The 29th World Climate Conference has received surprisingly little public attention in this eventful month. Many experts are critical of the outcomes. To provide some context, we spoke with Katja Matthes, Director of GEOMAR and Coordinator of the Helmholtz Climate Dialogue Platform.

Furthermore, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has now given the green light for the antibody lecanemab. This means that the first active ingredient to attack the causes of Alzheimer's is also on the verge of approval in the EU. Even though the antibody only slows the progression of the disease and by no means all patients are eligible for therapy, researchers are talking about a new era.

After two and a half years of project work, the 160-member consortium has reached an important milestone in the national joint project. “We have developed a compact but powerful system that is now ready to enter the next phase of development,” project coordinator Frank Wilhelm-Mauch is pleased to say. Over the next few years, the system will be further expanded and integrated into the existing Jülich supercomputing environment in order to increase its performance from the current 10 to 30 qubits.

QSolid is 90 percent funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The project, which brings together 25 institutions from across the country, is part of Germany’s strategy to achieve technological sovereignty in the field of quantum research. The overarching aim is to strengthen Germany’s industrial competitiveness and to enable new applications in science and industry, in areas such as chemistry, materials science and medical technology.

The now completed system has a low error rate, a customized software stack, and will be connected to the Jülich UNified Infrastructure for Quantum computing (JUNIQ) via cloud access in the coming weeks. The centerpiece of the prototype is the quantum processor, which has now passed initial functional tests. Capable of delivering high performance on its own, it is currently being connected to the quantum processor. In addition, major subsystems for cabling, electronics and software have been developed and installed on the central system. There are also new test capabilities for developing the next generation of cryogenic qubit control, which will make qubit operation easier and more energy-efficient in the future.

Another main goal of the QSolid project is to integrate quantum computers into the existing supercomputing environment at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre. The combination of quantum computers and supercomputers should make it possible to perform particularly complex calculations faster and more efficiently. “The first steps toward a hybrid system that combines quantum and supercomputing have already been taken. Integration into Jülich’s high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure is already possible to some extent,” explains Prof. Wilhelm-Mauch.

Press release Forschungszentrum Jülich

Nuclear properties of fermium investigated with laser light
Elements beyond uranium (atomic number: 92) in the periodic table, such as fermium (atomic number: 100), do not occur naturally in the Earth’s crust. Therefore, to be studied, they have to be produced artificially. They range from the heaviest naturally occurring elements to the so-called superheavy elements, which start at atomic number 104. An international research team reports on experiments using pioneering laser spectroscopy techniques and conducted at the GSI/FAIR accelerator facility and at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. The team gained valuable insights into the structure of atomic nuclei of fermium with different numbers of neutrons. Read more

White smokers on the lake floor
In an interdisciplinary project coordinated by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), researchers have discovered meter-high chimneys on the ground of the Dead Sea. These are formed by the spontaneous crystallization of minerals from groundwater with an extremely high salt content flowing up out of the lake floor, as the researchers report. Discovered for the first time, these vents are an important early-warning indicator for sinkholes – subsidence craters that form in the vicinity of the Dead Sea and pose a significant threat to the local populace. Read more

Picture: DESY/Susann Niedworok

Adelheid Sommer is a physicist is head of the school lab at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) in Zeuthen, which she also established. She serves as co-spokesperson for the network of school labs within the Helmholtz Association and was recently honored with the “DESY Award for Exceptional Achievements” for her outstanding commitment to fostering young talent. Image: DESY/Susann Niedworok

The variety of my tasks constantly inspires me – from imparting knowledge to children and teenagers, to developing educational materials, and engaging in networking activities. At the DESY school lab, I have the opportunity to work directly with young people and spark their curiosity about science. I really enjoy introducing them to the fascinating world of physics. Collaborating with my colleagues from the other school labs in the Helmholtz Association often yields creative ideas for new formats. I truly value being part of this network and being able to actively help nurture the next generation of scientists.

My dream would be to create comprehensive opportunities for all children and teenagers to explore and engage with science – in the form of spaces designed to inspire discovery, research, and wonder, where young people could fully develop their interests in the sciences. Passionate researchers and educators would guide them, sparking creativity and encouraging deeper thinking. Every child has a fundamental right to quality education, and that right shouldn’t depend on their family’s financial or social status.

If I could choose anyone to have dinner with, it would be Armin Maiwald from the children’s program “Sendung mit der Maus.” I greatly admire his ability to explain even the most complex topics in a simple and accessible way without making them dull. He has inspired generations to go out and explore the world around them. A conversation with him would be a unique opportunity to draw inspiration from his insights and his way of getting to the heart of things. Until then, I’ll continue to enjoy watching “Sendung mit der Maus” with my family every Sunday.

2024 is the first year in which the global average temperature is projected to have risen by 1.5 degrees – despite the commitments made under the 2015 Paris Agreement. From a global perspective, there is no sign of a decline in emissions. According to forecasts recently released by the Global Carbon Project (GCP), emissions are expected to reach around 37.4 billion tons of CO2 by the end of the year – an increase of 0.8 percent over the previous year.

Yet not even these undisputable facts led to negotiations to phase out fossil fuels at the COP29 in Baku. Further, pledges for climate financing to adapt to the consequences of climate change fell far short of expectations. And last but not least, the strengthening of links and synergies between climate financing and biodiversity was removed from the final document.

From a scientific standpoint, one thing is clear: the primary goal must continue to be a rapid and drastic reduction in emissions. As a highly developed country, Germany can show the world that transformation is possible. A CO2-neutral Germany by 2045 is still possible. But making it a reality will require far-reaching social and economic change: Germany must reduce emissions by around 90 percent and find methods for the active removal of CO2 for the unavoidable residual emissions, e.g. those from the cement industry, which amount to 50 to 70 million tons of CO2 per year.

The ocean holds solutions: as the GCP reports, the ocean continues to absorb around 26 percent of global CO2 emissions. This mechanism must be preserved and protected. Various marine approaches to targeted CO2 removal are being investigated by the scientific community, e.g. under the auspices of the German Marine Research Alliance (DAM), which is funded by the federal and state governments. One approach is to restore seagrass meadows or other coastal ecosystems, which store several times as much CO2 in their soil as do land-based forests, protect coasts from increasingly frequent storm surges and, above all, increase biodiversity. In addition, researchers are investigating methods for increasing the alkalinity of the ocean. These methods imitate and accelerate the natural process of rock weathering and can counteract ocean acidification, boosting the ocean’s ability to absorb and bind CO2 from the atmosphere.

But among marine methods, the storage of CO2 under the seabed holds the greatest potential: an estimated 10 million tons of CO2 per year could be stored in the German North Sea alone. In recent years, research has focused on quantifying storage capacities and assessing the associated risks and opportunities. The results of this research form an important basis for amending the applicable legislation, which is currently in the parliamentary process.

Not only in marine research, but also at the other Helmholtz Centers, solutions are emerging for combating climate change and mitigating its impacts. In order to disseminate the best solutions and options for action, the Helmholtz Association has renewed its commitment to climate research: Helmholtz Climate combines the expertise of all 18 Helmholtz Centers. As a platform for dialogue, it will bring together researchers in Germany and from around the globe, political decision-makers and civil society actors to discuss current issues and needs in climate policy and develop solutions together.

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