}Exhibition:»VALUABLE EARTH«in Munich

}Knowledge transfer:Network betweenresearch and museums

}Conference: Joint Confe-rence on Earth system re-search with the GeoUnion

}Politics:Research and sciencein party campaigns

Insight Issue 02/2013

»VALUABLE EARTH«raw material exhibition on tour

Supplying the modern globalized society with raw materials is setto become one of the most important issues for the decades tocome. The coordinating office of the GEOTECHNOLOGIEN pro-gram has tackled this topic in the form of a touring exhibition. Itpresents important findings and effective geophysical explorationmethods, such as those under investigation in the program topicof »tomography of the Earth’s crust«.The exhibition, which has already been a great success in theSenckenberg Natural History Collections in Dresden, has currentlybeen showing since July 17th in the Museum of Man and Naturein Munich. The exhibition opened with an introduction by the Bavarian Mini-ster for Science, Dr. Wolfgang Heubisch and a talk titled »raw ma-terials at any price?« by Dr. Rupert Hochleitner, head of the Mi-neralogical National Collections in Munich, the focus set particu-larly on the domestic resources and our tremendous demand forraw materials.The exhibition, which deals with the origins, the exploration andproduction, as well as the use of geological raw materials, is opento visitors in Munich until November 10th 2013. It will then visitthe German Mining Museum in Bochum and the Museum Koenigin Bonn.More information about the exhibition, current events and back-ground information on the topics can be found at www.wertvolle-erde.de. ¢

GEO

TECHNOLOGIEN

GEOTECHNOLOGIEN

The exhibition in Munich is accompanied by exhibits from the State Mineralogi-cal Collection, Munich.

Imprint: Coordination Office GEOTECHNOLOGIEN, Telegrafenberg,14473 Potsdam, Germany, Tel.: +49 (0)331 288 1071,www.geotechnologien.de, Dr. Ute Münch (VisdP)

GEOTECHNOLOGIEN is a geoscientific research and development pro-gramme, supported by the German Federal Ministry for Education andResearch (BMBF) and the German Research Foundation (DFG).

You can find our newsletter in both English and German in the download area. Our newsletter is published twice yearly. Should you no longer be interested in receiving this newsletter, simply send us an email at: info@geotechnologien.de

Picture Source Header (left to right):GEOTECHNOLOGIEN, Educational Insights, ESA - AOES Medialab, M. RehmeierIssue: 02/2013

Dear GEOTECHNOLOGIENprogram partners,

In order to publish the most important findings that havebeen achieved within the individual projects of the va-rious topics of the GEOTECHNOLOGIEN R&D-program,this year two further books will be published as ScienceReports within the Springer book series »Advanced Tech-nologies in Earth Sciences«. There will be a volume on thesubject of »Observation of the System Earth from spaceCHAMP, GRACE, GOCE and Future Missions«, as well asanother on the subject of »Tomography of the Earth'scrust«.

The next two issues reflect the funded topics in their en-tire bandwidth and highlighting the added value of suchan R&D-program. I would like to thank all parties involvedin particular the editors and authors for their support andtheir contributions and hope that next year we will pro-duce at least another volume.

Your Ute Münch

GeoEd –geoscience teaching & learningmodules and concepts for teacher training

Geoscientists, educational researchers and practitioners,as well as representatives of the museums and museumpedagogy will meet for the first GeoEd-Workshop at theInstitute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V. (IASS) onSeptember 17th in Potsdam. The aim of the workshop is toaddress; the needs of teachers, the potential of museumsand to link the geoscience fields amongst each other andreinforce them in the school curriculum.The far-reaching economic benefits, but also the long-term environmental aspects of geoscientific research (e.g.raw materials, water, climate, land use, tourism) areunder-represented in the schools in comparison to theirimportance for society. Promoting young talent in thisarea not only has an educational value in itself, but isalso very important in terms of economic benefits andsustainability .Through the initiative of the GEOTECHNOLOGIEN pro-gram, the GeoUnion, Progress and the IASS new strate-gies are to be developed in the GeoEd project, to pro-mote geoscientific knowledge more widely in the societyand ensure a sufficient supply of well educated profes-sionals as an economic and a knowledge base for Ger-many. The objective is to contribute to an interesting, in-terdisciplinary school curriculum which integrates thecurrent level of research and technology. In order toachieve an appropriate and effective implementation existing, local projects and initiatives will be approachedwith the help of the good contacts the natural historymuseums in Germany maintain. Therefore GeoEd givesus an opportunity to connect the natural history muse-ums in Germany, with research institutions to a networktogether, dedicated to the development of Earth scienceteaching modules and associated teacher training . ¢

