Lichtgedanken 04

Rubrik 4 F E AT U R E A BUNDLE OF ENERGY 12 SOURCES OF ENLIGHTENMENT Light, in all of its many facets, is part of the research profile at the Friedrich Schiller University that brings together physicists, materials scientists, chemists, biologists, medics and computer scientists, and is not just limited to physical phenomena. 16 LIGHT IS ENERGY Materials scientists are developing organic solar batteries. They are not just envir­ onmentally friendly, but also very practical, as they provide solar energy »to go«. 18 LIGHT IS THE ELIXIR OF LIFE Green plants and algae use light for photosynthesis, produce life-sustaining oxygen, and protect the food chain. Light also serves as the trigger for the »internal clock« for almost all living things. 20 LIGHT IS A TOOL Ultrashort laser pulses can be used to track chemical reactions in super-slow motion and to light up the air, causing three-dimensional images to appear in open space. 28 LIGHT IS INFORMATION Light offers an insight into the macrocosm and into the microcosm. Light from the universe provides information about distant stars and galaxies, as the report from the University’s observatory explains (p. 32 ff). Researchers are taking a closer look at the animate and inanimate microcosm using different microscopes and produ­ cing fascinating images as a result (p. 30 ff).