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BRAINTALKS

An evening to forget (and to remember)

On October 7, 2023, we reached one of our biggest milestones in SFB Outreach and Science Communication: A full-length stage program in one of the most renowned and internationally known German theaters – with our science on the big stage.

The Braintalks took place in the packed (!) Schauspielhaus Bochum. On stage SFB 1280 speaker Onur Güntürkün and four Early Career Researchers of the SFB 1280, plus the live band Alma Sunshine. And in the audience nearly 800 people interested in the SFB’s research. The stage presentations by Robert Reichert (RUB), Harleen Chhabra (IfADo), Javier Schneider (RUB), Marie Jakobs (UDE) and Onur Güntürkün (RUB) and the information stations set up in the foyer were simply about everything that moves us: memory and brain research, questions of learning, unlearning, remembering and forgetting, about what happens when extinction learning occurs. How do you image these phenomena? How can something as abstract as extinction be studied experimentally? What is the point of this research? Who does extinction affect? We were able to convey all these questions and more, and for the first time tell such a large and heterogeneous live audience about what is happening at the SFB. We are simply overwhelmed by the response to this offer. The Braintalks are a real success and a milestone for the SFB 1280. We thank our huge audience for the attentive listening, the good conversations, the incredible encouragement and the interest in our research.

A special thanks goes of course to our slammers and the band Alma Sunshine from Bochum, who actually made the audience dance in the tight rows. And of course we thank all participants in front of, behind and beside the stage and the great team of the Schauspielhaus Bochum. Those were the Braintalks – an evening to forget, which the participants and the audience have made unforgettable forever.

On stage: Onur Güntürkün, Robert Reichert, Harleen Chhabra, Javier Schneider and Marie Jakobs; from the Schauspielhaus ensemble: Marius Huth
Band of the evening: Alma Sunshine
Video documentation: Sven-Daniel Gettys/about:stories
Coaching: Sven-Daniel Gettys

Impressions from the evening

If you were unable to attend the evening live, you can watch the individual presentations here on our YouTube channel: BRAINTALKS Playlist >>

© Fotos: RUB, Tim Kramer

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.