Light, bees and plants
The work of the Natural Science Section is done both by groups working globally and at the Goetheanum’s Research Institute.
In Brazil, it has mainly been a group of teachers who have worked for some time on scientific questions, for instance with Manfred von Mackensen and other European colleagues, but also independently. This formerly rather loose connection has now been transformed into a group that is «officially» linked to the Natural Science Section. A loose connection also exists to a group of scientists and interested people in Scandinavia.
Dissertation project: a garden for biology teaching
Following the major colour exhibition in Great Britain, the Research Institute has two new projects now: one is done in collaboration with the Kwalis Research Institute in Fulda (DE) where a procedure has been developed for measuring the very subtle fluorescence emitted by organisms and foods in the dark after exposure to light and that reacts very sensitively to quality differences. Matthias Rang will continue work on developing this optical procedure in the next three years.
The other project is the dissertation of João Felipe Toni on establishing a garden for biology teaching in Waldorf Schools based on Goethe’s garden in Weimar (DE). This project is conducted in collaboration with the Rudolf Steiner School in Wetzikon (ch) and Jena University (DE).
Our journals Elemente der Naturwissenschaft (elements of natural science) and Jahrbuch für Goetheanismus (Goetheanism Annual) will soon be available online. The Annual will be published in future by the Natural Science Section in collaboration with the teacher training seminar Freie Hochschule Stuttgart (DE).
The Institute will continue its other teaching and research projects, on bees, medicinal plants and quantum physics. A publication on brain research and free will is approaching completion. A first article on «What is an electron?» has appeared in our journal (Elemente der Naturwissenschaft), a second article will follow shortly.
Web www.science.goetheanum.org/en/