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Travel + Leisure
3 days ago
- Travel + Leisure
I've Lived in Germany for Nearly a Decade —and These are My Favorite Places in Munich
Scenic view of the North facade of the Victory Gate in Munich, Germany. Credit: Westend61/Getty Images Since moving to Germany eight years ago, I've had the pleasure of exploring nine of the country's 16 federal states. I live in Germany's capital city, Berlin, and on my first visit to Munich, I discovered these two sides of the country are polar opposites: Berlin is gritty and futuristic, rooted in the center of old East Germany; Munich is the clean, traditional stronghold in Germany's largest state, Bavaria, and the economic center of old West Germany. Both have their charm, but Munich more accurately reflects the culture and aesthetics that many Americans associate with Germany: alpine landscapes, lederhosen and dirndls, and, of course, fairy-tale castle architecture. As someone who has explored Munich several times, here are my favorite places to visit in the city. Ludwig Maximilian University in the university district of by impressive architecture dating back to the Bavarian monarchy, I love wandering the streets of Maxvorstadt, the arts and university district where students spill out of buzzy cafes and record stores. The area is also home to two universities and some of the city's best museums, but for me, stepping into the passageways where you can sit and enjoy the sunlight is one of the best parts. The art cafe and homemade cakes of Gartensalon make me feel like Munich is just a small, friendly town I get to enjoy by myself. The famous Pinakothek der Moderne Museum in Munich. The Pinakothek der Moderne, one of my favorite museums in all of Germany, is made up of four distinct modern art houses: fine art, prints and drawings, architecture, and home design. From the history of Volkswagen cars and models of post-war architecture to modern art photography and the sleek design of household appliances in the '100 Years, 100 Objects' exhibition, I've spent many hours exploring the Pinakothek der Moderne. It's the one museum I know I'll always visit. The Thai Pavilion, an ornate structure, stands in Berlin, parks are usually just some trees, scraggly wild grass, and rugged natural paths mixed in with a monument or statue here and there and several walls scattered with graffiti. So when I first visited Munich's Westpark, I was stunned at the immaculately designed landscapes surrounding me. The park was constructed in 1983 for a garden exhibition and still contains gorgeous rose gardens, a pagoda surrounded by Asian gardens, and several ponds and water features. In the summer, open-air cinema and theater performances take over an amphitheater on the edge of the lake, which makes for a stunning setting for watching the sunset. Cafe Gans am Wasser (that's 'Geese on the Water') is a cozy hangout, with mismatched furniture and DIY artwork. Exterior view of the Munich City Museum and Filmmuseum at St.-Jakobs-Platz. A special section of the Münchner Stadtmuseum (Munich City Museum), the film archive is home to more than 5,000 copies of German films, which are regularly screened in retrospectives and programs. As a filmmaker myself, I was excited to see rare silent films with live music (like the 1927 classic "Metropolis") and enjoy a program of German masterworks. Don't be fooled by the building's nondescript exterior—the tiny displays of classic photos and stories inside, combined with the affordable €5 ticket for retrospectives and programs with filmmaker participation, won me over immediately.
Forbes
7 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
Why Bizarre Sub-Neptune Exoplanets Are So Crucial To Astrobiology
Artist's impression of a sub-Neptune planet. Most exoplanet hunters chase biosignatures the way bird dogs chase the scent of a quail. But in a talk at the European Astrobiology Institute's recent BEACON 25 conference in Reykjavik, astrophysicist Kevin Heng espouses the newfound notion of Geoastronomy. The idea is that the long road to finding signatures of life (biosignatures) on a planet beyond our solar system runs throughan epoch dominated by an interdisciplinary merger of Geology and Astronomy. The aim is to make sure that we first spectroscopically identify geological false positives in the atmospheres of extrasolar planets that are totally unlike those in our own solar system. These so-called sub-Neptunes are neither planetary fish nor fowl. They're neither terrestrial nor gaseous and range in size from about four to ten Earth masses. If we don't understand how these sub-Neptunes' chemical species are abiotically generated by the planet's geology, then when we detect them in an exoplanetary atmosphere, we could have a false positive, Kevin Heng, professor of astrophysics at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, tells me in Iceland. This is a problem that's not likely to abate anytime soon. That's because, as yet, there's no reliable formula for detecting extrasolar signatures of life (or biosignatures). Some 40 of these bizarre, geochemically-active sub-Neptunes are currently being studied observationally. But without a firm understanding of the geochemical underpinnings of a rocky planet, we cannot possibly begin to understand whether some purported disequilibrium chemistry can be attributable to a biological process, Stephen Mojzsis, a geologist at the University of Bayreuth in Germany, tells me via email. Both Heng and Mojzsis are leaders in a 10-million-euro, six-year European Research Council-funded project dubbed 'Geoastronomy.' The aim is to unite the disciplines of astrophysics and the geosciences in an