Naturkundem

useum Berlin

Where else? Teacher training on geo-topics in the natural history museum

topic of biodiversity, in addition shows pre-parations, artefacts and dioramas and evenlive animals in it’s in-house vivarium. Visi-

tors are welcomed in the atrium by a life-size model of a prehistoric Quetzalcoatlus.The museum has plenty of space for spe-cial exhibitions: Under the motto »Boden-los - durch die Luft und unter Wasser«from April 25th until October 27th 2013 vi-sitors can see exciting aircraft, airworthyanimals, submarine robots and marine life.

As early as, 1785 the collection of the Mar-gravine of Baden was open for visitors. Themuseum in Karlsruhe is one of the oldestnatural history museums in Germany. ¢

Who is Who ...In this issue of Insight we are notgoing to introduce you to twoscientists, but rather two placeswhere new, amazing and surprisingexperiences from the sciences canbe »understood« in the truestsense of the word.

Museum of Man and Nature, MunichIdyllically located in one of the side wingsof the Nymphenburg Palace, the Museumof Man and Nature offers everything youneed to know about the versatile interacti-

From space to the centre of the Earth –a joint conference with the GeoUnion

The GeoUnion, the umbrella organization of the geoscientific as-sociations in Germany, will carry out its annual meeting this year, to-gether with the GEOTECHNOLOGIEN program.

The exploration of the Earth from space has not only provided re-searchers from a huge range of disciplines with new insights into ourplanet. Extremely diverse data is collected, not only in the geo-, cli-mate and marine research, but it can also be used to estimate offorest and agricultural land as well a detecting environmental da-mage. In addition, data transmitted in real time via satellite, forexample, is essential for the operation of early warning systemsagainst natural hazards . The early identification of natural hazardssuch as floods, landslides or tsunamis in a densely populated worldis becoming increasingly important to minimize victims, but alsoeconomic damage. Increased use of the subterranean space alsoplays an important role for example in the production of mineral re-sources, which are used for energy supply.

Therefore, 3 - 4 introductory presentations into the topics »Moni-toring the system earth from space: measurements of the Earth's

H.A. Treff

ons between the earth and life. Thus, an-thropogenic and natural changes in the en-vironment are at the heart of the perma-nent exhibition. Again and again excitingexperieces are added by special exhibitions.Following an exhibition on Spiders inspring 2013 the touring Exhibition »Valu-able Earth« from GEOTECHNOLOGIEN isa guest here from July 17th to November10th 2013 .The museum, which opened to visitors in1809, has become a very modern museumin recent years and is very popular withchildren and young people in particular be-cause of the diverse range of multimediaand the experience-oriented presentationson offer.

State Museum of Natural History,Karlsruhethe State Museum of Natural History is lo-cated in the heart of the city of Karlsruhe.It is both a presentation museum as well asa collection for research and enjoys an ex-cellent international reputation. The mu-seum itself, which is very dedicated to the

Astrium Stadtmarketing Karlsruhe

gravity field make it possible to evaluate tectonic processes andocean currents and climate change«, »the development of earlywarning systems against natural hazards« and »the geotechnicaluse of the subsurface«. A 45 - 60 minute podium discussion withthe speaker from the respective subject areas will follow the topic,moderated by either a peer reviewed researchers or a science journalist .

