Researching the Past: Hunters of Lost Truths

EA model of a coral reef, six meters wide and a good three meters high, is on display in Frankfurt’s Senckenberg Natural History Museum. A colorful piece of sea with fish, moray eels, algae, squid, seahorses and crabs. In the midst of the natural wonder and only visible at second glance, rubbish: an anchor, a wire basket, the remains of a fishing net, plastic cotton swabs. A sensitively conveyed example of the interactions between man and nature.

The Hessian Science Minister Angela Dorn is convinced that the world is at a crossroads. “The earth doesn’t need us humans, but we need a diverse nature for our survival.” If mankind wants to have a future, action must be taken quickly, says the Green politician, and that on the basis of the best possible intellectual foundations. At a time when doubts about the reliability of scientific findings are increasing, it is all the more important to conduct excellent research and to communicate the results in a convincing manner.