Tag: biologie

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École buissonnière

In 2026 the “École buissonnière“, the outdoor schooling has become a viable alternative to the schools that are overly hot during summer. But far beyond being an alternative out of necessity, schools as well as kindergardens adopt a form of schooling close to and in nature. It can be so much more than a simple interlude or excursion. Learning from nature is a precursor of bionics as well as compassion. After all nature offers ample examples of diversity and coping mechanisms. It is an option not only for learning purposes restricted to the young, but it is underexploited in continuous learning and lifewide experiences as well. There have been abuses also in history, most notably by Nazis in Germany for purposes of indoctrination. The learning opportunities to encourage a critical perspective of our modern, technology- and screen-dominated learning and life, are huge. They just need experienced guidance on the way of discovery, comparisons and collective experiences. Children open up and have fun, the more the pressure of classrooms is alleviated.  Learning about the importance of biodiversity from different angles is a very human value and includes our responsibility for other species.

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Autonomy in swarm

Swarm behavior is a fascinating research area. Almost all scientific disciplines feature some interest and publication in this area. The biological origins have been associated a lot with the marvelous behavior and patterns formed by fish moving about in swarms. Some species of birds show similar patterns of collective and somehow coordinated swarm movement. It appears to be tricky to safeguard some form of autonomy in the overriding mass behavior and mass movement.
Recent advances in this field by Li, Li & Zhao (2023) model such behavior within a predator-prey framework to explain the evolution of overall swarm behavior. Whereas “prey” strategies consist in “flocking” and “swirling” to irritate predator(s), the predators make use of “dispersion”, “confusion” as well as “marginal predation tactics”. Additionally, several assumptions go into the modeling of swarm behavioral evolution: agent observation, agent dynamics, and the environment. The mixed cooperative-competitive multi-agent setting applies reinforcement learning, additionally. The framework of evolution has 5 driving forces: (1) homogeneity of a swarm (parameter sharing); (2) actor with decentralized critic network; (3) replay buffer to enhance learning; (4) rewards for predator and loss for prey; (5) learning algorithm.
The modeling approach reveals the impact of an agent-critic network (potential of autonomous behavior) for protection of a swarm in a predator-prey scenario. (Image: fish in fish bowl 2024)

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VOC for VCs

The research into VOCs (short for “volatile organic compounds”) is a busy research field in biology and environmental sciences. It might be of interest to VCs (short for “venture capitalists”) as well in the near future. VOCs are those organic compounds that orginate in animal manure as well as those emanating from plants have an impact on people working there or who are living nearby. Allergic reactions cause millions of days lost in working every spring or summer season. Long-term effects are yet another critical issue in this respect. Whereas the measurement techniques of VOCs have evolved a lot, the interaction effects of different VOCs are slowly producing interesting results that might eventually become of interest to VCs.
Abonde et al. (2026) show that there is a kind of communication between different plants via VOCs, which has an impact on growth and defence mechanisms of some plants. Amateur botanists have always wondered about the anecdotal evidence that some plants or flowers grow well next to each other, whereas other ones seem to deter each other. For crops, this mechanism has been documented and more experimental research of this kind will corroborate the potential of, for example, “natural fertilizers” in future. Remember to think of VOCs the next time you experience scents from animals, plants or flowers as a wonderful research topic with VC potential.

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Mammalian Aging

Mammals share a lot of similarities with respect to aging. The researchers Alexander Tyshkovskiy and Vadim N. Gladyshev et al. (2026) spearheaded multiple research to identify similarities across humans, macaques, rodents and mice. The outcome of this overarching study of mammalian aging and mortality is a set of biomarkers that can serve to predict time to death.
Why is this interesting? With the rise of the longevity interest in the 21st century, the need increases to use robust biomarkers that can assess any presumably miraculous innovation to smooth human aging or prolong the time to death. Steps towards “universal transcriptomic signatures” including CDKN1A and LGALS3 (compare across species), which proved to be important in mortality predictions based on the large UK Biodata.
It is the accumulation of damage, which drives  processes of aging . However, “inflammation, replicative senescence, metabolic inhibition and γ-irradiation” can be attenuated or occasionally even reversed. The aging of cellular components has been demonstrated using “modular-specific clocks”.
With these biological advances in the field of biomarkers, the BPS nexus (biology-psychology-society links) could receive more attention as well in order to enlarge the society-wide research into the causes of human aging.
(Image: Staatsballett Berlin, Choreographie Crystal Pite, Gods and Dogs, Angels’ Atlas performed 2026-5, final applause)