The event is aimed primarily at the interested public, teachers, pu-pils and students, as well as journalists and representatives frompolitics and industry. The meeting should give an insight into dif-ferent areas of the earth sciences and the relevance that findingsin research reflect on our daily lives. You are all kindly invited. ¢

The event will be held as a one-day conference onNovember 22nd 2013 from 10:30 to 6:15 p.m. in the State Library Berlin.

Stephen A. MackoStephen A. Macko is a member of the Committeeon Education of the European Geoscience Union(EGU) and he is part of the organization and deve-loping board of the well-established EGU-GIFT-Workshops (Geoscience Information for Teachers).He is also the education representative for the Ame-rican Geophysical Union (AGU) fall program com-mittee and editorial board member for educationof EOS, the membership publication of the AGU.

Before coming to UVA, he was a professor atthe Memorial University in St. Johns, Newfound-land, Canada. He was elected a fellow of the Geo-chemical Society and European Association of Geo-chemistry in 2003. In addition, he has been featu-red on Discovery and National Geographic televi-sion programs as well as in a number of public andcommercial radio and television interviews.

GEOTECH: Mr Macko, you are an esta-blished and highly recognized EarthScientist in Geochemistry. What wasyour motivation to make the transi-tion from "hard science" to educa-tion?Macko: I don’t think of it as a transition,since my lab is still very active in research;rather I like to believe I am doing a naturaland necessary expansion of my science toinclude education and outreach. As ascientist, I have the luxury of being able toask and answer questions about how theEarth works. Researchers have a responsi-bility to stimulate others, especially stu-dents, to ask questions and seek answersas well. Antworten zu suchen.

GEOTECH: Do you think, that educatio-nal programs such as the EGU- GIFT (Ge-osciences Information For Teachers)workshops and others make a diffe-rence? To what extent?

Macko: It is clear that working with and tea-ching the educators about the most currentconcepts in geosciences is a rapid way to ex-pand the audience for dissemination of ourwork. At the same time we can communi-cate our passion for being a scientist, howwe work, and pursue our path for addres-sing our curiosity in a logical manner. TheGIFT workshops achieve the goal of puttingthe most current understanding into theminds and hands of educators far more ra-pidly than textbooks can.

GEOTECH: You have conducted edu-cational workshops for teachers fromall over the world. Do you see diffe-rences in geo-education efforts anddemands throughout different cultu-res? How can Earth Scientists respondto these differences?Macko: There are commonalities and somedifferences. It seems the teachers share anincredible energy and enthusiasm for ac-quiring a clearer understanding of whatthey teach. They desire insights into theconcepts so that their task of communica-tion is made easier. Sometimes it is simplya new perspective that will open the doorto that comprehension. As one teacheronce said to me, »I had never heard thatexplanation before. Now I understand«.

The main difference across the varietyof cultures is the amount of resources thatare available for education, both within acountry, and between countries. I believeprograms like the GIFT workshops try tobridge those disparities

GEOTECH: While politicians aroundthe world identified Earth and Spacescience as a key element in sustaina-ble policy, there is only limited sup-port for educational programs. Whatdo you think is necessary to convincepoliticians to increase their support?Macko: It does seem like a contradiction,doesn’t it? We want citizens of this planetto make sustainable practices part of theirdaily lives, yet the support for informingthem about what are better ways of doingthings is not as forthcoming. This ischanging. Organizations like the EGU andAGU are investing in communicating withpolicy makers and governmental leaders tomake them aware of the problems and ourprograms in educating students, teachersand the public. Individually, I tell 200 stu-

dents in my oceanography class they havea personal responsibility to be both an in-formed and active citizen of the planet. Asimple, yet sustainable philosophy.

