Welcome to the Land of Heisenberg and MIMOS II

Under the heading of "Research in Germany", the participating organizations provide information on sources and forms of funding for research stays in Germany or for collaborative projects. The joint information booth is dedicated to the "World Year of Physics".

To mark the "World Year of Physics", German research, as one of the major exhibitors at the AAAS Annual Meeting, presents its internationally acknowledged and recognized innovations in the field of physics research, including the projects "Mars Spectrometer MIMOS II" and "giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect". Discovery of the GMR effect triggered a wave of innovations in the field of magnetic data storage in the United States:

Was there water on Mars? Mounted on the Mars rovers “Spirit” and “Opportunity”, MIMOS II is currently sampling the surface of Mars. MIMOS II stands for the Miniaturized Moessbauer Spectrometer built by Goestar Klingelhoefer, University of Mainz, Germany. This spectrometer made it possible to prove for the first time that there was liquid water on Mars.

Everything turns around spin? In the late 1980s, Peter Grünberg from Research Center Jülich (Helmholtz Association) patented the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect. Already by the mid-1990s IBM Research was talking about a revolution in information technology and launched a GMR read head for computer hard disks – the breakthrough to gigabyte memories and spintronics.

Do ocean currents change our climate? Using computer simulations, Stefan Rahmstorf from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), a member of the Leibniz Association, was able to explain the behavior of Atlantic currents in climate changes. The US-based James S. McDonnell Foundation awarded him the prestigious “Centennial Fellowship”.

Other topics, such as the Lotus-Effect® and “Lab on the Chip”, plus exhibits on nuclear fusion and the geo-monitoring system GRACE demonstrate the diversity and innovative performance of German research. Films additionally provide interesting insights into highlights of German physics research. At the same time, the attending research organizations inform visitors on the scope of Germany's research landscape, in general, and on individual funding programs, in particular.

Germany's universities and research institutes offer excellent conditions for scientists from all over the world who are interested in enhancing their scientific experience or in participating in cooperative research projects. A workshop will present the spectrum of academic exchange and funding instruments. U.S. scientists who have lived and worked in Germany will report on their experience with the German research system. Representatives of U.S. science and funding organizations, like the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will inform participants about the funding instruments developed in cooperation with German partner organizations.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) coordinates the presentation. Other participating German funding organizations are: the German Research Foundation (DFG) and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) plus the four major non-university research organizations: Helmholtz Association, Leibniz Association, Max Planck Society (MPG) and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (FhG).

The AAAS Annual Meeting attracts several thousand scientists, research politicians, journalists and representatives of business and industry every year. Last year’s meeting was attended by 5,700 scientists and 1,200 international media representatives. This makes it not only the world's largest, interdisciplinary scientific conference, but also an important information exchange market for all aspects relating to the topic of research.

The exhibition will take place at :
Exhibition Stall "Research in Germany", Exhibit Hall, Booth 106, Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, DC
from February 18 to 21, 2005.