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Nature as a concept

We all hold implicit or explicit concepts of nature in our minds. There are few countries that have “battled” over the course of history with changing and often “politicised” concepts of nature. The exhibition in the DHM “Deutsches Historisches Museum” on “Nature and German History, Faith – Biology – Power” is convincing with this cross-disciplinary approach to the subject. The chronological structure of the exhibition starts with Hildegard von Bingen’s vision of nature embedded into the huge diversity of plants with almost spiritual power. Admiration of plants and the animal world, however, became an economic resource just like gold and slavery during colonization, being followed by industrialization as the epitome of man’s power over nature. Counter movements have been on the rise in the 2nd half of the 20th century. Another power struggle over how and who defines the dominant concept of nature in the 21st century. As nuclear energy, bombs and waste redefined the long-term consequences of “treating” nature, the battles about the prevailing concept of nature intensify. The exhibition in Berlin 2026 is a fine example of a historical perspective on the relationship between society, nature and technology, where the concept of nature becomes a malleable concept between the other two players or systems. (Image: Metamorphosis of the silk moth, DHM 2026-5)

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Exercise and neurons

The neurons in the brain have an active part even in training effects of physical exercise. Morgan Kindel et al. (2026) have accomplished a rigorous test that demonstrates the involvement of brain neurons when mice were exercising repeatedly. Training effects were larger if the neurons of brain cells were involved as well. The cell’s learning ability encodes the experience of exercise and is prepared for a repetition of the exercise. This is roughly what happened in their experiments in my own words. Runners might know the effect that running on track or treadmill uses up less calories than running cross-country where the brain is more challenged to avoid missteps or loss of orientation. However, the latter are different tasks whereas the former experiments demonstrate that the brain is involved in physical exercise even if we do not notice it. Exercise might spur brain plasticity just by doing it. Hence, just do it.  

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Foul-smelling dictatorship

The animal world is full of interesting strategies of how to turn over a foul-smelling ruler or dictatorship. The ant queen of “lasius orientalis” infiltrates a colony of “lavius flavus” to spray the incumbent queen with a foul-smelling substance which turns the worker ants against their own queen and eventually kills the queen. This is a rather intelligent strategy to trick the defense system of rival colonies and prepare a takeover of a whole colony to install your own reign.
This may constitute a stark warning for democracies just as much as a threat to persistent dictatorships. In the age of the not so social media there is a lot of foul-smells produced. Beware of the risks to democracy as open societies are much easier to infiltrate than closed societies or dictatorships. (Link)

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Genetic diversity

Part of genetic diversity is the apparent fact that some partnerships have only girls or only women as descendants. This is the message of a study published in Science Advances by Wang et al. on 2025-7-18. The commonly assumed binomial distribution where each event has an equal chance of occurrence at each new point in time does not necessarily hold for this particular events. Therefore, the search for a genetic explanation has been going on for some years. Therefore, there might be a potential for an epigenetic explanation as well, as environmental conditions might co-determine the expression of genes in both parents. The research will surely continue and the sex and gender diversity offers still a lot of surprises. A sociologist’s perspective would tend to focus on later gender attributes and choices rather than sex at birth. The bio-psycho-social research agenda remains wide open.  

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Fertility Fecundity

The scientific debate around changes in fertility has focused on social, economic and cultural factors to explain the drop in total fertility rates in OECD countries. The baby boom years of the 1950s and early 1960s had come to an end following the spread of new forms of birth control like contraception from the late 1960s onwards. The trend is very obvious and yet, the explanations of the trend might lack a more profound analysis of fecundity in addition to the socio-economic explanations. Shakkebaek et al. (2025) point for example to the little known effects of environmental (pollution) factors on the biological reproduction capability of humans (men and women).
Additionally, psycho-social factors like “the German Angst” fear about future developments in many social and economic fields might have direct effects, but also indirect effects on human biology. We know still very little about such feedback loops or feedback effects. We are more convinced, than we actually have hard evidence, that the BSP, SPB or PSB (B=Bio, S=Social, P=Psycho) spheres are interwoven, but an ambitious research agenda is called for to enlighten the issue. The big invisible elephant in the room might be environmental issues that enter into the fertility equations more than we have expected for many years. A nice working hypothesis for an ambitious and overdue research agenda.

