@misc{GoerlichHornConradKampeetal.2018, author = {G{\"o}rlich, Petra and Horn-Conrad, Antje and Kampe, Heike and Zimmermann, Matthias and Scholz, Jana and Engel, Silke and Schneider, Simon}, title = {Portal Wissen = Cosmos}, number = {02/2018}, organization = {University of Potsdam, Press and Public Relations Department}, issn = {2198-9974}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-44167}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-441674}, pages = {53}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Speaking of the cosmos means speaking about nothing less than everything, about the entirety of space filled with matter and energy. We only see a tiny fraction of it from Earth: planets like Venus or stars like the Sun. There are at least 100 billion stars in our home galaxy alone. Bound by gravity, these luminescent celestial bodies of very hot gas form a system visible from Earth as a whitish ribbon, which we call the Milky Way. The observable cosmos contains at least 100 billion such galaxies with stars, cosmic dust, gas, and probably dark matter as well. The universe is 13.8 billion years old; crossing it once would probably take 78 billion light-years. Given these dimensions, it is hardly surprising that for us humans, the mystery of the properties of the cosmos is connected with questions of being. Where do we come from? Where are we going? Are we alone in the universe? Such questions are in the wheelhouse of astrophysicists, who explore the vastness of the cosmos through physical means, even though they, of course, deal with physical laws, mathematical formulas, and complicated measuring methods. In this issue of Portal Wissen, we talked with astrophysicists at the University of Potsdam about their research and everyday work. Lutz Wisotzki showed us a 3D spectrograph, which he has developed in collaboration with colleagues from the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics (AIP) and six other European institutes. This technical masterpiece enables scientists to look deeply into space and to "journey" through time to galaxies shortly after the Big Bang. Philipp Richter introduced us to the astrophysics research initiative and demonstrated how the University of Potsdam is working together with the AIP, the Albert Einstein Institute (AEI) and the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) to train junior researchers. The newly appointed Professor of Stellar Astrophysics, Stephan Geier, presented us with stars so close together to each other that they appear to be one to the naked eye. The physicist, who is also a historian, researches their turbulent relationships. We have not confined ourselves to cosmic themes, though, but also questioned rather earthly matters such as modern consumption. We have thought about potential love relationships with robots and testimonials in literature and art. We learned why the rainforest in Central Africa disappeared 2,600 years ago, how to produce knee prostheses on a production line, and how animals in the field benefit from big data. But back to the cosmos. The writing of late astrophysicist Stephen Hawking fundamentally shaped our concepts and knowledge of the universe. And that is because he was both an important physicist and a literary genius. Hardly anyone has been able to capture difficult facts in such a clear, understandable, and beautiful language. With this exemplary understanding of science in mind, we hope to offer you a stimulating read. The Editors}, language = {en} } @misc{ZimmermannScholzEckardtetal.2018, author = {Zimmermann, Matthias and Scholz, Jana and Eckardt, Barbara and Kampe, Heike and G{\"o}rlich, Petra and Horn-Conrad, Antje}, title = {Portal Wissen = Language}, number = {01/2018}, organization = {University of Potsdam, Press and Public Relations Department}, issn = {2198-9974}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-44166}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-441666}, pages = {53}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Language is perhaps the most universal tool of human beings. It enables us to express ourselves, to communicate and understand, to help and get help, to create and share togetherness. However, that does not completely capture the value of language. "Language belongs to the character of man," said the English philosopher Sir Francis Bacon. If you believe the poet Johann Gottfried von Herder, a human is "only a human through language". Ultimately, this means that we live in our world not with, but in, language. We not only describe our reality by means of language, but language is the device through which we open up the world in the first place. It is always there and shapes and influences us and the way we perceive, analyze, describe and ultimately determine everything around us. Since it is so deeply connected with human nature, it is hardly surprising that our language has always been in the center of academic research - and not only in those fields that bear the name linguistics. Philosophy and media studies, neurology and psychology, computer science and semiotics - all of them are based on linguistic structures and their premises and possibilities. Since July 2017, a scientific network at the University of Potsdam has been working on exactly this interface: the Collaborative Research Center "Limits of Variability in Language" (SFB 1287), funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Linguists, computer scientists, psychologists, and neurologists examine where language is or is not flexible. They hope to find out more about individual languages and their connections. In this issue of Portal Wissen, we asked SFB spokeswoman Isabell Wartenburger and deputy spokesman Malte Zimmermann to talk about language, its variability and limits, and how they investigate these aspects. We also look over the shoulders of two researchers who are working on sub-projects: Germanist Heike Wiese and her team examine whether the pandemonium of the many different languages spoken at a weekly market in Berlin is creating a new language with its own rules. Linguist Doreen Georgi embarks on a typological journey around the world comparing about 30 languages to find out if they have common limits. We also want to introduce other research projects at the University of Potsdam and the people behind them. We talk to biologists about biodiversity and ecological dynamics, and the founders of the startup "visionYOU" explain how entrepreneurship can be combined with social responsibility. Other discussions center round the effective production of antibodies and the question of whether the continued use of smartphones will eventually make us speechless. But do not worry: we did not run out of words - the magazine is full of them! Enjoy your reading! The Editors}, language = {en} } @misc{ThulinKrahMeyeretal.2018, author = {Thulin, Mirjam and Krah, Markus and Meyer, Michael A. and Schorsch, Ismar and Brodt, Eliezer and Sariel, Eliezer and Yedidya, Asaf and Esther, Solomon and Kessler, Samuel J. and Bratkin, Dimitri and Sax, Benjamin E. and Stair, Rose and Ariel, Yaakov S. and Weidner, Daniel and Ebert, Sophia and Martini, Annett and Fischer, Bernd and Th{\"u}ne, Eva-Maria and Bock, Dennis and Engelmann, Jonas and Aust, Cornelia and Walter, Nancy}, title = {PaRDeS : Zeitschrift der Vereinigung f{\"u}r J{\"u}dische Studien = Cultures of Wissenschaft des Judentums at 200}, series = {PaRDeS : Zeitschrift der Vereinigung f{\"u}r J{\"u}dische Studien e. V.}, journal = {PaRDeS : Zeitschrift der Vereinigung f{\"u}r J{\"u}dische Studien e. V.}, number = {24}, editor = {Krah, Markus and Thulin, Mirjam and Pick, Bianca}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam}, address = {Potsdam}, isbn = {978-3-86956-440-1}, issn = {1614-6492}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-414943}, pages = {280}, year = {2018}, abstract = {PaRDeS, the journal of the German Association for Jewish Studies, aims at exploring the fruitful and multifarious cultures of Judaism as well as their relations to their environment within diverse areas of research. In addition, the journal promotes Jewish Studies within academic discourse and reflects on its historic and social responsibilities.}, language = {en} }