effort to comprehend both the chemistry and physics of rocky exoplanets. Fear Of False Positives In his recent Iceland presentation abstract, Heng challenges his colleagues by asking: If we cannot understand hot, geologically active exoplanets without life, what chances do we have of understanding a full-blown planetary biosphere from far away? Again, this clearly is an area of astrobiology that needs attention. There are potentially hundreds of such sub-Neptunes in the local galaxy, some of which orbit their parent stars in only a few days. And even though they have puffy hydrogen-rich atmospheric envelopes, these envelopes make up just 1% of their mass. Their cores, however, are thought to be rocky and molten, which probably means that they are geochemically active. High Pressure Their cores are basically molten rock with temperatures of a few thousand degrees and with pressures 10,000 times that of Earth's surface. At these pressures, there's probably no life, and matter behaves in an unfamiliar way, so that the distinction between gases and liquids are not so distinct and matter is in this strange, exotic mix, says Heng. Too Much Gas? At some point you add so much hydrogen to this core that its hydrogen doubles the size of the core which means that the real extent of the core is the same as the real extent of the atmosphere, Heng notes in his conference talk. Arguably, the most famous sub-Neptune is K2-18b, an exoplanet which recently made global headlines due to the claim that dimethyl sulfide had been detected in its atmosphere. But Heng doesn't buy that explanation. I find K2-18b utterly uninteresting because it's a red herring; we're going from physics to biology when there's so much geology we can learn, says Heng. The sample of exoplanets from which we can learn geology is vastly bigger than the sample of so-called habitable exoplanets, he says. Science can also be impatient. Most people want to make the leap from physics to biology, but let's take what nature is teaching us, says Heng. False positives come from geology because rocks use the same gases that metabolism uses, he says. A Habitability Skeptic Because we have yet to detect any real Earth analogs; we have a sample size of one for life, says Heng. All of the so-called habitable zone planets we have found are based on the assumption that they have the same atmosphere as Earth, and we do not know that they do, he says.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Numerous Fossils Reveal Jurassic Fish Killed in Same, Bizarre Way
An extinct genus of ray-finned fish that lived during the Jurassic period seems to have had quite the penchant for overreaching. A new analysis of fossilized Tharsis fish reveals that the carnivorous marine animals seem to have frequently met their end with large cephalopods known as belemnites lodged quite fatally in their gullets. According to paleontologists Martin Ebert and Martina Kölbl-Ebert of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in Germany, Tharsis fish found in the 152 million-year-old Solnhofen Plattenkalk (limestone) formation in Germany appear in multiple instances to have died while attempting to swallow a belemnite nearly as long as themselves. "A recent review of collection material … uncovered several specimens of Tharsis from the Late Jurassic Plattenkalk deposits of the Solnhofen Archipelago with belemnites wedged in mouth and gill apparatus," they write in their paper. "In all cases, the rostrum [beak] reexits through the gill apparatus, whereas the broad phragmocone [internal shell] of the belemnite is firmly lodged in the mouth opening." Related: Ancient Tyrannosaur's Last Victims Can Still Be Seen Inside Its Stomach Tharsis fish were what are known as micro-carnivores; animals that eat very small animals such as larvae and zooplankton, in this case by using suction to gulp down their food. Their fossils are quite common. Belemnites, which resembled squid with a long hooded body and multiple arms, lived in the open ocean, left far fewer fossils. Interestingly, the belemnite fossils found in the Plattenkalk basins of Eichstätt and Solnhofen often consist of an internal shell overgrown with bivalves – suggesting that the belemnite was dead, kept buoyant in the water column by a gas-filled shell colonized by other animals, such as clam-like molluscs, feasting on the decaying soft tissue. Tharsis fish were unlikely to be looking for food amid the hostile conditions of the seafloor, nor would the fish have been preying directly on the belemnites – but the researchers believe they know why the dead, drifting cephalopods may have posed such a choking hazard for the hapless fish. "Apparently, these micro-carnivore fish were in the habit of sucking remnants of decaying soft tissue or overgrowth such as algae or bacterial growth from floating objects, but when a streamlined floating belemnite rostrum accidentally was sucked into the mouth, they were no longer able to get rid of these deadly objects," the paleontologists write in their paper. "Even though the fish tried to pass the obstructive item through its gills, there was no way of getting rid of it, leading to death by suffocation." Sounds deeply unpleasant, really. The research has been published in Scientific Reports. 'Ball Lightning' Caught on Film After Storm in Canada Expired Cans of Salmon From Decades Ago Contained a Huge Surprise Melting Glaciers Could Reawaken Hundreds of Earth's Volcanoes
Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
1,000 year old Babylonian hymn celebrating ancient city revived using AI