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Spring Newborn

For many species spring is the time for newborns to enter into life. Pigeons in the neighborhood have completed the breeding phase and they called upon the newborn to crack the shell open. Nourishment is already abundant in the surroundings and parents appear to be impatient to quit the guarding of their offsprings. Time for the next generation to take over a similar role soon.
Pigeons don’t ask questions about fertility. They reproduce in abundance if the environmental conditions are alright.
Human beings are a danger for them as some feed them well, but others defend their territory, housing or living space against any intrusion by pigeons. Compromises are not easy to accomplish.
Fans of the song writer Georg Kreissler keep humming with dark humor: „Geh‘n wir Tauben vergiften im Park …“. The struggle for survival of species has changed in kind and we are, more than ever, responsible for the living conditions of other species as well.

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Warming consequences

The live of honey bees is rather busy and well organized. Global warming necessitates new risks and new opportunities for honey bees. The flowering season starts earlier in Europe and bees start earlier ro their collection of nectar and their service of pollination to other flowers. In early April 2025 in France near Paris we observe wild bees already in their daily routine. However, the risk of cold nights is still there, albeit those building their homes below the surface are a bit less at risk during a frosty night. Seeking a clever shelter is a good strategy for survival particularly at times of global warming. Some kinds of wild bees seem to sense this already changing homes from one season to next one. Humans remain their toughest enemies as they restrict their choices quite severely. Man-made pollution and herbicides are beyond bees’ control and cause havoc in the ecosystem of bees. Apiculture is an interesting science also for social scientists as this forerunner species of the matriarchy has evolved into a well-organized productive society. They are a bit harsh to each other and communication is rather unidirectional, but an interesting social cosmos of its own kind.

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Not learning

For decades our attention has been focused on how learning works. However, at the beginning of 2025 it might be more important to shift our focus of learning research on “not learning”. Recent research on learning includes the study of “social learning” of mice (Winiarski et al. 2025) and the related brain mechanisms that are involved in social learning like the prelimbic cortex.
For our human societies we also rely to a great deal on social learning. In mice, however, the disruption of the prelimbic cortex causes mice to no longer seek “social information related to rewards” from other mice. In Eco-HAB cages these mice follow their scent capabilities to “sort” their information seeking from for example higher “social status animals”. This tested reward seeking behavior allows clues to how learning works. The intervention to disrupt the synaptic plasticity in a later phase of the experiment reveals less social learning from the network social information and fewer contributions to the social network.
Only intact neural plasticity in the prelimbic cortex ensures the maintaining of the social structure. Of course it is highly questionable, whether these results based on animal experiments tell us anything about social structure and social learning in other mammals, but there might be reasons to search for explanations of “no social learning” in humans as well.

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Animal Longevity

  1. From time to time it is interesting to study animals from many species to maybe learn from them about longevity. Roberto Salguero-Gómez (LINK) developed a sociality continuum and compared 152 species across 13 taxonomic classes. The study reiterates and generalizes the many studies of single species and finds that „more social species live longer, have more generation time and longer reproductive windows“.  Social structures amongst animals of the same species influence survival and reproduction as basic demographic processes. These processes determine to a large extent the size of animal populations. Sociality appears to be a major contributor to longevity compared across species. These processes determine the survival of rather solitary species like panda bears (running higher risks of extinction) compared to populations of bees with rather hierarchical predefined social structures. The spotted hyenas developed cooperative hunting and communal care which allows for effective survival compared to other species. Sociality is specific to species and therefore largely determined by genetic factors. Nature rather than nurture is at work. However, species where reproduction occurs later allow for learning curves of sociality. In other words even within species there is scope to improve longevity through sociality. Migration patterns or experience with migration might be yet another determinant of survival or longevity as climate change poses new challenges to many species.
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Chinny Trait

