It is undisputed that energy from fossil fuels must be rapidly replaced by volatile, green energies. Above all, a phase-out of coal energy is necessary to achieve the climate targets. Nuclear energy has also been obsolete for a long time because of its unpredictability. A study by JARA-ENERGY member Prof. Aaron Praktiknjo now shows the effects of the nuclear and coal energy phase-out on the energy supply.
It is well known that quantum computers have a high potential to provide solutions for various problems. Now the ultrafast computers are also to be used in the fight against the Covid 19 pandemic. The Canadian company D-Wave Systems Inc. has called for an initiative in which the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC) is also participating.
At the beginning of February, top-class scientists met in Chennai, India, for an Indo-German symposium. The event focused on quantum sciences and technologies. In lectures and discussions, the experts exchanged views on various aspects of the topic.
During the "RWTH Transparent" event, Prof. Dirk Uwe Sauer, Director of the JARA section ENERGY, received the teaching award of RWTH Aachen University in the category " Instructor of the Year". Thanks to his innovative and inspiring teaching practices, Sauer is particularly successful in enthusing beginning students and easing their transition to university study. Students praise, for example, his incorporation of digital teaching tools such as explanatory videos as well as online lectures tutorials.
Synapses are neural connections that enable the transmission of signals from one nerve cell to another. The human brain is well networked by approximately 100 trillion of these tiny connections. So far, a large part of the knowledge about synapses in the human brain has been based on investigations in animal models; it is questionable to what extent these can actually be transmitted. Now a team around JARA-BRAIN member Prof. Joachim Lübke has published the first quantifiable 3D model of human synapses in the cerebral cortex. The model opens up completely new possibilities and insights.
