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Kannste Vergessen? – New podcast episode online! “Brain research and drinking tea”

About Open Science, the ReproducibiliTEA Bochum and transparency in science

Since the 1990s, a term has been doing the rounds in science that has become an integral part of almost every discipline: open science or “public science”.
In the research culture, this means that all steps of scientific work are communicated in a transparent, accessible, verifiable and comprehensible manner and not just the results. Open science aims to ensure that society does not have to “simply believe” research results, but that they are authenticated by the public and peers through constant scrutiny and can be actively monitored.

Even if the concept is older, open science is not a real standard everywhere. The CRC 1280 Extinction Learning has set itself rules according to which the scientists here work openly. And our guests Lianne Wolsink and Robert Reichert have founded a journal club in which scientists meet continuously from the very beginning of their careers to critically reflect on research practices, learn from each other, avoid mistakes and develop techniques that make their science watertight: This is the ReproducibiliTEA at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, part of an international grassroots movement that aims to bring open science and knowledge about the improved reproducibility of research results to the world.
And that is what is needed today: joint critical work on transparency strategies for increasingly complex science. After all, the greatest possible traceability is ultimately the only real option for countering phenomena such as scientific scepticism.
So it’s time for a conversation about researching research!

Find out more on the Open Science Framework (OSF)-page of the ReproducibiliTEA: OSF-ReproducibiliTEA RUB >>
Find out more on the UNESCO Guidelines on Open Science here: UNESCO – Recommendations on Open Science 2021 >>

Find out more about our guests here:
Lianne Wolsink >> & Robert Reichert >>

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Direct link to the current episode: >>

New Year, New Me: The Facts

As the calendar turns to a new year, millions of people around the world commit to New Year’s resolutions, making promises to use the new year as a fresh beginning and an opportunity for transformation. In 2024, almost three-quarters of the British population set themselves New Year’s resolutions — that’s around 40 million people (or the entire population of Canada). This tradition was particularly strong among younger generations, with 96% of Generation Z (aged 18-27) planning resolutions, compared to just 35% of the Silent Generation (aged 79+).

Most common new years resolutions:

  1. Saving more money (52%)
  2. Eat healthier (50%)
  3. Exercise more (48%)
  4. Lose weight (37%)
  5. Spend more time with family/friends (35%)

How long do most resolutions normally last before being broken?

  • Data from America (2016) shows that 75% of individuals maintain their resolutions through the first week. 
  • 64% of individuals maintain their resolutions through the first month. 
  • 46% of individuals in America keep their resolutions past the 6-month mark.

What makes resolutions stick?

Oscarsson et al. (2020) conducted research into what makes New Year’s resolutions stick. Biggest success rates depended on how people phrased their goals. Participants who set approach-oriented goals (trying to move toward or maintain a desirable outcome or state) than those with avoidance-oriented goals (trying to move toward or maintain a desirable outcome or state) were significantly more successful (58.9% vs. 47.1%) at sticking to their goals.

The study also investigates the effects of outside support. These participants received monthly follow-ups and emails with information and exercises for coping with hurdles when striving toward personal goals, and were also encouraged to set goals using the SMART technique and to set interim goals. The group that received some support was exclusively and significantly more successful compared to the groups who received a lot of support or no support at all. 

Additionally, you might feel more successful if you set goals that are measurable in numbers. While success for a person striving to quit smoking or lose weight could easily be measured in the number of cigarettes smoked or body mass index, the success for a person striving to “take better care of themselves” could be highly subjective and possibly impossible to measure.

So as we enter 2026, let’s remember to work with our brain’s natural learning system: Frame your goals positively, break them into manageable steps, and celebrate small wins along the way.