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Handing back cultural artefacts which have a colonial provenance has long been an object of public debate. The historical anthropologist Dr. João Figueiredo from the Käte Hamburger Kolleg “Legal Unity and Pluralism” and the legal historian Dr. Sebastian M. Spitra discuss the opportunity to contribute to a better understanding of the communities of origin and their pluralistic legal systems.

Becoming and passing away, passing on and innovation: evolution is life, and life is constant change - from the single-celled organism Luca 3.6 billion years ago to today, for example, in the face of new climatic challenges. Gradual changes in culture and society are also often referred to as evolution. In a six-month dossier, the Communications and Public Relations department is focussing on one of the most momentous scientific discoveries.

Growth and decay, passing things on and renewal: evolution is life, and life is constant. The word ‘evolution’ is also used to describe gradual changes in culture and society. To start the series off, four researchers from the University of Münster give their views here on the dazzling diversity of evolution and what research has discovered.

“I feel as if I’m confessing a murder,” wrote Charles Darwin in his book “On the Origin of Species”, published in 1859. He was evidently aware that his new insights at that time were not only presenting some scientific theory. No, the British naturalist was shaking the prevailing conception of the world.

Meteorites are fragments of asteroids which find their way to Earth as shooting stars and provide information on the origins of our solar system. A team of researchers has examined the so-called Winchcombe meteorite and demonstrated the existence in it of nitrogen compounds such as amino acids and heterocyclic hydrocarbons – without applying any chemical treatment and by using a new type of detector design.

Nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide cathodes are the most common and versatile active materials for lithium-ion batteries. In a new study, a team of researchers applied an innovative technique for the first time that enables not only direct coating of the cathode but also control of the coating thickness.

A new image video presents the research profile of the University of Münster. In around three and a half minutes, the audience gets to know different areas of research - from basic research to application-oriented projects, the complex challenges of the 21st century that scientists are working on are presented.

Organic chemist Ryan Gilmour has received a 150,000 euro ERC Proof of Concept Grant. He is now exploring how a strategy to create fluorinated building blocks can be brought to the market.

A team led by Prof. Armido Studer has introduced a strategy for converting carbon-nitrogen atom pairs in a frequently used ring-shaped compound into carbon-carbon atom pairs. The method has potential in the quest for active ingredients for new drugs, for example.

A research team from the University of Münster has for the first time discovered anomalous meter-sized rocks on the lunar surface that are covered in dust and presumably exhibit unique properties – such as magnetic anomalies. These findings help to understand the processes that form and change the lunar crust. The study has been published in the "Journal of Geophysical Research – Planets".

Early detection of diseases often improves the chances of recovery, but sometimes also has unwanted side effects: Not everything that is found is life-threatening. TOSYMA, a study on early breast cancer detection, investigated whether the innovative DBT+SM method for early breast cancer detection has such an effect. Conclusion: It confirms the advantages of the approach over standard screening.

An international team of geoscientists from the Universities of Münster and Bristol in England have explained why a large part of the moon is made up of unique rocks that do not occur on Earth. The results have now been published in the scientific journal "Nature Geoscience".

Psychotherapy is an effective treatment for adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following exposure to multiple traumatic events. This is shown by a meta-study by a research group led by psychologists Dr Thole Hoppen and Prof Dr Nexhmedin Morina from the University of Münster, which has now been published in "The Lancet Psychiatry".