Insights

#AskDifferent 48 - Exposure to stress affects us in remarkably different ways — and neuroscientist Dr Sarah Ayash, Einstein Independent Researcher at Charité – Universitätsmedizin, is on a mission to find out why. Her research with mice reveals how individuals can respond very differently to the same social stressor: some become vulnerable, others remain resilient, and a surprising third group fails to learn to recognise threat at all. By uncovering the brain mechanisms behind these responses, Ayash shows that resilience is not a fixed trait but an active, learnable process. She also emphasises that mild, manageable stress is essential for strengthening our “psychological immune system” — and that avoiding stress altogether is counterproductive.

#AskDifferent 47 - In this episode of #AskDifferent, political scientist and Einstein Visiting Fellow Tomila Lankina explores why open resistance to Russia’s war against Ukraine remains so limited. Drawing on her forthcoming book To Live for Freedom: A History of Dissent in Russia, she traces centuries of dissent—from religious nonconformists to today’s small anti-war networks—and shows how deep social divisions and a tradition of “running away”, both literally and metaphorically, have weakened collective protest. Lankina shares her archival discoveries, contrasts Russian apathy with Ukrainian civic mobilization, and explains why Berlin is a crucial base for her research. Her message to Russians: dissent needs numbers—so keep fighting.