Science & Technology
Science & Technology
Scientific and technical writing describes processes and results without dwelling on who carried them out — exactly the territory where the passive and its alternatives from this course do the most work.
Grammar Comparison
Grammar Comparison
Passive and sich lassen describe method and results impersonally
Die Probe wurde untersucht. / Das Ergebnis lässt sich reproduzieren.
The sample was examined. / The result can be reproduced.
Scientific German almost never says 'we examined the sample' the way an English paper might; instead it uses the passive (wurde untersucht) or sich lassen (lässt sich reproduzieren) to keep focus on the sample and the result rather than the researchers. This is the same passive-modal and sich-lassen territory from earlier in this level, now applied specifically to describing experiments, methods, and findings.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| die Forschung | dee FOR-shoong | research |
| das Experiment | dahs ex-peh-ri-MENT | the experiment |
| die Erfindung | dee air-FIN-doong | the invention |
| die Entwicklung | dee ent-VIK-loong | the development |
| künstliche Intelligenz | KEWNST-likh-eh in-tel-i-GENTS | artificial intelligence |
| die Software | dee SOFT-vair | the software |
| digitalisieren | di-gi-tah-li-ZEE-ren | to digitize |
| die Studie | dee SHTOO-dee-eh | the study |
| nachweisen | NAHKH-vy-zen | to prove/demonstrate |
| die Innovation | dee in-noh-vah-tsee-OHN | the innovation |
| das Ergebnis | dahs air-GAYP-nis | the result |
| die Technologie | dee tekh-noh-loh-GEE | the technology |
| der Fortschritt | dair FORT-shrit | the progress |
| die Daten | dee DAH-ten | the data |
| untersuchen | oon-ter-ZOO-khen | to examine/investigate |
| die Auswirkung | dee OWS-veer-koong | the effect/impact |