• Title/Summary/Keyword: the Berlin Society of Sciences

Search Result 13, Processing Time 0.016 seconds

Leibniz and ginseng (라이프니츠와 인삼)

  • Sul, Heasim
    • Journal of Ginseng Culture
    • /
    • v.1
    • /
    • pp.28-42
    • /
    • 2019
  • What is unknown about Leibniz (Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, 1646~1716), a great philosopher and mathematician, is that he inquired about ginseng. Why Leibniz, one of the leading figures of the Enlightenment, became interested in ginseng? This paper excavates Leibniz's references on ginseng in his vast amount of correspondences and traces the path of his personal life and cultural context where the question about ginseng arose. From the sixteenth century, Europe saw a notable growth of medical botany, due to the rediscovery of such Greek-texts as Materia Medica and the introduction of a variety of new plants from the New World. In the same context, ginseng, the renowned panacea of the Old World began to appear in a number of European travelogues. As an important part of mercantilistic projects, major scientific academies in Europe embarked on the researches of valuable foreign plants including ginseng. Leibniz visited such scientific academies as the Royal Society in London and $Acad{\acute{e}}mie$ royale des sciences in Paris, and envisioned to establish such scientific society in Germany. When Leibniz visited Rome, he began to form a close relationship with Jesuit missionaries. That opportunity amplified his intellectual curiosity about China and China's famous medicine, ginseng. He inquired about the properties of ginseng to Grimaldi and Bouvet who were the main figures in Jesuit China mission. This article demonstrates ginseng, the unnoticed subject in the Enlightenment, could be an important clue that interweaves the academic landscape, the interactions among the intellectuals, and the mercantilistic expansion of Europe in the late 17th century.

Ecological Green Roofs in Germany

  • Kohler, Manfred
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
    • /
    • v.7 no.4
    • /
    • pp.8-16
    • /
    • 2004
  • The industrialization of central Europe more than 100 ago marked the beginning of densely concentrated buildings in quickly growing cities. A cheap type of roofing material of that time was tar. But it was dangerous because it was high inflammable. Then some roofer had a splendid idea. They used sandy material as a final layer atop the impermeable tar layer. These roofs were much more fire resistant than the typical roofs. In this sandy layer some plant species began to grow spontaneously. This was the beginning of the green roof history of modern Europe. A number of these green roofs survived both world wars. In the early 80's in Berlin alone, 50 such buildings existed and they continued to be waterproof until the present day. Since the 1992 Earth Summit of 1992 in Rio de Janeiro(http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/html/basic_info/unced.html) the term "sustainable development" became of central interest of urban designers. In city regions green roofs had become synonymous with this term. With a small investment, long-lasting roofs can be created. Further back in history, more exciting examples of green roofs can be found. The hanging gardens of antiquity are well-known. There are also green roofs built as insulation against cold and heat all over the world. For over 20 years, roof greening in central Europe has been closely examined for various reasons. Roof greening touches several different disciplines. Of primary interest is the durability of the roofs. But ecologists are also interested in green roofs, for instance in biodiversity research. The beneficial effect of greening on water proofing was also proven. For some time, the issue of fire protection was investigated. According to tests, green roofs received a harsh careful rating. Their fire protective property is considered similar to that of tile roofs. Another recent impulse for the green roof movement in Germany has come from the evident improvement of storm water retention and the reduced burden on the sewer system. The question of whether and how much energy green roofs can save has become an urgent question. The state of the research and also various open questions from a central European point of view will be discussed in the context of international collaboration. Apart from academic considerations, those who involve themselves in this issue take a predominantly positive view of the numerous existing green roofs in Germany. In some cities, green roofs are the typical construction technique for new buildings. A few outstanding examples will conclude this review. In Germany, about 20 companies, some of which operate internationally, specialize in green roof consulting. Learning from each other in an open-ended way with respect to different construction techniques and applications in various climatic regions can only be accomplished through such international collaboration as is taking place here.

Growth and fatty Acid Composition with Growth Conditions for Spirulina platensis platensis (배양 조건에 따른 Spirulina platensis의 성장 및 지방산 조성)

  • Joo Dong-Sik;CHO Man-Gi;Buchholz Rainer;LEE Eung-H
    • Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
    • /
    • v.31 no.3
    • /
    • pp.409-416
    • /
    • 1998
  • Owing to their high growth rate, marine microalgae such as Chlorella, Spirulina, Porphpidium and Dunaliella have been believed to be potentially useful for the production of foods, drugs and energy from light, $CO_2$ and minerals. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the growth and fatty acid composition in the blue green alga Spirulina platensis when the temperature and light intensity of culture conditions were changed. The optimal growth conditions for Spirulina platensis from the biomass and lipid contents were $30^{\circ}C$ on 6391 $\mu$E/$m^3$/sec and $35^{\circ}C$ on 4235 $\mu$E/$m^3$/sec. The difference of lipid contents between exponential phase and stationary phase were very large according to growth conditions. According to growth conditions the fatty acid compositions of Spirulina platensis differed, but regardless of growth conditions the main fatty acids were C16 : 0 and C20 : 0 in saturated fatty acid, C16 : 1, C18 : 1 and C 18 : 2 in unsaturated fatty acid.

  • PDF