In evolutionary biology there is still a discussion about the functional explanation of why humanoids developed a chin. A recent paper by Meyer-Rochow adds a new functional explanation for the evolution of the chin to the literature. Across cultures and sufficiently distant populations of humans, similar patterns of the use of the chin have been observed. In comparison to other species under the superfamily “Hominoidea”, our bites are only of minor strength and apes, Orang Utans have not developed a chin quite like us, homo sapiens. Origins of the chin as “weapon” in fighting and broader social selectivity remain hypotheses without sufficient proof of evidence.
In addition to the functional explanations of easier “mastication” or formation of words, chins might serve as an additional part of the body to hold items to the chest. This function, of holding tools or stuff could have been an advantage for our ancestors and became a favoured trait. During the pandemic our chins became a supporting or hindering reason in the struggle to wear masks for extended periods of time (see image below).
Nowadays, we ask ourselves about the social selectivity into becoming a violin player with this important function of the jaw and chin to hold the instrument. A rival hypothesis is, of course, that holding things with our mouth, like needles or screws, in sewing or handicrafts could eventually make the chin disappear. The bipedalism of hominids, freed our hands for other tasks and the evolution of a chin could similarly reinforce the efficient use of our hands.
Novel use cases for the chin, like holding your smartphone while typing on a keyboard or while opening doors, might enhance the chinny trait of hominids.
Over hundred of thousands of years the interaction of the bio->psycho->social (BPS) spheres of life may have interesting traits for us down (or up) the evolutionary line.
(Image: European parliament, Brussels 2020-7-23 address by Ursula von der Leyen in “masked assembly”).

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Birds again

There are many ways to have more birds again in inner cities. Less pollution and poison are part of the solution. Second, increase the food available to birds. Some plants or vegetation is more suited than the other one. Combined with the question of cooling houses in summer and more isolation in autumn and winter, the greening of facades in cities has a simple effect to provide hiding, nesting and feeding spaces for birds. Birds will discover this vegetation as their natural habitat offering relatively safe shelter and food. It is an incredibly simple way to catch 22. Your new shelter is selective in the choice of birds that it will house. Singing birds seem to value the places most. Other predators may follow. At least in late autumn and early winter the energy rich power food is a welcome addition of the diet. Nesting in spring and summer might be another option to have more birds again. We shall need many very small steps again to keep biodiversity or bring back some of it. Birds again is a small initiative.

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On Organics

Organics are the new hype. Organics are everywhere. It is true in organic chemistry, biochemistry or pharmaceutical biochemistry we start from organic compounds as the basis for various forms of classification systems, structures and reaction chains. A search for organics brings you to Organic Farming and to lots of other applications of organic production as well as organic design.
The extended definitions highlight the foundation in biology and chemistry to then include any processes which integrate cyclical reproduction or resources and conservation of biodiversity. Based on the plurality of forms and connectivity of organic compounds this leads to a vast and diversified basis of carbon- and hydrogen-based life on earth. The ensuing complexity (variety of species) has been the basis for mankind to come into being. It is likely to determine also our survival in the long run. Organics is based on open as well as closed forms and therefore has an encompassing nature. Depending on time and space constellations (temporality) evolution has taken one or the other path. We are certainly not at the end of this evolution, although we through the loss of biodiversity we narrow down new potentials in an unprecedented way. Rethinking life on earth from a cell-based perspective of plastics and chloroplasts is a challenge, but it will lead us on towards the “organic turn” in the 21st century.

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Bi-directional Sleep

For most of us bi-directional sleep is a question of sleeping on the left or right side, or on our back or front, head left or right. In immunology bi-directionality of sleep has another meaning. The immune system is linked to sleep in a bi-directional manner. Good sleep enhances the immune response of cells (direction 1) and infected blood cells for example send a signal to the brain to extend sleep. The study by Huynh et al. (2024) in Nature has demonstrated this bi-directional mechanism. It allowed mice who slept well after an imposed heart attack to recover in a better way than those whose sleep got interrupted during the experiment. The most natural response to a heart attack or acute coronary syndrome is more sleep. This is induced by an inflammatory reaction in the brain, which « orders » your body to increase deep sleep. 😴 Sleep is more than just rest, it may be part of healing. ❤️‍🩹 (people looking at Caspar David Friedrich „Infinite Landscapes“, exhibition Alte Nationalgalerie Berlin 2024)

