Not enough exercise, smoking and an unbalanced diet – many people know about the risks of an unhealthy lifestyle, but still don’t manage to change their health behavior. Jacobs University and the Stiftung Bremer Herzen (Bremen Heart Foundation) have teamed up and developed an online test to raise health awareness. Health behavior is examined with regards to motivation, expectation, pre-planning and necessary support for behavioral change. As a result of the test participants will be given tips how to change their lifestyle. The test is available for free at www.jacobs-university.de/JCLL-online-test.

Established within the scope of the „Wissenschaftsjahr 2010“ (Science Year 2010) the nationwide ‘Forschungsbörse’ has become a popular platform for scientific exchange with the public. By using the database German school teachers can get in touch with experts from different fields of science and invite them to their classroom. The researchers give school kids and teaching staff an insight into their daily work and share their knowledge on current research topics – for free.

“We meet our host families and we start off amazing relationships, thank you so much host parents and families. You are our connection to the country and the German the culture!” Robin Wanjiru Njenga from Kenya held a speech at this year’s graduation stressing the importance of Jacobs University’s host family program for the students. Cultural exchange, great contacts and above all long-lasting friendships are some of the benefits of the host family program. Jacobs University is now looking for host parents who like to show our new students what life is like in Bremen and the region.

Gadolinium, one of the rare earth elements, is one of the main components in contrast agents used for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Although not harmful itself, this gadolinium can serve as an indicator for other wastewater-derived substances, such as pharmaceutical residues, which could be hazardous. Under the lead of Michael Bau, Professor of Geosciences, the working group for “Resource & Environmental Studies” at Jacobs University has tested samples of Bremen’s drinking water for rare earth elements and compared them with gadolinium-contaminated samples from Berlin. The results are reassuring for Bremen-based consumers: None of the drinking water samples from the State of Bremen have tested positive for anthropogenic gadolinium.

For the last two years, Bremen’s largest newspaper Weser Kurier has been running its popular science series »Montagsexperten« (»Monday’s Experts«). The weekly feature sees scientists from universities in Bremen, including Jacobs University, use their expertise to answer questions arising from day-to-day life.