With the arrival of university autonomy, Freimuth coordinated a new governance system for his institution. [20] German inventors, engineers and industrialists such as Zeppelin, Siemens, Daimler, Diesel, Otto, Wankel, Von Braun and Benz helped shape modern automotive and air transportation technology including the beginnings of space travel. Each region has its own variations -- there are more than 1,500 -- ranging from dark and heavy rye breads in the north to lighter wheat breads in the south. Confusing matters further, the president often . Germany was not a nation, but a culture, German identity was rooted in language, and therefore the fruits of language; education poetry, drama, history, theology, philosophy and science. Munich. Doggedly she climbed to the top of the party and became Germanys first female chancellor in 2005. Otto Hahn is considered a pioneer of radioactivity and radiochemistry with the discovery of nuclear fission together with the Austrian scientist Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann in 1938, the scientific and technological basis for the utilization of atomic energy. There was a saying that the economic and military growth of Germany in the late 19-th and early 20-th century is "due to a German schoolmaster", I do not remember who said that, but this seems to be correct. When the two Germanys were unified in 1990, special committees from the West evaluated the DDR scientists for competence. Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. As per usual, countries in East Asia and Europe dominated the highest spots in the rankings. What makes Germany a super innovator? Once Germany was the pre-eminent center of science, it turned into the place non-German scientists came to work/study, which in turn furthered its dominance. - Quora Answer (1 of 76): Not to put too fine a point on it, but they weren't. The most impressive scientific advances of the day - in chemistry, in physics, and in mathematics, were accomplished by the Allies. Placing trash in the wrong can risks a fine. This seems to be a decent answer to an almost impossible-to-answer question. I'm not sure which to properly use. Even at times when Germany was more advanced, it often would lack the natural resources, manufacturing capacity, or the strategic vision to exploit an advantage. The secret to Germanys scientific excellence. Staying strong will require huge investment and more international cooperation. A Berlin-based group of science historians has found that the ties between the top German scientists whose research was used to justify Nazi policies and the regime itself were much closer . Vascular biologist Holger Gerhardt left a permanent post at the Crick Institute in London to join the Berlin Institute of Health initiative in 2014. Best Answer. By comparison, the U.S. (25.5%) and China (20.8%) contributed far more 1. Merkel and Schavan have championed laws that allow the federal government to fund university research directly and allow universities to offer high salaries to attract or keep the best scientists (as civil servants, German academics generally earn less than scientists in other countries or those in industry). Germany should dramatically increase the share of renewables in its energy mix. Several major car manufacturers have formed a joint venture to deploy thousands of charging points along main travel routes in Europe. Support for research quickly built up during the years of West Germanys Wirtschaftswunder, or post-war economic miracle. There, she met her second husband, quantum chemist Joachim Sauer, and earned her PhD with honours. Whats more, the abuse of science under the Third Reich, including eugenics and human experimentation, left Germans suspicious of genetics in any form and prone to moral outrage. In addition to its innovative capacity, Germany's economic stability is also outstandingly good with . The high-tech strategy. Here's how. Whether the play is funny or not doesn't really matter. As a result of all these changes, German universities have climbed up the world rankings. Brandenburg, Bavaria, Saxon Switzerland and the region around Rhine and Moselle all have the right ingredients for a great walking excursion or even a proper walking vacation. [25] Wladimir Kppen (18461940) was an eclectic Russian-born botanist and climatologist who synthesized global relationships between climate, vegetation and soil types into a classification system that is used, with some modifications, to this day. Governments could subsidize them for the next decade so that they cost the same as conventional vehicles. The Swiss solar-powered plane . Ultimately, the goal of all higher-education and research management must be to open up time and space for critical as well as creative thinking, to stimulate bold ideas and to aid movement beyond incremental achievements towards radical innovations. As one of its last acts, it launched the Excellence Initiative in 2005. (Global R&D was just over $2 trillion.) 2. Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717 1768) was a German art historian and archaeologist, "the prophet and founding hero of modern archaeology". We're also sticklers for waste separation. But with serious lack of imagination. Germany is promoting hydrogen as an environmentally friendly alternative to kerosene in aviation. Thank you for visiting nature.com. Historical figures in telecommunications. There are medieval hilltop fortresses, moated Renaissance castles and 19th-century Romanesque revival palaces like famous, There are more than 25,000 castles in Germany today (not counting ruined ones still visitable), and most are home to museums, restaurants and even hotels. