2015
Looking back on 2015
The year at LMU: A pictorial review
The opening of the Biomedical Center, the solar eclipse over Munich, the Spear-Bearer accepts an invitation. These were some of the notable events in LMU‘s 2015…
Alzheimer’s disease
“Definitely on the right track”
Alois Alzheimer, who first described what has become the most common form of dementia, died 100 years ago. What is known about the illness today and, above all, what can be done about it? LMU’s Christian Haass gives us a tour d’horizon.
Nanotechnology
Magical materials
Honeycombs, crosses, bridges: Strands of DNA can be programmed to fold into such shapes spontaneously. LMU physicist Tim Liedl exploits this property to build 3D nanostructures for a variety of applications.
Deutschlandstipendiat Sagar Dhital
The first doctor in Katunje
Medical student Sagar Dhital’s greatest wish is to help improve the lives of the people in his Nepalese village - which, he says, “helped me to become what I am today,” gets a new hospital.
Breaking barriers down
Straining to catch every word
Many people who are handicapped are immediately recognizable as such – they may have a guide-dog or use a wheelchair. Lara’s case is quite different. She must “come out” every time a new lecturer walks in.
Emotions and education
The love of learning
How can we sustain a lifelong enthusiasm for learning? LMU psychologist Reinhard Pekrun talks about the link between emotions and educational success.
Studying abroad
Live from around the world
Read what the current crop of exchange students have to say about their experiences abroad. Find out more about student exchanges during the International Days at LMU this month.
Focus on China
A high-growth market for research too
LMU‘s international network already spans the globe, but further opportunities abound in China, and the LMU-China Academic Network is dedicated to extending LMU’s contacts with Chinese universities.
A degree in philosophy
What can I do with it?
LMU philosopher Stephan Hartmann brings the practice of his discipline into focus and has organized a conference that points to the wide variety of career paths open to philosophy graduates.
History lessons
An online journey through LMU’s past
Explore the ups and downs of LMU’s 500-year history, and learn more about the personalities who helped to make it, on our new timeline.
Another semester at LMU
What’s new?
8000 first-year students, a new research center, and several new student exchange programs are among the novelties that mark the opening of the Winter Term 2015-2016 at LMU.
War reporting
The battle for attention
How do the media and public relations strategists affect the course and the public’s perception of violent conflicts? LMU communications expert Romy Fröhlich, coordinator of an EU-funded project on the topic, discusses its early findings.
Biomedical Center
Building a modern research center
When LMU‘s new Biomedical Center is officially opened at the end of October, the first chapter in its history will close. Molecular biologist Peter Becker looks back on 15 years as coordinator of the project.
Personality and career
"Deceit does not pay"
The value of conscientiousness and the limited relevance of personal sympathy: LMU’s Professor Markus Bühner talks about personnel recruitment and the links between personality and career.
Computational linguistics
Sifting out the meaning
When machines translate texts, the results are often risible rather than right. Computational linguist Alexander Fraser seeks to enable computers to select the most likely meaning of a word or phrase on the basis of its context in the sentence.
The body beautiful
Slim, sleek, supple, on the go
Cosmetic surgery is booming. LMU’s professor for sociology and gender studies, Paula-Irene Villa discusses our obsession with fitness, how beauty clinics appeal to prospective customers and what their approach to marketing reveals about contemporary society.
Summer break
LMU never sleeps
When the summer holidays begin, does LMU become becalmed, like a clipper that has entered the doldrums? To find out, we dispatched a scout, with a camera in his kit-bag.
Neurobiology
Sushi and the science of synapses
What is the molecular basis of learning? Here LMU biochemist Michael Kiebler shares his insights into how associative learning is encoded in the brain.
LMU’s Summer Schools
More than a just a mini-practical
Vacation time means no lectures? Not at LMU! The University’s Summer Schools attracts students from all over the world, who come to discover new fields and learn new skills – and many of them return to Munich for full-time studies.
Doryphoros returns
Back from London
After his four-month stay at the British Museum, LMU’s Spear-Bearer is back at his post in the University’s Main Building – elegant as ever, but with an unmistakably cosmopolitan air, having made quite an impression on his trip abroad.
Innovation Center
Digital – and secure
In search of mobile and low-risk solutions for internet users, IT experts at LMU are building up a network that links computer scientists with commercial enterprises to provide effective security architectures for secure digital communication.
Origin of life
Reassembling life’s starter kit
Dieter Braun wants to know how the first unicellular organisms evolved from prebiotic molecules. To find out he mimicks in experiment the environmental conditions that prevailed on the young Earth.
Jewish Museum Munich
Jewish identities in Europe today
To explore the diversity of Jewish lifestyles in Europe today, LMU ethnology students carried out field research in cities all over the continent. The fruits of their endeavors form the basis of a new exhibition at Munich’s Jewish Museum.
Cooperation with Harvard
LMU-Harvard Young Scientists’ Forum
The LMU-Harvard Young Scientists’ Forum 2015 enables young bioscientists at LMU to present and discuss their research findings with their peers and with faculty from one of the world’s leading universities.
The propaganda of the IS
An assault on the Western psyche
Decapitations in slow motion, hypnotic soundtracks, positively viral dissemination rates: David Arn discusses Islamic State’s use of media and explains why their media offerings have grabbed so much attention.
