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discovered 02_2012

discovered 02.12 Editorial WWW.Hzdr.DE Dear reader, What you are holding in your hands right now is the first English-language issue of our research magazine “discovered,“ which we have decided to give the short but sweet title “Results.“ Because it is exactly that – the results from research – which society, the industry, and politicians all expect from a research institute like our own Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden- Rossendorf – if only because they want to know what happens with their taxpayer Euros in terms of the portions of that money, which end up flowing into scientific research. Which have been the most important findings in the field of cancer research here in Dresden over the last few years? Will the results help increase the chances of curing different types of cancer for good? Which methods are researchers using these days to arrive at new insights in the field of materials research – like, for instance, in the case of the highly promising material graphene – and why are associated research facilities as gigantic as they are? In what ways might industry be able to contribute to Germany‘s energy transition proposal? A number of different processes in industries that stand out as some of the all-time biggest consumers of energy like, for example, the metal processing or chemical industries, are carefully being scrutinized by HZDR‘s researchers. What did they find out? What are some of the new approaches to addressing security concerns at nuclear power plants that are still currently in operation all over Europe? And what about the exact nature of international collaborative efforts in this area? Is it possible for the various highly toxic – and durable – substances that were produced as radioactive waste over the years to somehow escape from the permanent repositories and enter into our environment? It is the answers to these very questions we are investigating in this current issue of “discovered.“ These are questions whose answers society is entitled to – in a format that can be easily understood by all. And because our scientists are sharing this view, they have thrown their full support behind the editorial staff in helping them put together this issue of our magazine. The results are eight cover stories drawn from the HZDR‘s three major research areas: matter, health, and energy. A separate section of “discovered“ is dedicated solely to featuring three of the most successful collaborations. We are very proud of the fact that our most important collaborator, the Technische Universität Dresden, has recently joined the ranks of Germany’s elite universities. The HZDR would like to take this occasion to once again extend our heartfelt congratulations to the TU Dresden! The magazine‘s “Portraits“ section will introduce you to two successful HZDR scientists, while the brief articles in the “Panorama“ section are intended to round off the magazine towards the end. Going forward, we plan on publishing our research magazine, “discovered,“ in German twice a year, but, at this time, only one annual English-language issue is planned. We will make our very best effort to try and select the most suspenseful – and informative – topics so that you can easily find out which of the many research findings that come out of the Dresden Helmholtz Center will in the future most impact our lives. For our first English-language edition of “discovered“ – our usual German-language version is also due for publication in the very near future – it is my sincere hope that we will have many interested readers. I look forward to receiving your feedback, which, as always, is most welcome. Yours sincerely, Christine Bohnet HZDR Department of Communications and Media Relations COVER PICTURE: When liquid steel is being poured into a mold, the frequently turbulent stream also has an effect on the final product’s quality. Scientists at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf are investigating how externally applied magnetic fields could improve the steel cast’s efficiency and quality. Diagram: AIFilm

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