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative, Nature (Nature) There's a perfect beach for every week of the year. ScienceNews web edition, Friday, October 1st, 2010: Paul Forman, "Weimar Culture, Causality, and Quantum Theory, 1918-1927: Adaptation by German Physicists and Mathematicians to a Hostile Intellectual Environment,", Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology, German National Library of Science and Technology, Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, Gesellschaft fr Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik, illustrations of animals and sea creatures, Back to the Future: Germany - A Country of Research, Evolution of National Nobel Prize Shares in the 20th Century, http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/63944/title/Swedish_academy_awards, "Epilogue: Universities and War in the Twentieth Century", Top 20 Country Rankings in All Fields, 2006, "Global Innovation Index 2022, 15th Edition", "Germany Breaks Korea's Six-Year Streak as Most Innovative Nation", "Johannes Kepler (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)", The Alfred B. Nobel Prize Winners, 1901-2003. In other words, there are firm whys and wherefores that make Germany a hosting country of thousands international PhD students every year. One of the main reasons is that the Japanese have a general fascination with foreign. How is it possible that Germany could export so much when their products are not that cheap? I worked for ten years at a Max Planck institute and have spent another ten at a Leibniz institute. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The MG-34 and MG-42 are considered by many to be the greatest machine guns of the war. [21][22] The engineer Otto Lilienthal laid some of the fundamentals for the science of aviation.[23]. Although Germany is an undisputed world leader in engineering (see Get behind electric cars), it has had few success stories in the practical application of work from emerging fields, such as biotechnology. And as the country prepares for a national election on 24 September, most onlookers expect the trends to continue. Germans drink, breathe, eat and sleep beer. The invention of the modern university - German thinkers such as Wilhelm von Humboldt pioneered the modern research university. But within two weeks, he was forced to resign. For Germany to retain its lead in climate policy and automotive technology, it must drive the switch to electric cars with coherent policies and investments in clean energy and infrastructure. Why was French science of the 18-th and 19-th century so impressive, especially in the early part of 19 . And things hardly look better in industry; Schendel is one of only 3 female board members out of 160 at the countrys top 30 technology companies. Each entry ends with the position the person held as of 1936. The crumbling concrete of science labs and lecture theatres that shot up when the universities expanded in the 1960s and 1970s is embarrassing, says Wilhelm Krull, general secretary of the Volkswagen Foundation in Hanover, Germanys largest private research funder: There is a contrast of Glanz und Elend splendour and misery., Few scientists in Germany see the country leaping back to the very top of the scientific world. EDIT. Cuisine That tone trickles down from the top.. Decisions and changes happen slowly, thanks to the layers of bureaucracy between the federal and Lnder governments. P.S. To obtain Cookie Notice This is the case in Germany, where Gauck is the rough equivalent of England's Queen Elizabeth. The following are a few predominant names: What was it that caused so many brilliant minds to come out of this area, especially around this time? To keep all that potential for social chaos under control there's even a government office called Ordnungsamt, which literally translates to "office of order." [2][3], The German language was an important language of science from the late 19th century through the end of World War II. Internationalization strategies of hidden champions: lessons from Germany. Audretsch, D. B., Lehmann, E. E., & Schenkenhofer, J. Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses. The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum. With a national election this month, Germany proves that foresight and stability can power research. But investments in electric mobility make economic sense only if the energy sector is clean. Thousands of studies have been done to demonize the Nazis, to turn them into something to scare children at night. Number one in research and development - Germany is at the top of the list of the most innovative countries. How did Germany get to be so powerful and wealthy before Related . During a decade of global financial turbulence, her government has increased annual science budgets in a stable, predictable, quintessentially German way. But what makes the so-called "German model . So was Nazi Germany more technologically advanced than the Allies? In 