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Happy Biology

At first glance happiness from a biological perspective is easy to understand. Its hormones, stupid, that regulates it all. Only problem, there are many of them that interact and, apparently, a lot depends on the right dosis and duration of exposure or deficiency. Oxytocin deficiency seems to be a corollary of anxiety and lack of pro-social behavior, potentially making people less happy – to put it bluntly. There are other complex interactions between hormones not only in the circadian circle of humans like for cortisol, but also related to differential reactions to stress. Genetics and epigenetics are involved as well stress regulation and early exposition to stress during the life course has longer lasting consequences later on. How much stress is good for you? Climbing Mountains induces physical stress, but most people report lasting happiness referring back to such singular events. Hormones seem to play tricks with us as well.
Some time after the novel “Klara and the Sun“, endocrinologists have documented the positive effect of a robot on oxytocin levels in humans. Improvements to mental health and well-being are apparently easy considering that oxytocin is a driver of feeling happy as well. Maybe we should take our depressors and drivers of oxytocin more seriously to be “biologically” happy.
(Image: Extrait Frans Hals 1660, Catharina Hooft and her nurse. Exhibition Gemäldegalerie Berlin 2024)

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Own Insulin

People who suffer from type 1 diabetes do not produce enough insulin themselves. The World Health organization estimated that „in 2017 there were 9 million people with type 1 diabetes; the majority of them live in high-income countries“ (WHO 2023). The report on successful reprogramming of stem cells of a person to produce insulin again and subsequently transplanting these cells into the same person allowed to produce own insulin again for that same person (Mallapaty, 2024). The hope for millions of people with type 1 diabetes is high that eventually there will be a cure to the disease. Scientists caution that there are no data yet for how long the transplanted own stem cells will produce insulin. Hence, the hope is driving research forward on a promising way forward. The case of type 2 diabetes is very different as additionally the absorption of insulin in the body causes problems. We keep walking and building muscles to facilitate the insulin absorption in the body to guard against the onset of type 2 diabetes. Interaction of diabetes and aging is another topic that needs our attention as rapidly aging societies are at higher risks to face many more people with various forms of diabetes.

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Olympic Nature

Nature and its biodiversity can teach us many lessons. This is made very explicit in the small exhibition in the “Jardin des Plantes” in Paris. The treasures of (lost) biodiversity are exposed in the adjacent “Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle”. In a pleasant environment within Paris you can stroll along rare flowers and trees to pass the posters that demonstrate the astonishing achievements of some species (Les champions of nature). For example ants would surpass us in weightlifting in relationship to own weight. A marathon of 42 km is a very short distance for birds flying across continents with rest. High jump or long jump is rather easy for frogs, but we struggle already to jump a little bit higher than our own body length. Lots of other examples are shown the exhibition and should make us a bit more humble concerning the sport accomplishments of humans. Beyond Darwin and Mendel there is a lot to see and experience in the Great Gallery of Evolution. After the question remains whether we are really at the top of the evolutionary ladder. In terms of marketing our successes irrespective of many species disappearing with rapid speed, we still appear rather unique in the evolution. Learning from other species as in bionics is a powerful strategy which is also quite effective to empower humans compared to other species.

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Live longer

It is an old dream of mankind to live longer and longer. The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us many lessons that there are powerfully viruses and their continued mutations which threaten this. Life expectancy declined slightly during the pandemic and we learned that long Covid is yet another threat to our life expectancy. Scientists have found other sources that are crucial for survival. Like sepsis, it is the constant inflammation processes in our bodies. Long working times, stressful commute to work and interrupted or shortened vacations all contribute to keep inflammation at higher levels than is healthy from a longevity perspective. The research note published in Nature on the inflammation enhancing protein IL-11 highlights the chain reaction process of inflammation causing cancer and autoimmune disorders and diseases. Hence, it is essential to watch the biomarkers of inflammation and probably adjust our lifestyles accordingly. The sources of inflammation are manifold, but the potential rewards to address the issue are huge as well. Among the easy to address sources is nutrition, exercise and working life. Changing just a little bit here and there can make already a change. Monitoring how you feel about such changes puts you on a learning curve for your own inflammation levels. Vacation times are also perfect for adaptive behavioral changes. We just need to keep trying.

