by Prof Dr Ilka Parchmann, Vicepresident of Kiel University

During the coronavirus crisis, the global economic network has shown weaknesses in the supply chains. These do not include temporary delivery shortages for toilet roll.

"Our healthcare system has demonstrated its adaptability during the coronavirus crisis, despite existing deficits," said Professor Carsten Schultz, innovation researcher in Kiel. And suddenly telemedicine is also possible.

For many people, mathematical tasks sound like this: "A red camel stands in the moonlight in the desert. How heavy is the trout when it sings?" unizeit discussed what you can do to better grasp numbers with statistics Professor Sören Christensen.

Fear can be a very useful thing. However, when it is directed against an unknown and intangible enemy such as the coronavirus, the customary mechanisms of fear then fail. According to psychology professor, Julian Keil, this can become a problem.

The longer the restrictions are in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, the more the legal dimension comes into focus. How far may the state may go?

The global pandemic has given new impetus to digitalisation. But what effect does the increasing use of technology actually have on us? How does it change the reality of life, especially among young people? Psychologist Dr Thorsten Kolling ventures a prognosis.

Will the coronavirus crisis help digitalisation achieve a breakthrough in the field of education? Professor Heidrun Allert believes that this would be rather missing the point. "Exceptional circumstances cannot be the yardstick for this," comments the scientist.

Sicily is located in a very geodynamically active region. Not only can the volcano Mount Etna erupt, but there is a serious risk of earthquakes or tsunamis. In an interdisciplinary project, Kiel scientists are analysing and evaluating the risks.

With places of worship closed during the coronavirus crisis, the church came up with creative alternatives. Instead of sermons from the pulpit, there were prayers on the Internet. Is the digital church the opportunity this traditional institution needs to prepare itself for the future?

Thanks to modern technical aids, subtidal mussel beds in the Wadden Sea are now easier to trace than before. There are, however, certain puzzles yet to be solved.

What does Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) have to do with the modern idea of sustainability? A great deal, thinks the environmental ethicist Professor Konrad Ott. In a new research project, he wants to honour the impact of the often-misunderstood philosopher right up to the present.

For ten years, Professor Andreas Susenbeth worked as an honorary ombudsman for Kiel University. And he was always satisfied if a conflict could be resolved before it exploded into a drama. He had reason to be pleased remarkably often.

How did people live 6,000 years ago? What did they grow, what was the climate like? This is being investigated by the Institute of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology – with the aid of, among other things, pollen samples.

Around 3100 BC, Central Europe was hit by a crisis which led to a complete change in living conditions. Nothing was the same afterwards.

With a clear goal in mind, Sandy Ohm added her Abitur to a vocational training and began studying medicine. The Deutschlandstipendium scholarship provides her with the freedom to concentrate fully on her degree.

Dr Puli Chandramouli Reddy from India is currently conducting research in the working group led by Professor Thomas Bosch and in the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1182 "Origin and Function of Metaorganisms" at the CAU. In the unizeit interview, the visiting scientist from India reveals what brought him to Kiel and what he is currently working on.

When thinking of laser light, the intense beam of a laser pointer probably springs to mind, rather than cosy living room lighting. But that is exactly what a project from materials science and inorganic chemistry is investigating: pleasant laser light.

Technological solutions for sustainable agriculture alone are not enough. They must also be politically feasible. The communication of scientific findings and their implementation is an important concern of the "Third Ways of Feeding the World" graduate programme.

Crumbling cliffs, eroded beaches, flooded meadows: extreme weather events caused by climate change are putting a strain on coasts in the north. The GoCoase project is not only examining what extensive protection measures are required, but also bringing onboard the people affected by this.

On 3 October, it will be 30 years since the reunification of the German Democratic Republic (DDR) and the Federal Republic of Germany (BRD). The treaty on which the reunification was based is no ordinary piece of regulation.

In a few days, the border demarcation between Germany and Denmark will be 100 years old. The event will be celebrated on both sides of the barrier, which is now closed once again – but the celebrations will be bigger in Denmark than in Germany.