GEOTECH: Do you think, that the in-volvement in education and outreachshould be part of the career-plan ofyoung scientists? Do you see chancesfor education and outreach becominghonored as valuable skills by universi-ties, research institution and industry?Macko: Is there another viable option?Education and outreach are the path thatwill keep the public as participants in ourquest for more and better knowledge. Thisis true across all disciplines, not only geos-ciences: medicine, and engineering facethis challenge. We depend on the supportof the public for the resources to continueour work. So to make this part of the ca-reer-plan of a young scientist is not onlypractical, it is by all accounts necessary

GEOTECH: Are there differences bet-ween education and outreach pro-grams in Europe and the US? Howwould you rate the success of Germa-ny's education and outreach pro-grams? Is there a program you wouldhighlight as one of the most success-ful programs in Earth and Space sci-ence education?Macko: Again there are similarities in thegoals of raising public awareness at all le-vels, starting with the children all the wayto the parents. In the US there is less of the»natural« international perspective that Eu-ropeans grow up with, and the need forinternational cooperation. In the US wehave differences in approaches, but underone federal system. It can mean that thescope of change can be immense. Oftenyou find the individual states are whereprograms get started. I have been muchimpressed with the education and outre-ach programs in Germany. In particular, theFuture Ocean Group of the Kiel-Cluster forExcellence comes to mind. They cooperatewith the International Ocean Institute toadvocate for sustainable uses of the oceanwhile having a strong program in raisingpublic awareness.

Mr. Macko, thank you very much for theinterview.¢

GEOTECHNOLOGIEN speaks to … Stephen A. Macko

Dan Addison / UVA

Science in the Bundestag – The election campaign 2013

With parliamentary elections coming up, we thought we wouldtake a look at the different parties election manifestos. We havefocused our view on the concepts surrounding the topic of re-search and science. Therefore, we have gathered together someof the principal programme points of the five largest parties.

What all the major parties have in common, is that they use sci-ence and research in the context of energy and the search for astorage of nuclear waste. They all want to promote transparentand unbiased technological development. The strategies varygreatly from intensive information to the public (CDU, FDP, andB90/Grüne), to a science forum with its own research budget (SPD)through to the participation of NGOS, trade unions and civil so-ciety stakeholders in the science political decision-making (DieLinke).

A key issue is also the improvement of the employment situationin science and research. All established parties have concrete plansfor the modernisation of the terms of research employment andto increase the planning security of scientific careers.On the topic of publication practices of scientific results, the par-ties have widely diverging strategies. The FDP is the only party po-sitioned against the strengthening of the open access (OA) mo-vement. B90/Grüne and Die Linke even call for an obligation ofscience to publish in OA-media. The SPD, on the other hand, are

banking on a general second publication right. All parties repre-sented are for free access for research to publications, includingthose protected by copyright.

SPD, B90/Grüne and Die Linke also criticise the under-representa-tion of women in science. B90/Grüne and Die Linke call for re-strictions, such as, cutbacks in funding, if research institutes donot achieve a 50% employment quota for women in the mediumterm.

B90/Grüne, Die Linke and FDP also have a position on the so-cal-led civil clause (Zivilklausel) in science and research. WhileB90/Grüne and Die Linke support the restriction to civil research,the FDP categorically rejects such a clause as an interference in thefreedom of science.

The SPD is the only established party to touch on the permeabilityof faculties between universities of applied sciences and the esta-blished universities, as well as the chance to study without a highschool qualification (Abitur). Die Linke explicitly demands for theabolition of the Bologna-System and a consistent and compre-hensive transparency in relation to research collaborations be-tween publicly funded institutions and economically active com-panies.

CDU SPD B90/Grüne Die Linke FDP

Decrease temporary job contracts to improve the employment situation

Yes Yes, but in accordance with the law on temporary job contracts in science

Yes, by modernising the law and creating 1000 new junior professor posts

By restriction to qualifi cation pro-ject and the creation of 100,000 new permanent positions

Making employment structures more fl exible

Open Access (OA) OA strategy is to be developed General right to second publication OA obligatory for publicly funded research, including Open Data, free use of publications in science

Strengthen Open educational re-sources, OA obligatory for publicly funded research

No OA-obligation, researcher’s responsibility

Increase transparency Through intensive communication with the public

Own research forum More dialogue and information with the public

Yes

Restricted cooperations between Federal Govern-ment and the federal state levels

Abolish More basic and less third-party funding

More funding from the federal government, also project inde-pendent

Women in research Target 40% Restrictions (funding cutback) if quota of 50% not achieved in the mid-term