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Fertility BPS-SPB

Fertility is another example of the co-determination of the biological, psychological and societal spheres of life. The latest available data for Germany and Sweden in 2023 show a remarkable decline of 10% in the seasonally adjusted Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in both countries (Bujard, Andersson 2024). The TFR was at 1.3 in Germany and 1.5 in Sweden. This means both countries are well below their population replacement rate. In both countries the populations will shrink further. There are no easy answers to the question: why?
The co-determination of the biological, psychological and societal spheres of life seems to be combined driving force. The biological clocks are ticking for women who delayed birth. Maybe pollution of drinking water or PFAS, nanoparticles of plastics disturb fertility. Psychological reasons such as increased anxieties due to the Covid-19 pandemic, lock downs or closed schools have left parents without adequate support for 2 years. Isolation or loneliness could have delayed partnerships and fertility as a consequence. The social environment has also provided additional uncertainty as the cost of living has risen and affordable housing for families is scarce in both countries.
We have probably underestimated the effects of the “Zeitenwende” on people’s mind sets. Sweden has suddenly sought to join NATO to achieve a broader military safety net for its people. In Germany the experience of damages due to war or as a consequence of Russian occupied territory is very present in people’s mind. The war of Russia in Ukraine may have increased uncertainties, anxieties beyond the immediate effects of higher living costs, interest rates or prices for energy. At best fertility might only be delayed for some years, but the consequences of shrinking populations need to be taken seriously. Making societies more welcoming for children and their parents is part of the solution.

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Sleeping BPS-SPB

Sleeping is a good example of the co-determination of the biological, psychological and societal spheres of life. The environment with the daily cycles of light and dark as well as the social norms of work and rest determine the circadian cycles of hormones. Shift work or otherwise disrupted sleep patterns depend on social norms like regulation of noise or light in cities. Healthy sleep patterns, therefore, depend to a large amount on regulation and implementation of those social norms. Birthday parties are tolerated, but much less the irregular partying in shared housing with lots of neighbours. Reducing social contacts during Covid-19 led to the changes in sleep patterns as well.
The psychological determinants of sleep go well beyond the world of dreams as theorized by Freud. Nowadays, we investigate all sorts of behavioural patterns that have an impact on sleeping like “bedtime technology use” of smartphones or the ability to switch off thinking of problems. Sleeping is a particular functional state of our mind. A lot of sorting of daily impressions into memory occurs during the different phases while sleeping. Persistent disrupted or impeded sleep is recognized as torture in severe cases. Stress at work or working overtime is also a major cause of sleep disorders.
The biological indicators used to investigate sleep have revealed a lot of links of sleep and the hormones of melatonin as well as cortisol. Testing has become more accessible and provides good indicators of how the biological clocks tick within our bodies.
However, we are only at the beginning of the analysis of more complex interactions of the multiple forms of interaction of the bio->psycho->social (BPS) as well as the social->psycho->bio (SPB) co-determination of sleeping. Scientific research is faced with a steep challenge as the direction of causality is not uniform except in very controlled experimental settings. Maybe the arts have coined and popularized a useful term in this respect. “I am in a New York state of mind”.
(Image: extrait of Magritte. La clairvoyance, 1936 and The cultural context of aging, Jay Sokolovsky)

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Sleep biology

Biological processes work hard during our sleep. Our immune system in particular benefits a great deal from undisturbed sleep. This is the simplest summary of the study by Kabrita et al. (2024).
We can study the temporal expression pattern of major histocompatibility complex MHC class I for example in mice. 2 groups of sleep-restricted versus normal mice reveal the biological impact of sleep restriction. In comparison to the control group sleep restriction in mice produced a bimodal pattern of Splenocytes with higher protein levels during the resting period. Such an increased protein expression during resting periods indicates a “preparedness for a potential infection”. Sleep recovery, even if short compared to the longer sleep restriction, allows to return to the baseline of protein levels. The good message is that at least mice seem to recover rather quickly from sleep deprivation with their immune response system.
The biology of repeated phases of longer sleep deprivation could inform us on the implications of sleep deprivation on aging processes. The biological responses in single event sleep deprivation seem to show a fast recovery pattern. Probably it is worth studying the same recovery process of groups of young versus aged mice.
Anecdotal evidence from myself indicates that recovery after sleep deprivation in older humans is no longer as fast as at younger ages. Behavioural responses might be less sleep deprivation (less fun) or longer recovery periods (stay in bed longer). The behavioural response of humans appears to be an obvious one. Instead of either or, we tend to go for both at the same time.
(AI Image: BING +Dall-E. one group of mice is partying in a club at night. Another group of mice is sleeping tight in another room. Cartoon-like images. 2024-3-18)