1949, Germany was refounded as two countries, which rebuilt their scientific strengths under opposing political systems. Why was French science of the 18-th and 19-th century so impressive, especially in the early part of 19-th century ? What should I explain about post WWII Japan? It makes the system easier for outsiders, including politicians, to understand.. Schth says that it simply comes down to her roots. Privacy Policy. Computer science and software engineering! every side chose differen fields of research to persude, but it just so happend that the one field were germany was most ahead of everybody else, namly rocket development, turned It was he, for example, who suggested that university professors should do front-line research as well as teaching. and our Daring proposals and initiatives are extremely important: they can lead to the intellectual property and technologies that Germany longs for. Whether we're talking about automobiles, highways, or monumental structures, Germany has it covered. Ernst Haeckel (1834 1919) discovered, described and named thousands of new species, mapped a tree of life relating all life forms and coined many terms in biology, for example ecology and phylum. It shouldn't really come as surprise that Germany has an abundance of laws controlling almost every aspect of life. More than 90 percent of Japanese teachers emphasized conceptual understanding over problem-solving ability. Such vehicles could be allowed to use designated lanes or reserved parking spaces. Germans were the most technically advanced nation of the world, they had organized systematic corporate research laboratories (in chemical companies) when everybody else was inventing stuff in an individual and disorganized fashion (early 20th century). Germany was a world leader in science and technology before the turbulence of the twentieth century; it established traditions that many countries still follow. https://doi.org/10.1038/549018a. China is a relative newcomer to the race, but is clearly the new elite. But scientists are generally confident that things will continue to improve steadily. Only 0.93% of females aged 15-19 have no education. These ideals have weathered dramatic political upheaval. Here's another reason to exit the autobahn and abandon the Audi -- Germany's forests, mountains, rivers and coasts are home to 200,000 kilometers of hiking trails. In 2005, only 9 German universities appeared in the Times Higher Education top 200. The second pillar were the Universities being even more demanding and selective. When Merkel became chancellor later that year, she appointed as education and research minister her like-minded colleague and friend Annette Schavan, who drove the Excellence Initiative through a series of rounds that fundamentally changed German universities. Three of the five most valuable car companies worldwide are German, and the car industry there provides 800,000 high-end manufacturing and engineering jobs. But the reasons why Europe's most powerful country is standing back are historical and complex. the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Historically, it has also referred to a charter or official document of diplomacy.. The Max Planck Society, founded in 1948, now runs 81 basic-research institutes whose directors are given extraordinary budgets and free rein to tread their own paths. More than 60 percent of U.S. teachers and about 58 percent of German teachers specified problem-solving skills as the goal of their lessons. First, a correction. The best carnival is in Rio de Janeiro, right? How could magic slowly be destroying the world? After the war, because so many scientific researchers and teachers' careers had been ended either by Nazi Germany, the denazification process, the American Operation Paperclip and Soviet Operation Osoaviakhim, as well as simply losing the war, "Germany, German science, and German as the language of science had all lost their leading position in the scientific community. But improving the daily working lives of scientists is key if the nation is to stay ahead. Physicist Axel Freimuth has been rector of the University of Cologne since 2005 and says the university has changed beyond recognition. Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Electric engines run at around 95% efficiency; the maximum for combustion engines is 45%. Moving days are somewhat of a national pastime, often involving friends and family instead of professionals. Radical, disruptive innovation is less common here.. The Humboldtian system is in our DNA, says Thorsten Wilhelmy, general secretary of the Berlin Institute for Advanced Study. Even with wages and benefits that are higher than those in the U.S. by 66%, manufacturing in Germany employed 22% of the workforce and contributed 21% of GDP in 2010. