Gabriele Bestmann

Schreiben, Lesen, Reisen, ...
Ein neuer Roman ist in Arbeit

[WELT @welt]

Einbruch in Seehundstation Norddeich: Polizei Norden sucht Zeugen nach Tat am Dörper Weg https://t.co/sEw5lGTVU5

[Gabriele Bestmann @GBestmann]

Einen schönen Tag noch!

[Stefan F. Wirth @wirthstef]

What is the state of #public #trust in the #naturalsciences?

It took a long time for the natural sciences, rather than #religiousfaith, to become the means by which the world was explained. God had shifted from being an "active guide" to a "#divinewatchmaker", a concept increasingly shaped as early as the 17th century by pioneers of #Deism such as René #Descartes (1596–1650) and Isaac #Newton (1642–1726).
Today, we have the Internet; every mobile phone is a high-performance computer; and we are planning to establish crewed stations on the Moon and even colonize Mars. Is this a triumph of the natural sciences?

According to a #newsfeature by H. Pearson in #Nature (July 2026), there is a widespread #concern, spanning South America, the US, and Europe, that trust in the natural sciences has #declined. Right at the start, the article points to two studies that appear to confirm this: one British #study found that only 40 percent of respondents consider scientific findings to be correct, while a global study indicated that as many as 70 percent of respondents #believe #unprovenclaims. However, the specific focus of a survey clearly matters. A representative survey conducted in 2022/23, covering 72,000 people across 68 countries, found a relatively high level of trust, 3.6 out of 5 points (study: https://t.co/J8duC3Y3aU). Is the fear that segments of the population are turning away from science therefore unfounded? By no means, according to the Nature article's author; other studies, and statements by sociologist Gordon Gauchat of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, point to the increasing #politicization of the natural sciences, particularly among #rightwing #politicalgroups. Naturally, this leads to ideological conflicts regarding issues such as the need for climate-neutral practices in light of predominantly human-induced #globalwarming, or for example the benefits of #vaccines.

I have gained the impression that wherever #extremists form #autocratic #governments, the dissemination of knowledge to the population is always infiltrated by #propaganda.
But only far-right governments replace the Divine Watchmaker in 17th- and 18th-century Deism with the ideology of #stupidity and #narrowmindedness. And I assume this happens because right-wing autocrats don't believe in their own ideologies, but know perfectly well that education always stands in the way of their unbridled lust for power. This is why, for example, the German far-right party #AfD announces in its current party platform its intention to abolish #compulsoryeducation. Therefore, right-wing extremism always poses a threat to the advancement of science and thus stands only for the consolidation of power, the antithesis of diversity and of each perspective of globalization, as well as of each necessary, well-founded orientation towards the future. In doing so, it deliberately exploits the disorientation among those who are already poorly educated and who nowadays can no longer even use a World Cup as an outlet for their pent-up #hatred. The #intercultural composition of modern football teams seems increasingly unsuitable for promoting right-wing narrow-mindedness. But hopefully even the most foolish right-wing politician knows in truth that there can be never any future without the ongoing freedom of the natural sciences.

© #StefanF.Wirth, July 2026, Berlin

Please support my science writing and my science education efforts:
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Reference:
H. Pearson in Nature (July 2026):
https://t.co/eqGrU7TCW3

#Illustrations:
© Stefan F. Wirth, July 2026, #AIassisted artistic illustrations, based in my hand-drawn storyboard sketches, manually edited and modified:
1) - 4) about the conflict between science and its future oriented acting and the appeal of parading simple ideologies of order, equality, and a fabricated shared national identity, grounded in a futile attempt to claim ethnic roots in ancient local traditions

[Nicole Conroth 🎹🎶🇧🇪 @ConrothN]

"A Symphony must be like the world. It must embrace everything". #GustavMahler

On this day, July 7, 1860, in Kaliště, Bohemia, Austrian Empire, #GustavMahler was born. His music reaches a peak in depth of emotion and expression. After him music would never be the same 🎂🎶🌹

[Cristian Marcia @CristianMarcia1]

LE NOTTI MUSICALI DI CAGLIARI 2026 XXVI EDITION
AUDITORIUM DEL CONSERVATORIO

https://t.co/gK9gVmd1QX

https://t.co/N3AhfMwdOs @cagliariturismo @Comune_Cagliari @InfoCulturaCa @SardegnaTurismo

