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Research team studies how technology conspiracy beliefs emerge and foster a conspiracy mindset As technology proliferates, misinformation and conspiracy theories seem to flourish. Conspiracy beliefs specifically about technology include popular commercial technologies, such as Amazon Echo and Google Search, as well as non-profit technologies designed to support health, such as contact tracing apps.

International team use 1.8 billion letters of genetic code to build ground-breaking tree of life   An international study involving researchers from the University of Göttingen investigated the evolution of flowering plants in extraordinary detail using advanced DNA sequencing technology. The researchers discovered that there was an evolutionary explosive development of flowering plants producing enormous diversity.

Research team at Göttingen University discovers important function of antisense non-coding RNA   The function of non-coding RNA in the cell has long been a mystery to researchers. Unlike coding RNA, non-coding RNA does not produce proteins - yet it exists in large quantities. A research team from the University of Göttingen has now discovered an important function of antisense RNA (asRNA): the researchers found that asRNA acts as a "superhighway" in cell transport and thus accelerates gene expression.

Research team compares wild bee networks at a small scale and at landscape level   Traditionally, interactions between plants and their pollinators are analysed on the basis of visits to flowers. A research team led by the University of Göttingen studied wild bees on chalk grassland. The researchers analysed both the networks showing visits to flowers and the networks where pollen was transported.

International research team investigates benefits of forest proximity for cocoa cultivation   The diversity and ecological functionality of bird communities in tropical agroforestry systems are shaped by the surrounding landscape, in particular the extent and composition of the forest. An international research team led by the University of Göttingen has now investigated the composition and ecological traits of bird communities in 23 cocoa agroforestry systems in Peru.

International research team carry out Africa's first large-scale nutrient addition experiment with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium Tropical forests are highly productive ecosystems accounting for nearly half of the global forest carbon sink. If tropical forests can no longer remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the effects of climate change may become even more severe.

International research team generates first genomes of complex closest relatives of land plants Land plants cover the surface of our planet and often tower over us. They form complex bodies with multiple organs that consist of a broad range of cell types. Developing this morphological complexity is underpinned by intricate networks of genes, whose coordinated action shapes plant bodies through various molecular mechanisms.

Research team involving the University of Göttingen decodes molecular function . As humans, we are constantly accompanied by billions of microorganisms that live on our skin or in our airways in the form of our microbiome. The relationships between these microorganisms are a rich source of previously unknown metabolic products that are beneficial to humans.

Research team outlines ways to make oil palm cultivation more ecologically and economically sustainable Palm oil is a widely used ingredient in many foods and cosmetics. The boom in oil palm cultivation in Indonesia in recent decades has improved the living conditions of many farmers, but has led to a loss of biodiversity and the large-scale destruction of rainforests.

International research team show potential for nanoscale transistors in all-carbon film An international research team led by the University of Göttingen has demonstrated experimentally that electrons in naturally occurring double-layer graphene move like particles without any mass, in the same way that light travels.

Global study: Diversified agriculture strengthens food security and biodiversity . Mixing livestock farming and arable farming, integrating flower strips and trees, water and soil protection and much more: a comprehensive global study led by the Universities of Copenhagen and Hohenheim and with the participation of the University of Göttingen has investigated the effects of diversified agriculture.

Research team discovers sophisticated processing of archaeological wood During archaeological excavations in the Schöningen open-cast coal mine in 1994, the discovery of the oldest, remarkably well-preserved hunting weapons known to humanity caused an international sensation. Spears and a double-pointed throwing stick were found lying between animal bones about ten meters below the surface in deposits at a former lakeshore.

Researchers describe topsoil as "death zone" for fresh grass in the fairy circle Namibia's legendary fairy circles are mysterious, circular, bald patches in the dry grasslands on the edge of the Namib Desert. Their formation has been researched for decades and has recently been the subject of much debate.

Research team led by Göttingen University make extremely fast, precise images for first time From solar panels on our roofs to the new OLED TV screens, many everyday electronic devices simply wouldn't work without the interaction between light and the materials that make up semiconductors. A new category of semiconductors is based on organic molecules, which largely consist of carbon, such as buckminsterfullerene.

Research team shows links between agricultural landscape structure and bird populations . The intensification of agriculture has its price: it makes landscapes structurally more uniform and thus contributes to the decline in biodiversity. How should agricultural landscapes be designed in order to promote biodiversity? A new study by researchers from the University of Göttingen, the Dachverband Deutscher Avifaunisten (DDA) e. V.

Research team investigates adaptation strategies from a forestry perspective . Climate change is altering our forests. Increased storms and drought have significant consequences for ecosystems and their sustainable use. Forests are important for wood production, carbon storage and local recreation, for example.

Researchers measure heat flow: from active metabolic forces inside cell to flickering cell membrane Entropy is often associated with disorder and chaos, but in biology it is related to energy efficiency and is closely linked to metabolism, the set of chemical reactions that sustain life. This research was led by the Universities of Barcelona and Padua, with the participation of Göttingen University and the Universities Complutense and Francisco de Vitoria in Madrid.

Researchers develop new method for assessing climate change risks to ecosystems . Climate change is altering the earth's ecosystems. In order to assess the risks, studies often calculate the extent to which regions are exposed to climatic changes in order to determine the threat to ecosystems. This approach may lead to false conclusions, as it ignores how living organisms react physiologically when, for example, the water content of the soil or the carbon dioxide content of the air changes.

Research team analyses organic material from the early Earth tracing its origin and composition To learn about the first organisms on our planet, researchers have to analyse the rocks of the early Earth. These can only be found in a few places on the surface of the Earth. The Pilbara Craton in Western Australia is one of these rare sites: there are rocks there that are around 3.5 billion years old containing traces of the microorganisms that lived at that time.

Research team investigates effects of changing land use on ecosystems in Sumatra . Every day, large areas of rainforest are converted into plantations. Biodiversity and the ecosystem are changing drastically as a result. However, knowledge about the consequences is patchy: previous studies have either focused on the diversity of species or the functioning of the ecosystem.