28th of September is approaching fast and it is going to be the first PhD retreat of all the Helmholtz institutes, organised by the Helmholtz Juniors (link to web page). Three days in Braunschweig for a multidisciplinary meeting that will involve 127 Doctoral Researchers and guests. Prof. Wiesler, ... [Read more]

At our station we have several permanent Observatories, one of them is the UnderWaterObservatory  (UWO) belonging to the the Alfred-Wegener-Instiut, Helmholtz Centre for Polar- and Marine Research. The system consists of two parts: One is the so called ‘Underwater Node’ which is installed ... [Read more]

It’s so easy to get caught up in our own lives, from running experiments to meeting that manuscript deadline, so many of us haphazardly fumble towards that finish line before a new one assuredly pops up again. And in our own busyness, in creating our own stories, we may miss connecting with ... [Read more]

Yordan Georgiev lived in Dresden for the first time shortly after the reunification. In the Bulgarian’s opinion the city has developed for the better since then. Rays of sunlight illuminate the trees in a lush green, birds chirp in the background, the forest glade radiates a mellow tranquility ... [Read more]

By Rita Melo Franco Santos | Polarstern is currently located in the vicinity of the 79oN Glacier, an area of high scientific interest especially for the geologists and physical oceanographers, as the region holds answers to many unanswered questions our researchers have in mind about the geological ... [Read more]

Work-life balance is a concept about proper prioritization between “work” (career and ambition) and “life-style” (health, pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development). And lifestyle is a choice. How many times you have been told that doing PhD is a lifestyle? When was the last ... [Read more]

By Keith Soal | It is a wonderful and mysterious part of the ocean in which we sail. An area which has captivated the imaginations of explorers and scientists for many decades. We could not have chosen a more majestic vessel for this adventure to the north. The German research vessel Polarstern ... [Read more]

Headlines like “We’re fighting cancer with a universal vaccine” and statements such as “A vaccine could be developed which could be used against all cancers”  are what’s wrong with science journalism, because they are far from the truth hidden in this study published in Nature. When ... [Read more]

"The sun stains the horizon in its orange color. An insect dances on the plants. An empty trail waiting for a runner's destiny. Light rain touching my cheeks. I could run forever." Poem by Urwa Alalouni This is a poem written by my (now) husband after he came back from an inspiring run. ... [Read more]

It’s so easy to get caught up in our own lives, from running experiments to meeting that manuscript deadline, so many of us haphazardly fumble towards that finish line before a new one assuredly pops up again. And in our own busyness, in creating our own stories, we may miss connecting with ... [Read more]