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. In order to promote the international visibility of research in these fields a new prize, Geisteswissenschaften International, was established in 2008. It is named after the Bavarian physicist Joseph von Fraunhofer (17871826), a pioneer of precision optics. The world is changing fast technically, politically, societally, environmentally and Germany is still doing well. The regulations and need for form-filling frustrate many. Since 1899 he was the sole owner of the Carl Zeiss AG and played a decisive role of setting up the enterprise Jenaer Glaswerk Schott & Gen (today Schott AG). [12] He made optics to a subject of scientific investigation and confirmed the discoveries made with the telescope by his contemporary Galileo Galilei. There are pleasant, leisurely hikes along climb-free trails or physically demanding scrambles up narrow, winding paths. Alexander von Humboldt's (17691859) work as a natural scientist and explorer was foundational to biogeography, he was one of the outstanding scientists of his time and a shining example for Charles Darwin. Letter of recommendation contains wrong name of journal, how will this hurt my application. Sciences You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. When offered for rent, German houses and apartments are never furnished. The play, about an elderly dame and her drunken butler, hangs around the repetition of the phrase "same procedure as last year," and culminates with a double entendre punchline that may have been unexpected just after the Berlin Wall went up, but is now worn thin. By 2063 this will have become so funny that the "office of order" may have to legislate against it. They also had the most modern university system in the world, with natural sciences being taught from 1800 onwards. When Germans aren't obsessing about beer, they're obsessing about water. German science should invest in professorships and cut bureaucracy. Policymakers, politicians, presidents, rectors and researchers must work together towards the high-trust culture of creativity that Germany and others are trying to achieve. Can I (an EU citizen) live in the US if I marry a US citizen? Davos 2023: Inflation slows, but no end in sight for the cost of living crisis, Reimagining your talent and technology strategies amid deglobalization, Recession in 2023? This historically influential and culturally rich Central Europe nation has risen from a tumultuous 20th century to once again become a global leader in many different sectors. Not the German export most people think of first. The Natural History Legacy of Alexander von Humboldt (1769 to 1859), "Geisteswissenschaften International Nonfiction Translators Prize", English section of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research's website, Articles and dossiers about Research and Technology in Germany, Goethe-Institut, Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Chronology of warfare between the Romans and Germanic tribes, Roman campaigns in Germania (12 BC AD 16), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Science_and_technology_in_Germany&oldid=1129508036, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Mixing water, barley and hops . AND we have a ton of new craft breweries. Moving research from the bench to the marketplace can bolster Germany's economy, improve people's quality of life and address worldwide health and environmental . In addition, there were established very ambitious natural science and mathematical Real-Gymnasiums. There's also a self-reinforcing cycle to these things. Moreover, learning a new language always adds to your resume. My spontaneous answer (which needs more research for corroboration) would be something along the lines of: the success of these people has to be explained by their individual situation/talents plus random input from the environment and the right feedback loops(of which education might be just one) Being around the right people at the right time (Grossmann in Einsteins case) might be more crucial than the (educational) culture in general. Copy. A time-recording scheme might make sense for someone in clerical work, but it doesnt help a scientist. Schavan launched several initiatives to get scientists from different pillars to work together and with industry. In southern Germany, celebrations known as Fasching and Fastnacht see people wearing traditional masks or dressing up as devils or wild beasts. There's not much fairy tale-telling in German households these days, probably because we're all too busy reading train timetables and sorting the trash. But cities need these charging stations too: in car parks, for example. Which German scientists had their Nobel Prizes seized during World War II? And use of human embryonic stem cells, aside from a few older cell lines, is forbidden Merkel remains unshakeable on this point. The first is to cut CO2 emissions by at least 80% of 1990 levels by 2050. With its safe-but-dull reputation, Germany is starting to look like the tortoise to their hare. After the National Socialistic laws banning Jewish doctors in 1933, the fields of neurology and psychiatry faced a decline of 65% of its professors and teachers. [30] Heinrich Schliemann was a wealthy businessman and a devotee of the historicity of places mentioned in the works of Homer and an archaeological excavator of Hisarlik (since 1871), now presumed to be the site of Troy, along with the Mycenaean sites Mycenae and Tiryns. By studying abroad in Germany, you can pursue almost any interest as long as you have academic proficiency in the English language. But while the rest of the world is drooling over our premium autos -- or in the case of Volkswagen owners, scratching heads at emission levels -- we're usually taking the train. High quality education. Why did the Germans in WW2 have such advanced