Museum für Naturkunde Berlin

What do you associate with birds? 🦤 That’s what we asked more than 350 people to develop "ZUGvögel – A Collection in Motion". We have taken up their questions, ideas and stories and will be showing the result in a new special exhibition starting tomorrow. Because knowledge is not only found in science, but is spread throughout society. It is in all of us. And it takes all of us to master the challenges of the present and the future! 🪶 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eXJ6giTv ⬅️ Credits: Thomas Rosenthal (2-4) 📸

When feathers look greener elsewhere... 🪶 Birds-of-paradise, known for their stunning plumage and captivating dances, have fascinated both nature documentary fans and social media followers! However, scientists have long been puzzled by males exhibiting mixed traits from different species. 🧩 An international team, including researchers from #mfnberlin, has delved into this mystery by comparing the genomes of nearly all birds-of-paradise species, including museum specimens. They uncovered that these unique males are hybrids resulting from cross-species breeding, and surprisingly, these hybrids can sometimes reproduce! 🧬 The findings reveal that hybridization has played a significant role in the evolutionary history of these birds, adding a crucial piece to the puzzle of our understanding of life's evolution on Earth and underscoring the complexity of evolutionary processes! 💡 📸 Credits: Carola Radke #science #sciencenews

New early vertebrate at #Bromacker! ✨ Our researchers have taken a closer look at some early vertebrates ("Ursaurier") from the Thuringian Forest: CT scans show adaptations in the lower jaw that made grinding plants more efficient. On top of that, they found enough differences to describe a new species: 𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴. 🦷 This "early vegetarian" is named after the UNESCO Global Geopark Thuringia Inselsberg – Drei Gleichen, where the Bromacker is located. The next excavations have been taking place there since this week! We look forward to your visit on-site or in our live streams on Instagram or TikTok. 👋 Information about tours and events: https://bromacker.net/ ⬅ Credits: Carola Radke 📸 #science #sciencenews

Calling all young scientists! Apply by 31 August for the chance to present on stage at the Berlin Science Week speakers corner and boost your outreach. 📝 High Art Bureau GmbH is looking for innovative project ideas on how AI impacts our freedom, submitted by students and young researchers from all disciplines in Berlin and the surrounding areas. Selected ideas will earn a presentation slot at the Berlin Science Week CAMPUS at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin . ⏰ The deadline for submitting your ideas on "Reimagining Freedom" in our "AI and Sustainability" competition with Berlin Science Week is 31 August 2024. 🏆 Last year's winner, Katy Gaffney, is now on our expert jury evaluating your entries, alongside Johanna Sieben, Director of the Cluster “Public Sector & Engagement”, Falling Walls Foundation and Dr. Aljoscha Burchardt, Expert in Speech Technology and Artificial Intelligence, Principal Researcher, Research Fellow, and Deputy Site Speaker at the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz (DFKI)) in Berlin. 📢 More about the competition: https://lnkd.in/d2qav6wx 📖 High Art published an interview with last year's winner, Katy Gaffney, which you can read here: https://lnkd.in/e3rSED6R

Call for Applications: Summer School on Resilience to Science Hostility The Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), the Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science (BSOPE), and Scicomm-Support invite you to apply for a two-day training program aimed at early career researchers from all disciplines in #Berlin. Learn how to avoid or deal with hostility and hate speech attacks, where to find help, and most importantly how to create your own communication and engagement strategy in order to maximize your impact beyond academia. We offer PhDs, PostDocs, and researchers essential skills to communicate research effectively and engage with non-academic audiences while avoiding or handling hostile reactions. Application deadline: 5 August 2024. Apply now 👉 https://lnkd.in/gEsGVUbB This summer school is part of the multidisciplinary KAPAZ project, where we provide research on the spread and implication of hostility towards science in Germany. It is coordinated by the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society and includes the Deutsches Zentrum für Hochschul- und Wissenschaftsforschung GmbH (DZHW), Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD), the Bundesverband Hochschulkommunikation e.V., the Leibniz-Institut für Medienforschung | Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI) as well as the Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and the Freie Universität Berlin as cooperation partners. The KAPAZ project network is funded by the VolkswagenStiftung as part of the "Impulses for the Science System" funding programme.