Buying and selling
Pay whatever you like
Letting customers determine the price can sometimes pay off for the seller.
Bosnia-Herzegovina
“The conflicts remain unresolved”
In 1995, Bosnian Serb forces murdered some 8000 people in Srebrenica. LMU’s Marie-Janine Calic, an expert on Southeastern Europe, discusses the legacy of the war and the future of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
P2P mentoring
What’s in it for the mentor?
Is mentoring a one-way street, a thankless task? Quite the contrary! Mentors also stand to gain, especially when their university offers attractive incentives – training courses in mentoring, for example.
Researchers’ recreations
Making a splash
Many hobbyists look after tropical fish, but LMU veterinarian Daniela Rodler spends much of her free time in aquariums – surprising visitors with the unexpected sight of a mermaid. In her day job in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine her focus is on birds of the air.
European Physical Society
LMU Physics Faculty chosen as historic site
The Faculty of Physics has a long and eventful history, and has made important contributions to the development of the discipline. The European Physical Society has now added the building to its list of Historic Sites.
Germany 1945
When the Flames were Quenched
When the guns finally fell silent, the Second World War had claimed 60 million lives. Here, LMU historian Andreas Wirsching discusses the aftermath of the 8th of May 1945.
Ancient History
The Imperatives of Empire
Clever political moves and elements of absolutism are some of the themes in Karen Radner’s story of the birth of the world’s first empire on the banks of the Tigris – nearly 3000 years ago. A Humboldt Professorship has now been formally bestowed on her.
Writing workshops at LMU
Beating the white-out
More and more universities in Germany offer writing courses for students. But do workshops and events like the Writers’ White Night at LMU really improve the quality of academic writing?
End of an era
Final curtain for the Studiobühne
Ever since the 1970s LMU’s theater students have learned the practical ins and outs of their subject at Munich‘s Studiobühne, where they have presented intriguing and exciting works. Their current season marks the end of an era.
The new semester
Setting out for summer
Facing into a lecture-packed schedule or a less taxing timetable? Planning to work in foreign climes or follow the usual routines? LMU students let us in on their plans for the new term.
Atherosclerosis
Caught in a tight corner
Unrestrained immune reactions promote atherosclerosis. Clinical researcher Christian Weber is studying the web of molecular decisions that lead to this misdirected and potentially fatal response.
Tips on traineeships
“Finding a placement abroad is not hard”
Johannes Hoch explains why sending out 20 applications for a work placement abroad is worthwhile, and has tips on how to ensure you learn more in foreign parts than the local way of making coffee.
Multifaceted menagerie
A flying visit
A few days ago the Munich Fire Brigade was called out to rescue a peregrine falcon entangled in a net high up on one of the towers of the Frauenkirche. The young female patient was taken to LMU’s Bird Hospital – and was soon back in action.
Digital technology
In the future, keep it simple!
Utilizing technology without having to understand it: Here, Andreas Butz, Chair of Human-Computer Interaction at LMU, discusses devices that are needlessly complicated, Apple’s design strategy, and doing more with less.
Alumna: Novelist Lena Gorelik
“It was a very intense phase”
Ten years ago, novelist Lena Gorelik registered for the first Honors Master’s Program in East European Studies given at LMU. The decision was dictated by her writing interests – and would have a lasting impact on her work.
Light Night for Writing
Don’t spend hours staring at a blank page…
On 5th March, LMU’s Writing Center will hold its first “Light Night for Reluctant Writers”. Here, the Center’s Director, Dr. Bärbel Harju, talks about how to conquer writers’ block and get the words rolling onto the page.
London calling
Doryphoros on tour
Standing in the same position for so long is no fun. Doryphoros needs a break. And this week, in response to a flattering invitation, LMU’s Spear-Bearer sets out for a temporary posting as Ambassador for Classical Greek Art in London.
From "Münchner UniMagazin"
From Alps to algorithms
Andreas Butz is Professor of Informatics and Media at LMU, Director of the Institute of Informatics, and a qualified climbing instructor for the German Alpine Club. For recreation, he scales Alpine peaks and teaches mountain rescue techniques.
Big data
“We are born bargain-hunters”
Online retailers offer low prices and individual sales advice. But what kinds of data are firms interested in and when do customers provide them? Professor Manfred Schwaiger and Antje Niemann explain the uses of big data.
Remembering the White Rose
Daring to defy a murderous regime
Refusing to look the past in the eye can cloud one’s view of the present: LMU commemorates the members of the White Rose group and LMU student Hans Leipelt, who was executed 70 years ago.
Marie Curie Skłodowska Actions
Power to the postdocs
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, which form part of the EU Research Framework Programme Horizon 2020, are designed to foster professional independence by enabling post-doctoral researchers to pursue their own projects.
LED research
The future of lighting systems
Versatile, environmentally friendly and energy-efficient: LEDs are tomorrow's light sources. But their light appears cold to us. In the latest ScienceCast, LMU chemist Wolfgang Schnick tells us how he persuades LEDs to emit warmer light.
Cosmology
The Instant After Zero Hour
The work of LMU physicist Viatcheslav Mukhanov probes the immediate aftermath of the Big Bang, illuminating crucial aspects of theories of the origin of the Universe. And he is sure that forthcoming data from the Planck Mission will prove him right.