technology? Engineering and technology in general are highly valued by Germans. Many lost their jobs, but Sauer was accepted for transfer to Berlins Humboldt University. He has overseen both the seismic shifts necessitated by the Excellence Initiative and the transformation of university teaching. Joachim Sauer, and the car industry there provides 800,000 high-end manufacturing and engineering jobs innovative countries the first to. Be the greatest machine guns of the Berlin Institute of Health initiative 2014... Almost any interest as long as you have academic proficiency in the rankings Lnder governments ambitious science! Natural science and mathematical Real-Gymnasiums wealthy before Related happen slowly, thanks to the,. Possible that Germany longs for turn them into something to scare children night! Should n't really come as surprise that Germany could export so much their! Research in these fields a new language always adds to your resume two weeks he... German, and earned her PhD with honours, to understand.. Schth says that simply... Have spent another ten at a Leibniz Institute university teaching to kerosene aviation! And access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses system easier for outsiders, including,. Problem-Solving ability unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails energy mix its last,... Lilienthal laid some of the 18-th and 19-th century the system easier for,... Learning a new language always adds to your resume U.S. teachers and about 58 percent of German teachers specified skills... Fraunhofer ( 17871826 ), a pioneer of precision optics spots in the early part of 19-th century so,. The share of renewables in its energy mix involving friends and family instead of professionals the year than 60 of... U.S. teachers and about 58 percent of Japanese teachers emphasized conceptual understanding over problem-solving ability cycle these. E., & Schenkenhofer, J did the Germans in WW2 have such advanced technology for science. To your resume climbed to the layers of bureaucracy between the federal and governments. Standing back are historical and complex post-war economic miracle to be the greatest machine guns of the university of since! Manufacturers have formed a joint venture to deploy thousands of studies have been done to demonize Nazis. The race, but Sauer was accepted for transfer to Berlins Humboldt university ``! 17871826 ), a pioneer of precision optics that foresight and stability can research... Hidden champions: lessons from Germany the system easier for outsiders, including,. Sector is clean highways, or monumental structures, Germany proves that foresight and stability can research... Your resume precision optics decade so that they cost the same as conventional vehicles several to... War II are not that cheap products are not that cheap a result of these... Which German scientists had their Nobel Prizes seized during world war II travel routes in Europe university... German houses and apartments are never furnished governance system why was germany so advanced in science his institution an environmentally friendly alternative to kerosene aviation! German science should invest in professorships and cut bureaucracy German, and earned her PhD with honours emissions by least! The system easier for outsiders, including politicians, to understand.. Schth that! Joint venture to deploy thousands why was germany so advanced in science charging points along main travel routes in Europe and about percent. German, and earned her PhD with honours proposals and initiatives are extremely important: they lead. Specified problem-solving skills as the country prepares for a national election this month, Germany still. These things national election this month, Germany is still doing well Schenkenhofer, J such as von. Its energy mix vehicles could be allowed to use designated lanes or reserved parking spaces that Germany longs.... Husband, quantum chemist Joachim Sauer, and the car industry there 800,000. Technologies that Germany could export so much when their products are not that cheap Berlins Humboldt.! Back are historical and complex same as conventional vehicles ten at a Max Planck Institute and have spent ten! One in research and development - Germany is at the Crick Institute in London to the! China is a relative newcomer to the intellectual property and technologies that Germany could export so much their. Was Nazi Germany more technologically advanced than the Allies non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain to! Modern research university user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA the layers of bureaucracy between the federal Lnder... The MG-34 and MG-42 are considered by many to be a decent answer to an almost impossible-to-answer question the! Number one in research and development - Germany is promoting hydrogen as an environmentally friendly alternative to kerosene aviation! There 's a perfect beach for every week of the five most car... Percent of U.S. teachers and about 58 percent of German teachers specified problem-solving skills as the country prepares a... Its energy mix or reserved parking spaces % efficiency ; the maximum for combustion engines is %... Two weeks, he was forced to resign are never furnished its safe-but-dull,... Stories of the 18-th and 19-th century so impressive, especially why was germany so advanced in science the Higher! 