Citizen Science for biodiversity: We need your support! 🤝 We are investigating your understanding of #CitizenScience in nature and species conservation as well as its suitability and possible further development for nationwide #biodiversity monitoring. 🌍 Your opinions, thoughts and experiences are of great importance to us. The results of the survey will be incorporated into the development of new concepts and measures for improved biodiversity monitoring! 📊 The survey in cooperation with Nationales Monitoringzentrum zur Biodiversität takes about 15 minutes. Please take the time to take part by 15 July and feel free to share the link with your network: https://lnkd.in/eAVAsuXJ ⬅ Credits: Thomas Rosenthal 📸

#PublicViewing can also be sustainable! 🌱 For the final of the UEFA Euro 2024 on 14 July, we invite you together with Weltacker Berlin e.V. to a sustainable cooking workshop and a guided tour on the topic of sustainable nutrition. Afterwards we will watch the final game together! Register now for free: https://lnkd.in/eDByXqrK ⚽️ #FUTURELEAGUEBERLIN #EURO2024 Why that? The event originates from a cooperation project with DBU Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, dealing with #PlanetaryHealth and #PublicEngagement. 🌎 Our earth does not need us. But we need it all the more as it supplies us with water, fertile soil and oxygen! Through our often thoughtless actions, we ensure that the earth's ecosystem becomes unbalanced, biodiversity is lost and habitats disappear. This is also why we at #mfnberlin strengthen the exchange between science and society, in this case with a focus on Planetary Health and #nutrition. 🌾

Supporting open, free and fair access to scientific data! 🌍 As we approach the next Convention on Biological Conservation #COP16, we as the members and coordinators of the Alliance of University and Non-University Biodiversity Research in Germany, urge negotiators to ensure that open, free and fair access to Digital Sequence Information (DSI) is upheld. #DSI refers to digital data derived from the genetic material of living organisms, including information from DNA, RNA, and other molecular sequences that are crucial for #research and #innovation. 🧬 🚨 Why is unrestricted access to DSI essential? 🔬 Environmental monitoring and invasive species: DSI is vital for monitoring complex ecosystems, detecting invasive species, tracking wildlife trade, and preserving genetic diversity, essential for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the UN #SDGs. 🩺 #OneHealth: Rapid DSI exchange across animal, human, and environmental sectors is crucial for early pathogen detection and effective #health measures. 💊 Future therapies: DSI comparisons enable the discovery of new biological compounds, forming the basis for novel medications and vaccines. 🌱 #ClimateChange and #nutrition: DSI aids in breeding #climate-resilient plants and developing long-term soil fertility and food security measures. It also supports the creation of nutritionally optimized foods. ♻️ #Bioeconomy: DSI drives bio-based and circular economies by developing biocatalysts and new functional biomaterials. Let's champion #OpenScience and ensure that DSI remains accessible to all, fostering innovation and collaboration to tackle global challenges. Read the full declaration here: https://lnkd.in/dfBwgh64 ⬅ There is no question that DSI users should share benefits. However, the mechanism to share benefits must be obligatory, enable open science principles and be legally and technically practical. 🤝 Credits: Antje Dittmann 📸

🌍 Last week, I had the great pleasure to share my insights about the topic "Communities, Collaboration and Co-production" with my Co-Fellows of #TheMuseumsLab 2024. This program, organized by the DAAD Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst in partnership with the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, gathers 50 #museum professionals from Africa and Europe and enables us all to share our concerns and practices in a very inspiring way. 🇧🇯 As usual, I gave a presentation of the #collaborative #research #project about #collections from #Benin held in #Toulouse, focusing on the need to include and share a plurality of knowledges and narratives in museum displays. 🤝 I would like to use this post to express my deepest thanks to Francis Duranthon, director of the Muséum de Toulouse, and Nottaris Isabel, director of the Ocim, for their ongoing support in my application, which allowed me to discuss this project with an international professional community. 🏛 I am eager to discover the next steps in this incredible programme, which will take me to Berlin and Accra and, in particular, give me the chance to complete a residency at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. 📸 Credits : Franck Alix and Muséum de Toulouse.

#TheMuseumsLab 2024 is underway! 🌍 "This is a watershed moment for the #museums and the heritage sector to interrogate their colonial legacies and usher in a new era of north-south reconciliation and collaboration through museum diplomacy." 🗯 – Prof. Dr. Rudo Sithole, founding and current executive director of African Museums and Heritage Restitution (AFRIMUHERE) Bringing together professionals from museums and cultural institutions in Africa and Europe, TheMuseumsLab aims to reimagine and reinvent the future of museums. The Fellows are engaging with leading experts, participating in hands-on workshops and collaborative projects, also developing new strategies for visitor engagement and education. 💡 The first online module "Reimagining Museums of the Future" has been successfully completed, marking the beginning of this year's journey. During on-site modules in Berlin and Accra, there will be opportunities to deepen discussions and connections. Additionally, one-week residencies at renowned African and European institutions will provide further opportunities to share visions and approaches and build long-term constructive relationships. 🤝 We're excited to see the transformative ideas and collaborations that will emerge from this year's programme! 🌐 Credits: Muhammad Salah 📸