
Offspring Magazine
This podcast series is brought to you by the Science Communication and Magazine Working Groups of the Max Planck Society PhD network.
We want to make the process of getting a doctorate more transparent and raise awareness about possible career opportunities for doctoral researchers inside and outside of academia. We discuss topics of Open Science and research assessment, diversity and EO in science and academia, scientific research, and other PhD matters.
Follow us on Twitter @MPPhdnetPodcast.
Latest episodes

Aug 4, 2023 • 56min
#4-19 - Human Evolution, Neanderthal, and Denisovans - ft. Prof. Dr. Johannes Krause
Today, Bea talks to Prof. Dr. Johannes Krause, a director at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. His research focuses on the analysis of ancient DNA to investigate topics such as pathogens from historic and prehistoric epidemics, human genetic history, and human evolution. He has contributed to deciphering Neanderthal genetics and the shared genetic heritage of Neanderthals and modern humans. In 2010, while working at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, he discovered the first genetic evidence of the Denisovans, an extinct hominin found in the Altai Mountains in Siberia.
Bea and Johannes talk about the timeline of human evolution starting from Homo erectus to Homo sapiens. Prof. Krause tells how they discovered the Denisovans, what we have learned since this discovery, and what differentiates Denisovans from Neanderthal and Homo Sapiens. They also talk about what the next big discoveries will be in archaeogenetics.
To find out more information about Prof. Dr. Johannes Krause, check out here:
https://www.eva.mpg.de/archaeogenetics/staff/johannes-krause/#c45293
MPE_EVA’s Twitter: @MPI_EVA_Leipzig
Episode Art: Picture of Prof. Krause © Thomas Victor
Background: Photo by Eugene Zhyvchik on Unsplash
You can follow us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MPPhdnetPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offspringmagazine_thepodcast
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/offspring-magazine-the-podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/MaxPlanckPhDnet
If you have any feedback, comments, or suggestions, reach out to us at offspring.podcasts@phdnet.mpg.de
Check out the Offspring-Blog where we publish articles on a regular basis: https://www.phdnet.mpg.de/outreach/offspring-blog
Intro - Outro music composed by Srinath Ramkumar: https://twitter.com/srinathramkumar
Pre-Intro jingle composed by Gustavo Carrizo: https://www.instagram.com/carrizo.gus
See you soon!

Jul 28, 2023 • 36min
#4-18 - Life of A Scientist - ft. Prof. Dr. Raffaella Buonsanti
Today, Xiaoran talks to Prof. Dr. Raffaella Buonsanti, a tenured Associate Professor at the Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC) of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). In her research, Professor Buonsanti implements a highly interdisciplinary approach, spanning from Chemistry to Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, to address fundamental challenges in energy technologies. Through the core expertise in colloidal synthesis, her team develops novel approaches to controlled and tunable nanomaterials to drive
chemical transformations.
In this conversation, they shed light on the real life of a scientist. They talk about the routine in Raffaella’s work and life, the concept of “ life-work integration”, the rules she manages her team and the methods she keeps a great mind always for science.
For more details, listen to this episode!
If you would like to know more information about Prof. Dr. Raffaella
Buonsanti, check out here:
https://www.epfl.ch/labs/lnce/buonsanti/
Twitter:
@lnce_epfl
Episode Art: Raffaella’s photo © BM PHOTOS
Background photo Photo by Hans Reniers on Unsplash
You can follow us on:
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/MPPhdnetPodcast
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/offspringmagazine_thepodcast
Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/offspring-magazine-the-podcast
YouTube:
https://youtube.com/c/MaxPlanckPhDnet
If you have any feedback, comments, or suggestions, reach out to us at offspring.podcasts@phdnet.mpg.de
Check out the Offspring-Blog where we publish articles on a regular basis: https://www.phdnet.mpg.de/outreach/offspring-blog
Intro-Outro music composed by Srinath Ramkumar: https://twitter.com/srinathramkumar
Pre-Intro jingle composed by Gustavo Carrizo: https://www.instagram.com/carrizo.gus
See you soon!

