The Chinese New Year, aka Spring Festival, marks the beginning of the lunar new year and is the most significant Chinese holiday. Rooted in mythology, it's said to have originated from the ancient fight against the mythical beast Nian, with the use of firecrackers and red decorations symbolizing luck and prosperity to ward off evil spirits. It has been celebrated for over 3,500 years, evolving from sacrificial ceremonies to the gods at the year's end for good harvests. Today, it initiates with the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February and lasts until the full moon, encompassing generally a 15-day period filled with various rituals and festivities, culminating in the Lantern Festival. Around 1/4 of the world’s population participates. Family reunions are central to the celebrations, with millions traveling home in one of the world's largest annual human migrations, known as Chunyun. Practices include thorough house cleaning to sweep away bad fortune, decorating homes with red lanterns and couplets, exchanging red envelopes (hongbao) containing money for luck, and enjoying lavish feasts with symbolic dishes, such as fish served whole (including head and tail) symbolizing a prosperous start and finish to the year. Each year is named after an animal, believed to influence personality traits and fortune, and associated with an element. 2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon. More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year Art&Text supported by ChatGPT.

World Obesity Day, observed on March 4th, is dedicated to promoting practical solutions to end the global obesity crisis. Obesity, a complex health condition characterized by excessive body fat, is a major risk factor for various diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers. Historically, obesity was mostly seen as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Many of the Venus figurines, made 20,000+ years ago, are corpulent ladies and thought to symbolize fertility, health, and abundance, maybe idealizing body size in times where food scarcity was a constant threat. Ancient medical texts saw it as a health risk, but only in the 20th century research highlighted it as a medical condition. It's caused by a combination of genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. Poor diet, lack of physical activity, and sedentary lifestyles are key contributors. Obesity affects all age groups and socioeconomic classes, over 10% of the population. However, prevalence rates vary significantly across different regions and populations. In recent years, developing countries have witnessed a rapid rise in obesity rates, a shift attributed to urbanization and changes in lifestyle and dietary habits. Obesity's toll on health, life quality, and economy is huge. World Obesity Day calls for united efforts for change, advocating for healthy lifestyles, supportive policies, and research to combat this challenge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity Art&Text🫶ChatGPT.

I'm Lena, a 15-year-old from Herkenrather Gymnasium near Cologne. This internship has been transformative, providing valuable insights for my future. Standing here at the conclusion of this internship, I want to express my gratitude to the Bayer AG research team for their guidance. Thanks to everyone who has been part of this enriching experience. Lena Art by ChatGPT

Networking For Health IV - We LOVE BioTechs & TechBios. Berlin meets NRW! We want to connect between organizations working in Biotech (e.g., Pharmaceutical R&D) and TechBio (e.g., AI for drug development). Coorganized by Bayer CID (Pharma Commercial IT & Digital), Bayer BD&L (Business Development & Licensing), Berlin Partner, Campus Berlin-Buch, University of Duisburg-Essen, Bryck. If you work in healthcare, be it as Researcher, Startup, VC, Entrepreneur, Digital, Developer, we want to network with you. Moderators: Tanja Bloser, Bayer BD&L EMEA Innovation & Ecosystem Activation Manager Prof. Hannes Rothe, University of Duisburg-Essen Pitches NRW: Prof. Hannes Rothe, Place Beyond Bytes @ University of Duisburg-Essen Dr. Andreas Rothgangel, Healthlab NRW Astrid Pauli, ZENIT GmbH / NRW.Europa at Mülheim/Ruhr Alexander Fromm, Bryck Oscar van Dijk, Medicine Men Sebastian Grote, X-Zell Biotech Marc Hesenius, tamedAI Marcus Geffe, Medirion Reza Esmaillie, Detechgene Pitches Berlin: Captain T-Cell Pramomolecular GmBH Noah Labs UG Research phD project Lab. Simon Haas Charité Trypto Therapeutics Dr. Christina Quensel, Campus Berlin-Buch Dr. Kai-Uwe Bindseil, Berlin Partner Tanja Bloser, Bayer AG and many more Bayer BD&L is very interested in connecting with Cell and Gene Therapy, Oncology, Cardiovascular or Immunology Startups. Berlin Partner is looking to inform about activities in Berlin and what opportunities there are for NRW Startups.