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Wissensdialog

Universitäten und Forschungsinstitute leben weitgehend von öffentlichen Geldern. Das bringt eine Verpflichtung mit sich, das Wissen auch einer breiteren Öffentlichkeit zugänglich zu machen. Das Zeiss Großplanetarium in Berlin ist ein Ort, der diese Aufgabe in den Gründungsstatuten trägt. In Kooperation mit beispielsweise dem Campus Berlin-Buch mit seinen vielfältigen Forschungsinstituten werden in einer Vortragsreihe wichtige Erkenntnisse für eine breite Öffentlichkeit vorgestellt. Nur so kann die politische Zustimmung und ethische Abwägung gewährleistet werden, warum Tierversuche (meistens an Mäusen) in einigen Bereichen schwer verzichtbar sind. Damit wir den Alterungsprozess auch beim Menschen besser verstehen, braucht es immer feinere Darstellungsweisen wo und wie sich Eiweiße an den unterschiedlichsten Stellen im Körper anlagern. Bei Alzheimer finden wir die Ablagerungen in bestimmten Arealen im Gehirn. Dr. Johannes Broichhagen hat im Auftakt zu der Reihe „Neue Wege in der Biomedizin“ Arbeiten aus seinem Labor vorgestellt. Wenn wir Alzheimer eindämmen wollen, müssen wir den Proteintransport im Körper besser verstehen und abbilden können. Das verlangt verbesserte Methoden, um die Proteine darstellen zu können. Die Ablagerung im Gehirn kann vielleicht nicht komplett verhindert werden, aber eventuell hilft bereits eine „Umlenkung“ der schädlichen Proteine. Dazu müssen wir die Transportwege besser verstehen. Wir brauchen dazu 4D Beobachtungen, anstelle der bekannten 2D- oder 3D-Bilder von Gehirnscans. Die Fortschritte sind rasant. Der Wissensdialog nimmt uns mit auf die Wissenschaftsreise. Ein Motivation für viele Jugendliche und Studierende ergab sich aus der anschließenden Diskussion mit beeindruckendem biologischem und chemischem Wissen der Fragenden. So gelingt Wissensdialog für alle Beteiligte. (Image Clip from preprint)

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Garten

Ach es ist so schön im Garten. Ein schöner Garten will geplant werden. Das gelingt auf besondere Weise mit dem „Pollinator“. Hinter dem Pollinator verbirgt sich ein Kunstprojekt, das viele kleine Gartenkunstwerke zu einem großen verbinden möchte. Spannend ist nicht nur das Vernetzungsprojekt von vielen einzelnen Parzellen zu einem größer werdenden Gesamtprojekt (Aggregation), sondern der für Kunstschaffende gewohnte Perspektivwechsel. Aus Sicht der Bestäuber der Pflanzen und Blumen gesehen ergibt sich eine vogelähnliche Perspektive auf den Garten.
Der Parcour einer Biene oder eines Schmetterlings durch unsere Gartenparzelle regt zum Träumen an. Vielleicht hätte Franz Kafka nach der Parcour-Erfahrung ein anderes Insekt gewählt. Mir gefällt die 2D, 3D, 4D Perspektive, die es erlaubt, den blühenden Garten im Zeitraffer durch alle Jahreszeiten zu visualisieren. Das ist Gartenarbeit ohne die mühsame Kleinarbeit des Pflanzens und Unkrautjätens. Es wird nicht gleich ein Garten wie von Impressionisten in Argenteuil von Monet oder in Yerres von Caillebotte daraus, aber ein farbenprächtiges Kleinod allemal. Mein erster virtueller Versuch (Link) ist schon recht farbenfroh. Lateinische Namen auffrischen ist schon fast ein Beitrag zum gesunden Altern, besonders wenn der Garten einige Kilometer entfernt ist. Im Sommer lassen sich leicht neue Pläne schmieden. Herbst und Winter, Trockenheit und Hitze lassen uns das Gartenkunstwerk nochmals überdenken. Spielerisch ein Gartendesign gestalten, kann der erste Schritt für mehr Natur sein. Biodiversität macht Spaß und hilft uns allen. Kleinvieh macht eben auch Mist.

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Birds

The study published in PNAS in May 2023 is demonstrating the loss in bio-diversity with respect to birds over last few decades. Our economic growth has caused considerable costs. Some of these costs we shall never be able to make up again. Species gone for ever, we should care. Measuring the loss is a first step in calculating the negative impact our economic growth models have already caused. Time to stop, repair and reverse as much as we still can. It is not fair to next generations to destroy a large amount of bio-diversity now and leave the exploited planet to “no-future generations”. A good documentation of the losses (radio-france-LINK) allows us to pin down who is most responsible for the losses. Agro-industry with the heavy use of pesticides is well known for the huge negative impact it has on bird populations and us as well. It is not only a European issue, but rather a world-wide issue. However, starting at home is a huge step to practice agriculture differently. Most of this is known for some time. It is the implementation of the necessary policies where powerful lobbying is successful to carry on as usual. Thinking “Beyond growth” delivers many useful perspectives and solutions to these problems.