Jul 21, 2023 • 47min
#4-17 - Measuring the size of stars - ft. Dr. Tarek Hassan
In this episode, Juli talks to Dr. Tarek Hassan, a Postdoc at Centre for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research (CIEMAT) in Madrid. In his research he works with telescopes that are originally designed to observe very high energy gamma rays.
Juli and Tarek talk about stellar intensity interferometry, a technique to measure the shape and size of stars with high precision. Tarek explains why these measurements are important, how interferometry works and what might be the future applications. They discuss how Tarek wants to use his European Research Council Starting Grant to further advance this research.
To find out more information about Dr. Tarek Hassan, check out here:
http://cta.ciemat.es/members
Tarek’s twitter : @goldstein2034
To find out more about the MAGIC Telescopes, check out here:
Instagram: @magictelescopes
Twitter: @MAGICTelescopes
Episode Art: Photo by Urs Leutenegger and Jose Ignacio Gil
You can follow us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MPPhdnetPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offspringmagazine_thepodcast
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/offspring-magazine-the-podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/MaxPlanckPhDnet
If you have any feedback, comments, or suggestions, reach out to us at offspring.podcasts@phdnet.mpg.de
Check out the Offspring-Blog where we publish articles on a regular basis: https://www.phdnet.mpg.de/outreach/offspring-blog
Intro - Outro music composed by Srinath Ramkumar: https://twitter.com/srinathramkumar
Pre-Intro jingle composed by Gustavo Carrizo: https://www.instagram.com/carrizo.gus
See you soon!

Jul 14, 2023 • 46min
#4-16 - Open Science within the Max Planck Society - ft. Open Science Working Group
Join Bea as she talks to Lin Kyi from the Open Science Working Group of the PhDNet, a doctoral student at the MPI for Security and Privacy, as they discuss open science practices, specifically within the Max Planck Society. They also talk about the upcoming Open Science Ambassadors conference.
The Open science working group is planning an Open Science Ambassadors Program (OSAP) in September. The OSAP Meeting is a gathering of each institute's Open Science Ambassadors to meet and discuss open science, attend talks, and participate in workshops. It will take place on September 19 - 20 at the Harnack House in Berlin.
We encourage all PhDs and Post-Docs at Max Planck Society interested in open science to find out more and register here: https://osambassadors.mpdl.mpg.de/osap-2023/
To find out more about the Open Science Working Group you can check out their website: https://www.phdnet.mpg.de/phdnet/who/workgroups/open-science-group
Episode Art: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash
You can follow us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MPPhdnetPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offspringmagazine_thepodcast
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/offspring-magazine-the-podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/MaxPlanckPhDnet
If you have any feedback, comments, or suggestions, reach out to us at offspring.podcasts@phdnet.mpg.de
Check out the Offspring-Blog where we publish articles on a regular basis: https://www.phdnet.mpg.de/outreach/offspring-blog
Intro - Outro music composed by Srinath Ramkumar: https://twitter.com/srinathramkumar
Pre-Intro jingle composed by Gustavo Carrizo: https://www.instagram.com/carrizo.gus
See you soon!

Jul 7, 2023 • 44min
#4-15 - RNA Networks in the Brain - Part 2 - ft. Prof. Dr. Jernej Ule
In this episode, join our host Marcel as he delves deeper into his conversation with Dr. Jernej Ule, Centre Director at the UK Dementia Research Institute at King’s College London as well as group leader at the Francis Crick Institute London and at the University of Ljubljana. They further discuss Dr. Ule's research on RNA-protein interactions in the cell and how this relates to development and disease. Dr. Ule also shares how he coordinates three labs across two countries and how this allows him to pursue his diverse research interests, bridging experimental and computational work.
To find out more about Dr. Jernej Ule’s work check out:
https://www.ulelab.info/
Ule lab Twitter: @ule_lab
Remember to follow us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MPPhdnetPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offspringmagazine_thepodcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/offspring-magazine-the-podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/MaxPlanckPhDnet
For feedback, comments, or suggestions, reach out to us at offspring.podcasts@phdnet.mpg.de.
Check out our Offspring Blog for more content: https://www.phdnet.mpg.de/outreach/offspring-blog
Intro & Outro music composed by Srinath Ramkumar: https://twitter.com/srinathramkumar
Pre-Intro jingle composed by Gustavo Carrizo: https://www.instagram.com/carrizo.gus
See you soon!