A long-lost Babylonian hymn, missing for more than a millennium, has been largely reconstructed thanks to artificial intelligence. Dating back to the early first millennium BCE (c. 1000 BCE), the 250-line hymn praises the ancient city of Babylon. It describes its monumental buildings, fertile fields sustained by the Euphrates River, and the role of celibate priestesses in society. The text was pieced together from over 30 fragmented clay tablets spread across several museums and collections. The reconstruction was made possible through a collaborative effort between researchers at the University of Baghdad and Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, who published their findings in the journal Iraq. The project utilised an AI-powered platform that digitises fragments of cuneiform – the script used by ancient civilisations, including Mesopotamia and Persia – and cross-references them to identify matching passages. 'Using our AI-supported platform, we managed to identify 30 other manuscripts that belong to the rediscovered hymn – a process that would formerly have taken decades,' said study co-author and Assyriologist Enrique Jiménez. The hymn itself is focused on Babylon's grandeur; most significantly, it celebrates the city's majestic architecture, emphasising how canals and fields thrived alongside bustling urban structures. Notably, it highlights the cultural importance of women serving as priestesses as well as Babylon's welcoming attitude towards foreigners, offering a rare glimpse into the structure of Babylon's social and cultural society. One striking feature is how widely the hymn was known at the time. Dozens of copies were found among what appeared to be school texts. 'The hymn was copied by children at school,' Jiménez noted, suggesting that this hymn was memorised by and taught to students. Despite its length, some sections of the hymn remain missing or damaged, particularly towards the end. About one-third of the original text is still fragmented, indicating growing opportunities for AI-assisted reconstruction and discovery of damaged or lost ancient texts. A passage from the larger hymn is transcribed below: The Euphrates is her river—established by wise lord Nudimmud— It quenches the lea, saturates the canebrake, Disgorges its waters into lagoon and sea, Its fields burgeon with herbs and flowers, Its meadows, in brilliant bloom, sprout barley, From which, gathered, sheaves are stacked, Herds and flocks lie on verdant pastures, Wealth and splendor—what befit mankind— Are bestowed, multiplied, and regally granted. (This article has been curated by Arfan Jeelany, who is an intern with The Indian Express)
Shafaq News
03-07-2025
- Science
- Shafaq News
Babil unearths 2,000-year-old hymn on morality and women
Shafaq News – Babil A research team in Babil has discovered parts of an ancient hymn carved into clay tablets in the ruins of the city of Sippar, about 65 kilometers north of the province. The religious poem, dedicated to the god Marduk, protector of Babylon, dates back more than 2,100 years to the ancient Babylonian civilization and offers poetic descriptions of life in the city, including its flowing rivers, jewel-adorned gates, and pure priests. Researchers from Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich (Germany) used artificial intelligence to reconstruct 30 scattered tablet fragments, a process that would have taken decades using traditional methods. The original hymn is composed of approximately 250 lines, of which scholars have so far deciphered and translated about one-third of the cuneiform text. Professor Enrique Jimenez, who led the team, described the text as possessing exceptional literary quality and precise structure. The hymn begins with praise for Marduk, calling him the 'architect of the universe,' and continues with praise for Babylon, portraying it as a paradise rich in blessings, comparing it to the sea, a fruit garden, and waves in abundance. It includes a vivid depiction of the Euphrates River and the fertile plains around it, where livestock graze. The text also reveals moral values in Babylonian society, highlighting respect for strangers and protection of the weak. The hymn praises priests who do not humiliate foreigners, who free captives, and care for orphans. It also mentions female priests acting as midwives, a role not previously recorded in other historical sources. It is believed to have held a special status in Babylonian culture and remained part of the school curriculum for nearly a thousand years, from the 15th century BCE (Before Common Era) to the 1st century BCE. The ruins of Babylon, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are located about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad. Among the lines in the hymn is a poetic passage describing the Euphrates River: "The Euphrates is her river, the work of the wise god Nudimmud, It waters the banks, irrigates the plains, Pours its waters into the lake and the sea, Its fields bloom with herbs and barley, Spring grass and grain shine in its meadows, Mounds of beer grains pile in its center, Cattle and sheep rest on green pastures, Abundance and wealth—what is rightful for the people? Multiply, are available, and pour forth in plenty." The hymn is estimated to have been written between 1500 and 1300 BCE, making it one of the oldest long literary works in Babylon's history. Although it is more recent than the Epic of Gilgamesh, the hymn was studied and copied alongside it for centuries. Researchers believe it was composed by a single author, though their identity remains unknown. Hymn of Babylon pieced together after 2,100 years — but how?A lost classic of Mesopotamian literature has largely been reconstructed by scholars, who recovered fragments of 30 ancient clay tablets — Times Culture (@timesculture) July 2, 2025