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Biotop

Die Sensationspresse, zu der leider mehr und mehr ehemals seriöse Zeitungen neigen, zitiert Biotope meistens als Wirtschaftsbremse, Wachstumsverhinderung oder Spaßbremse. Da fällt es schwer dagegenzuhalten. Biodiversität ist nicht umsonst zu haben. Viele Schmetterlingsarten leben bestens angepasst an ihr ökologisches Umfeld, vergleichbar einem Biotop. Farbenpracht dient zur Tarnung im Gelände oder zum Anlocken von Paarungspartnern. Im Botanischen Garten in Berlin werden solche Inseln der Glückseligen für viele Regionen Europas und darüber hinaus nachgestellt. Der frühe Schmetterling von Ende April ist kaum zu bemerken, so gut passt seine Farbkonstellation in sein Umfeld. Es werden richtige Suchbilder und Geduldsproben, die Falter zu entdecken (bitte unten testen). Belohnung lockt für die Geduldigen, wenn das auch vielen von uns unerträglich schwerfällt. Zu schnell sind die Umgebungen für vermeintliche, kurzfristige, wirtschaftliche Interessen zerstört und die angepasste Tierwelt ebenso. Das Bundesnaturschutzgesetz (BNatSchG) intentiert einen Schutz. Der ist aber wohl allzu leicht auszuhebeln. So wird die Farbenpracht und das Tanzen der Schmetterlinge zunehmend in Konzertsälen zu hören oder darüber zu lesen sein, aber seltener in Biotopen zu bewundern sein. Artenvielfalt als Biodiversität braucht die passenden Räume dazu. Eine große Aufgabe bei dem weiteren Anwachsen unserer Spezies.

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“Balance” als Geheimnis des Alterns

Die am 13.1.2020 im PNAS veröffentlichte Studie zu Alternsprozessen des Ginkgobaums, der mehr als 1000 Jahre alt werden kann, lassen eine alte Weisheit des Alterns wieder aufleben. Die Balance bestehend aus neuem Wachstum von Zellen und dem Absterben von Zellen beschreibt den Alterungsprozess bei Langlebigkeit. Am Beispiel des langlebigen Ginkgo biloba beschreiben die Autoren den biologischen und genetisch-bedingten Alterungsprozess.  Die deutsche Wikipedia-Seite weist interessante Abweichungen zu der englischsprachigen Seite auf. Neben mehr Hinweisen auf potentielle Effekte bei verschiedenen medizinischen Indikationen kann natürlich ein Hinweis auf Goethe nicht fehlen. Hatte er doch den Baum bereits literarisch verewigt in seinem Gedicht von 1815 “Ginkgo biloba”. Kein  Wunder also, dass er Ginkgobaum in Deutschland nahezu mythische Kraft zu besitzen scheint. Vereinzelt finden sich Fanseiten des Ginkgo im Internet. Spannend ist jedoch auch der japanische Mythos um den Ginkgo. Selbst die Atombombe von 1945 hatte ein Haus zerstört, doch der benachbarte Ginko blieb erhalten und ist heute ein Denkmal der Hoffnung. Hier schließt sich der Kreis zur Alternsforschung. Wie beeinflussen soziale Kontexte, im Extremfall Kriege, die Genetik und Epigenetik? Wir bleiben dran an dem Thema.

Photo copyright: Jean-Pierre Chéreau & Roger Culos

Ginkgo Biloba, 1815 Gedicht von Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

Ginkgo Biloba
Dieses Baums Blatt, der von Osten
Meinem Garten anvertraut,
Giebt geheimen Sinn zu kosten,
Wie’s den Wissenden erbaut,
Ist es Ein lebendig Wesen,
Das sich in sich selbst getrennt?
Sind es zwey, die sich erlesen,
Daß man sie als Eines kennt?
Solche Frage zu erwiedern,
Fand ich wohl den rechten Sinn,
Fühlst du nicht an meinen Liedern,
Daß ich Eins und doppelt bin?
File:Goethe Ginkgo Biloba.jpg