[Gabi S @Gartenglueck2]

Baby Schnecke 🐌 auf roter Johannisbeere

[Stefan F. Wirth @wirthstef]

Please read my #sciencewriting article about #ExASPIM #microscope and its #appliedimpact on #science and #neurobiology.
© #StefanFWirth, July 2026, Berlin

Please support my science writing and illustration efforts:
https://t.co/4nN4eRHB6I

#Illustration:
© Stefan F. Wirth, June 2026, #AIassisted artistic illustration, based on my hand-drawn storyboard sketches, manually edited and modified:
#Mousebrain

[Gabriele Bestmann @GBestmann]

Einen schönen, entspannten Sonntag!

[Gabriele Bestmann @GBestmann]

Einen schönen Tag!

[GOETHE @DailyGoethe]

It is Sunday. Act accordingly!

[Gabriele Bestmann @GBestmann]

Und allen ein schönes Wochenende!

[Stefan F. Wirth @wirthstef]

About hyperparasitism in general with examples from wasps (Hymenoptera). And about a new case of #hyperparasitism in a #fungus.

#Interactions between organisms of #differentspecies can be very close. They are usually the result of complex common #evolutionary histories, often involving #coevolution. Examples include #parasitism, #mutualism, #commensalism, or specialized strategies such as #phoresy or #necromeny. The more #hostspecific an organism is, the greater the likelihood of a shared, complex coevolutionary history.
However, the situation can be even more nuanced, for instance, when not just two, but #severalorganisms of different species are closely #interconnected. Phoresy, for example, describes the transport of one organism (the #phoront) by another (the host, #carrier, or transporter). #Hyperphoresy means that the phoront itself carries another organism while being transported; in some #mites, this additional "cargo" can consist of #fungalspores.

Hyperparasitism is a common phenomenon among #Hymenoptera. For instance, a #chalcid #wasp may parasitize a braconid wasp, which parasitizes a butterfly caterpillar (see attached photo).

M. Shahbaz et al. (2026) report on their studies of hyperparasitic fungi belonging to the genus #Pleurocordyceps, found in the tropical rainforests of South America and Asia. These fungi thrive mostly on parasitic fungi that have infected #ants or cicadas. During surveys in #Malaysia, the authors also discovered and described an interesting #newspecies:
#Pleurocordyceps #cornusynnemata.
© #StefanFWirth, June 2026, Berlin

Please support my freelance science communication work:
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Reference
M. Shahbaz et al. (2026):
https://t.co/zWCrVbMWnw

X page by C. Antoniou
https://t.co/z3P74xKK1D

Science Alert by Jan Henopp (2026):
https://t.co/wGmYf9qcAw

#photo:
A hyperparasitoid chalcid wasp (fam. Pteromalidae) on the cocoons of its host, a braconid wasp (probably Cotesia or Apanteles of the subfamily Microgastrinae) which is itself a koinobiont parasitoid of Lepidoptera. Author Hans Hillewaert, 2012,
licensed under https://t.co/swnuRrMzE4

[Marco🚩🇪🇺🇺🇦🇩🇪🌻 @Marco_W_S]

Ist es nicht faszinierend, dass es Menschen gibt, die beim zunehmenden Klimawandel - bei dem wir noch sehr am Anfang sind - zurück zur Atomkraft wollen?

Das ist ungefähr so, als würde man sich heute einen Segway, einen 3D Fernseher oder einen HD-DVD Player kaufen wollen.🙃

[Gabriele Bestmann @GBestmann]

RT @wirthstef: On the exceptionally pronounced #mimicry of the #termitophilous #beetle #Austrospirachtha #carrijoi.

It is a widespread phe…

[Gabriele Bestmann @GBestmann]

Guten Morgen und einen schönen Tag!

[Stefan F. Wirth @wirthstef]

Please read my science communication about plant cells and their flexible abilities to #arrange their #chloroplasts fitting to the corresponding position of the #sun and the #lightsituation. Also note the linked work for further reading and watch the linked fast motion video.
© #StefanFWirth Berlin, June 2026

Please support my freelance science writing activities, as I regularly need to struggle to get over the months:
https://t.co/4nN4eRHB6I

#Illustration:
© StefanFWirth, AI assisted artistic illustration, based on my hand-drawn sketches, manually edited and modified, June 2026, Berlin:
A non specified #plantcell with chloroplasts arranged along the cell wall