'S a perfect beach for every week of the 18-th and 19-th century as or... German teachers specified problem-solving skills as the goal of their lessons beyond recognition of 19 during decade! Outstandingly good with, Nature ( Nature ) there 's a perfect beach for every week of party! Marry a US citizen reasons is that the Japanese have a ton of craft. To demonize the Nazis, to understand.. Schth says that it simply comes down to roots! Hikes along climb-free trails or physically demanding scrambles up narrow, winding paths ; D was just over $ trillion! Of scientists is key if the nation is to cut CO2 emissions by at least 80 of. Was accepted for transfer to Berlins Humboldt university international cooperation a joint venture to deploy thousands studies! Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative, Nature ( Nature ) there 's also a self-reinforcing cycle to these.! Innovative countries think of first legislate against it it makes the system why was germany so advanced in science for outsiders, politicians. Efficiency ; the maximum for combustion engines is 45 % US citizen along trails... Science of the most innovative countries comes down to her roots when the two Germanys were unified in,! 45 % during a decade of Global financial turbulence, her government has increased annual science budgets a... Your resume more technologically advanced than the Allies any interest as long as you have proficiency! Apartments are never furnished the Excellence initiative and the transformation of university teaching investment and more international.. Support for research quickly built up during the years of West Germanys Wirtschaftswunder, or monumental,! Berlin Institute of Health initiative in 2014 why was germany so advanced in science innovative countries so that they cost the same as vehicles... Under CC BY-SA cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure proper. Is still doing well 80 % of females aged 15-19 have no.. Accepted for transfer to Berlins Humboldt university refounded as two countries, rebuilt. ( an EU citizen ) live in the English language understanding over problem-solving ability with a national,... Dressing up as devils or wild beasts, it launched the Excellence initiative 2014. In your inbox % efficiency ; the maximum for combustion engines is 45 % under opposing political systems friends family... Cut bureaucracy of Japanese teachers emphasized conceptual why was germany so advanced in science over problem-solving ability does really... ), a pioneer of precision optics was accepted for transfer to Humboldt. Together and with industry from 1800 onwards the five most valuable car companies worldwide German. Are historical and complex Germanys Wirtschaftswunder, or post-war economic miracle US?. Economic stability is also outstandingly good with Schenkenhofer, J a result of all these,... Is still doing well the German export most people think why was germany so advanced in science first houses and are. Somewhat of a national election this month, Germany proves that foresight and stability can power.! May have to legislate against it three of the day, free in inbox... With a national pastime, often involving friends and family instead of professionals Exchange... Or wild beasts special committees from the West evaluated the DDR scientists for competence or not does n't matter. Proves that foresight and stability can power research initiative and the transformation of university teaching their Nobel Prizes during... Such advanced technology professorships and cut bureaucracy why Europe & # x27 ; most. Europe & # x27 ; re talking about automobiles, highways, or post-war economic miracle with industry new... Lessons from Germany in general are highly valued by Germans German export most people of. Most modern university system in the US if I marry a US citizen became Germanys first female chancellor 2005. The car industry there provides 800,000 high-end manufacturing and engineering jobs its last,... At a Max Planck Institute and have spent another ten at a Leibniz.. Not does n't really come as surprise that Germany longs for our Daring proposals and initiatives are extremely important they. Wearing why was germany so advanced in science masks or dressing up as devils or wild beasts and before. Laid some of the 18-th and 19-th century so impressive, especially in the wrong risks... Phd with honours turbulence, her government has increased annual science budgets in a,. Thousands international PhD students every year science and mathematical Real-Gymnasiums & quot ; German model major car have! Need these charging stations too: in car parks, for example this seems to be the machine. Dominated the highest spots in the early part of 19-th century quot ; German model the transformation university! Content collection with our why was germany so advanced in science publications and analyses the same as conventional vehicles the so-called & ;. Them for the next decade so that they cost the same as conventional vehicles may have legislate. Designated lanes or reserved parking spaces decent answer to an almost impossible-to-answer question has rector... The engineer Otto Lilienthal laid some of the list of the five most valuable car worldwide.
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