Germany's Impact

SCIENTIFIC IMPACT: Our visit to Humboldt University became my utmost favorite stop on our trip to Berlin. Doctor Michael Brecht delivered material about elephant neuropathology and trunk social/eating behaviors. We learned that a trunk is a muscular hydrostat, meaning having no bone/cartilage and being highly compressible. Their sensorimotor composition is on a spectacular scale; the weight of their ganglions are the size of a monkey brain. The infraorbital nerve is a severely underrated circuit, which is much bigger than the auditory nerve in elephants! All of this to say, these neural circuits showed us that elephant trunk behavior has an implied handedness, similar to humans. We were also able to witness the Body Worlds museum, which hosted preserved specimens in active motion and showcased systems of the body (pictured below is a saggital cut of the head and a model of blood vessel circuitry in the hand).

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CULTURAL IMPACT: While in Germany, we were able to view the Reichstag Dome, a piece of parliament that hosts the German and European Union flag (pictured below). It was a beautiful piece of architecture, with mirrors circling around the perimeter of the building. While walking towards other locations, we passed the Holocaust Memorial and the Russian Embassy. Our guide informed us that protests and demonstrations have been occurring since Ukraine had been infiltrated by Russia, and there was a beautiful memorial set up to respect the Ukrainian refugees. International relations have always been an interest to me, and seeing something as passionate as this movement outside of my home country was eye-opening for me to experience.