Jun 30, 2023 • 48min
#4-14 - RNA Networks in the Brain - Part 1 - ft. Prof. Dr. Jernej Ule
In this episode, join our host Marcel as he speaks with Dr. Jernej Ule, Centre Director at the UK Dementia Research Institute at King’s College London as well as group leader at the Francis Crick Institute London and at the University of Ljubljana. They discuss Dr. Ule's personal journey in science - including a brotherly collaboration early in his career - and how he got interested in studying RNA networks in the brain.
Dr. Ule and Marcel discuss CLIP, a method to characterise RNA-protein interactions, and how this relates to the study of evolution, development and disease. Interestingly, the non-coding regions of RNAs, called introns, seem to play a critical role in these interactions, creating a “field of potentiality in our genome” as Dr. Ule describes it.
To find out more information about Dr. Jernej Ule check out:
https://www.ulelab.info/
Ule lab Twitter: @ule_lab
Remember to follow us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MPPhdnetPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offspringmagazine_thepodcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/offspring-magazine-the-podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/MaxPlanckPhDnet
For feedback, comments, or suggestions, reach out to us at offspring.podcasts@phdnet.mpg.de.
Check out our Offspring Blog for more content: https://www.phdnet.mpg.de/outreach/offspring-blog
Intro & Outro music composed by Srinath Ramkumar: https://twitter.com/srinathramkumar
Pre-Intro jingle composed by Gustavo Carrizo: https://www.instagram.com/carrizo.gus
See you soon!

Jun 23, 2023 • 43min
#4-13 - Cryptocurrencies and Cryptography - ft. Dr. Giulio Malavolta
This episode is part 2 of the conversation from Bea and Dr. Giulio Malavolta from the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy in Bochum. In this part, they talk about cryptography and how quantum computers are useful in the field of cryptography. They also talk about the basics of cryptocurrencies.
To find out more information about Dr. Giulio Malavolta, check out here:
https://www.mpi-sp.org/malavolta
Episode Art: Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash
You can follow us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MPPhdnetPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offspringmagazine_thepodcast
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/offspring-magazine-the-podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/MaxPlanckPhDnet
If you have any feedback, comments, or suggestions, reach out to us at offspring.podcasts@phdnet.mpg.de
Check out the Offspring-Blog where we publish articles on a regular basis: https://www.phdnet.mpg.de/outreach/offspring-blog
Intro - Outro music composed by Srinath Ramkumar: https://twitter.com/srinathramkumar
Pre-Intro jingle composed by Gustavo Carrizo: https://www.instagram.com/carrizo.gus
See you soon!

Jun 18, 2023 • 49min
#4-12 - Quantum Computers - ft. Dr. Giulio Malavolta
In this episode, Bea talks to Dr. Giulio Malavolta, a tenure-track faculty at Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy. He is broadly interested in the theory of cryptography and its connections with quantum computation, concurrent systems, cryptocurrencies, and game theory. His recent work focuses on constructing cryptographic schemes with advanced functionalities and finding new applications to real-life systems.
Bea talks to Giulio about the basics and applications of quantum computers to gain a better understanding about this new and mysterious field. Bea and Giulio talk about how quantum computers work, the difference between classical and quantum computers, and the application of quantum computers in society today.
To find out more information about Dr. Giulio Malavolta, check out here:
https://www.mpi-sp.org/malavolta
Episode Art: Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
You can follow us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MPPhdnetPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offspringmagazine_thepodcast
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/offspring-magazine-the-podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/MaxPlanckPhDnet
If you have any feedback, comments, or suggestions, reach out to us at offspring.podcasts@phdnet.mpg.de
Check out the Offspring-Blog where we publish articles on a regular basis: https://www.phdnet.mpg.de/outreach/offspring-blog
Intro - Outro music composed by Srinath Ramkumar: https://twitter.com/srinathramkumar
Pre-Intro jingle composed by Gustavo Carrizo: https://www.instagram.com/carrizo.gus
See you soon!

