their significance was unrecognised. Today we know that bacteria can significantly impact a person’s health and even their behaviour. Gary Sawers, a professor of microbiology, explains why. Read more
Gene scissors derived from bacterial “CRISPR/Cas” systems are considered to be a revolutionary discovery in the field of biosciences. It has never been easier to modify the genetic material of plants, animals or humans. Dr Johannes Stuttmann from the Institute of Biology explains the technique as well as its advantages and disadvantages. Read more