Sanctioned quota of 50%

Initiative for excellence Phase-out, but keep grade schools Discontinue, more wideband funding

Continue

Civil clause Not necessary if transparency rules can be implemented

Make it Legislation No civil clause

Other features Ease of transition between colleges and universities, studying without school leaving certifi cate

Transition from; science for society to science with society

Abolish Bologna-System for more responsibility in research; make cooperations between Universities and Companies transparent

More research freedom, more researching companies with modern working conditions and strengthening start-ups (EXIST)

A list of links to the election campaigns of the different parties is available athttp://www.bundestagswahl-bw.de/wahlprogramme1.html

Das Schwerefeld der Erde

.

} August 27th and 28th 2013Status seminar on the topic »geological storage of carbon dioxide«in Potsdam

} November 22nd 2013GeoUnion symposium »GEOTECHNOLOGIEN« in Berlin

} November 25th 2013Exhibition »VALUABLE EARTH« opens inthe German Mining Museum Bochum

} December 9th – 13th 2013 Information booth »Research in Germany« at the AGU Fall meeting in San Francisco (USA) together with the German Research Foundation (DFG)and universities

} Autumn 2013The book »Observation of the System Earth from space - CHAMP, GRACE, GOCEand Future Missions« will be published by Springer, which reports on the projectsof the GEOTECHNOLOGIEN-commitment to »Observation of the System Earthfrom Space«.

The deadline for the submission ofproject outlines on the topic »Fur-ther development of methods forthe early detection of natural ha-zards in Germany through innova-tive sensor and information tech-nologies« was at the end of Fe-bruary. There was a flood of sub-missions due to the wide-rangeand actuality of this research area.A broad-based international teamof professional experts will now ex-amine the sketches until the end ofAugust. Then, the bodies of thefunding organizations as well asthe steering committee of theGEOTECHNOLOGIEN program willmake an assessment and request anumber consortia for full propo-sals. The applications will then besubmitted by the end of this yearfor a further evaluation round. Theaim is for the projects to start atthe beginning of July 2014. Thisnew topic will start in the GEO-TECHNOLOGIEN program and in2015 will be carried on in the fol-low-up program Geo:N (see firstnewsletter »Insight« 2013). ¢

For three years now the travelingexhibition »The Earth in Sight« hasinformed about the monitoring ofthe Earth System from space.The exhibition is currently openuntil February 23rd 2014 in the fo-cusTerra at the ETH Zurich (Swit-zerland). An extensive program ofpresentations accompanies theexhbition.

More information can be found onthe web site: www.die-erde-im-visier.de. ¢

Joint tender on the subject of »early warning«

»The Earth in Sight«final spurt

Calendar

The Exploration of the Earth's gravity field

New brochure published in the GEOTECHNOLOGIEN series "Blue Booklet"

The gravitational field of the Earth is oneof the central topics in the GEOTECHNO-LOGIEN program and was funded both bythe German Research Foundation (DFG) aswell as the Federal Ministry for Educationand Research for over 10 years. In recentyears satellite missions, such as CHAMP,GRACE and GOCE have brought ourimage of mass distribution in the Earth toa new level. To demonstrate the enormousincrease in information for science andeveryday applications, the project co-ordi-nators took on the commitment to publish»Observation of the System Earth fromSpace« a new information brochure drawntogether with the co-ordination officeGEOTECHNOLOGIEN program, targeted inparticular at schoolchildren. They are pre-sented with the basic idea of gravity fieldmonitoring, the importance of satellite mis-

Astrium

The outlook to future missions - here the GRACEfollow-on project - is a subject in the Blue Booklet

sions for the measurement of the Earth'sgravitational field and the influence of thisdata on everyday life with simple text, in-formative graphics and impressive images.

The brochure »The gravitational field ofthe earth« is available online at:www.issuu.com under the keyword GEO-TECHNOLOGIEN or you can order a freecopy from the co-ordination Office. Sendus an e-mail to info@geotechnologien.de. ¢