Jun 9, 2023 • 1h 20min
#4-11 - The Nobel Prize Winning Black Hole -ft. Prof. Dr. Reinhard Genzel
Today, Juli talks to Prof. Dr. Reinhard Genzel, director at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching. He received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2020 together with Andrea Ghez for the discovery of a supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. He and his group made pioneering observations to map the motions of stars close to the Galactic centre, leading to firm evidence for the existence of a supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way and to an accurate estimate of its mass.
Using high-precision methods, the group around Genzel also observed bursts of brightness from gas in the immediate vicinity of the black hole and small scale effects of General Relativity.
Prof. Genzel tells fascinating stories about the decades-long efforts with which he and his colleagues managed to measure the orbits of stars around the Galactic centre so precisely that it leaves no doubt that they must orbit around a supermassive black hole.
To find out more information about Prof. Dr. Reinhard Genzel, check out here:
https://www.mpg.de/15493117/nobel-prize-physics-2020-genzel
MPE_Garching’s Twitter: @MPE_Garching
MPE_Garching’s Instagram: @ mpe_garching
MPE_Garching’s Linkedin: @mpe-garching
Other social media : https://social.mpdl.mpg.de/@MPE_Garching
Episode Art: ESO/L. Calçada/spaceengine.org
You can follow us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MPPhdnetPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offspringmagazine_thepodcast
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/offspring-magazine-the-podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/MaxPlanckPhDnet
If you have any feedback, comments, or suggestions, reach out to us at offspring.podcasts@phdnet.mpg.de
Check out the Offspring-Blog where we publish articles on a regular basis: https://www.phdnet.mpg.de/outreach/offspring-blog
Intro - Outro music composed by Srinath Ramkumar: https://twitter.com/srinathramkumar
Pre-Intro jingle composed by Gustavo Carrizo: https://www.instagram.com/carrizo.gus
See you soon!

Jun 2, 2023 • 1h 6min
#4-10 - Taking Images of Black Holes - ft. Dr. Gunther Witzel
Today, Juli talks to Dr. Gunther Witzel, a scientist in the department for Very Long Baseline Interferometry at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn. He is member of the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, the Galactic Center Orbit Initiative, the M2FINDERS collaboration, and the Spitzer/IRAC and Chandra Sgr A* monitoring campaign.
Juli and Gunther talk about the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration and its tasks and goals. Gunther also explains the image production of the immediate surrounding of two super massive black holes. They discuss the major scientific achievement that the images of the black holes at the center of M87 and the Milky Way brought. Gunther describes the tremendous efforts in technological development, coordination and calibration between many different instruments, and data analysis.
To find out more information about Dr. Gunther Witzel, check out here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gunther-witzel-17abb1123/
https://www3.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/staff/gwitzel
MPIfR’s Twitter: @MPIfR_Bonn
Event Horizon Telescope’s Twitter: @ehtelescope
Episode Art: EHT Collaboration
You can follow us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MPPhdnetPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offspringmagazine_thepodcast
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/offspring-magazine-the-podcast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/MaxPlanckPhDnet
If you have any feedback, comments, or suggestions, reach out to us at offspring.podcasts@phdnet.mpg.de
Check out the Offspring-Blog where we publish articles on a regular basis: https://www.phdnet.mpg.de/outreach/offspring-blog
Intro - Outro music composed by Srinath Ramkumar: https://twitter.com/srinathramkumar
Pre-Intro jingle composed by Gustavo Carrizo: https://www.instagram.com/carrizo.gus
See you soon!