Posted inCan We Talk About This Please? In the News Online & Digital Politics & Opinion

Dear Telekom, You’re Just a Cable

I’ve borrowed this headline from Timo Hetzel (Bits und So / Undsoversum / Blog) because I find it so fitting. Many so-called providers still haven’t understood that at the end of the day, they are nothing more than a cable. A copper cable, a fiber optic cable, or a wireless connection — but still just a cable. They connect us with one another, through telephone lines or the internet. But for years, these providers have been trying to be more than just the pipe through which the bits flow. They want to upsell us with “value-added services.” Sometimes with a bit of…
Posted inIn the News On the Screen Politics & Opinion

Mon dieu, monsieur Depardieu!

In recent days, it’s been all over the news: Gérard Depardieu is becoming Russian. He’s doing it publicly, with maximum media attention, deliberately snubbing the Grande Nation—and, to be honest, me as well. Personally, I’ve never cared much for Depardieu. I don’t particularly like his films, and I like him even less as a person. Too many times, he has made negative headlines with questionable behavior. My gut feeling has always been that he’s an unpleasant man—and the way he’s leaving France only confirms it. The “Millionaire Tax” Depardieu’s move is meant as a protest against the so-called “millionaire tax”—a 75% top rate for…
Posted inIn the News Online & Digital

Social Media Hoaxes

We’ve all seen it: every so often, alarming posts start circulating through our timelines. Someone claims that unless you change a particular setting, all your profile data will suddenly become public. Recently, one of these rumors made the rounds again—this time about a supposed Facebook Terms of Service change that would give the platform rights to all content published there. Whether you agree with Facebook’s policies or not, here’s the reality: you accept Facebook’s terms the moment you create an account. Any future changes to the Terms of Service are announced via official notifications, and they’re considered accepted automatically if you continue…
Posted inGeneral In the News Politics & Opinion

Endless Roadworks: Why Germany Still Gets Stuck in TrafficAutobahnbaustellen

Because of both my job and my hobbies, I spend a lot of time on Germany’s highways — roughly 40,000 km per year. And every year, I find myself frustrated again and again by roadworks. I keep asking: Why do some drivers behave so recklessly in construction zones? Why are there still so few roadworks running in three shifts around the clock? Let’s start with a few numbers (from 2008, but still illustrative): Around 130,000 construction sites were registered that year, covering a total length of 375,000 kilometers. For perspective: the moon, at its closest point to Earth (perigee), is “only” 363,300 kilometers away. Construction sites…
Posted inIn the News Science Matters

Unstatistic of the Month

“Never trust a statistic you didn’t manipulate yourself.” That old saying still rings true. These days, “manipulating” often doesn’t mean outright falsifying numbers, but rather presenting and framing them in a way that supports your own narrative. To highlight this, a great initiative was launched: Unstatistik des Monats (“Unstatistic of the Month”). Each month, it takes a closer look at misleading claims, questionable data interpretations, and how statistics can be bent to fit a story. Well worth browsing through—enjoy! Unstatistik des Monats
Posted inIn the News Politics & Opinion

Rage and Reactions: The Controversy Around the “Innocence of Muslims” Video

Mohammed cartoons, a provocative video, Quran burnings.On the other side: flag burnings, violent protests, and embassies under siege. The cycle of provocation and outrage seems endless. Yet beneath the noise lies a more complex question: What actually fuels these conflicts, and how do we prevent them from spiraling out of control? This post is an attempt to explore those questions—not to provide ultimate answers, but to encourage reflection, including my own. It's about free speech, religious respect, media responsibility, and how easily hate can be manufactured and spread. What Sparked the Fire? The short video Innocence of Muslims (2012) was…
Posted inScience Matters

Why Do So Many Still Reject Evolution? A Look at the USA and Beyond

When looking at the chart comparing national wealth with belief in evolution, one country stands out in a troubling way: the United States. Among the wealthiest nations in the world, the U.S. ranks near the bottom in terms of belief in evolution. Only around 40% of the U.S. population answered “true” to the statement: “Human beings, as we know them, developed from earlier species of animals.” This puts the U.S. far behind its economic peers and even behind many countries with significantly lower GDP per capita. But what’s even more concerning is that the U.S. is not alone. Other relatively…
Posted inCan We Talk About This Please?

Customer is King!

Has Germany become a service desert? What is service, and do I have a right to it? Recently, I placed an order in an online shop. Somewhat surprised, I had to realize, after the order—yes, I could have checked before—that the shop only accepts advance bank transfers. In my opinion, a bit outdated and already not very customer-oriented. But, well, said and done. I ordered and transferred the money. This was at the beginning of calendar week 36. In calendar week 37, I was on vacation and hoped that upon my return, my package would have arrived at the office.…