New media artist Helena Nikonole is taking the art of sound to an unusual place – a city-based hydroponic plant farm. Together with a group of scientists, she is playing different urban sounds to plants grown in water. The goal is to determine how this affects their growth. According to the European Environment
Martin Rudorfer, Aston University Many years ago, long before the internet or artificial intelligence, an American engineer called Vannevar Bush was trying to solve a problem. He could see how difficult it had become for professionals to research anything, and saw the potential for a better way. This was in the 1940s, when
Whenever you have a scan at a hospital, both you and the operators are exposed to a small amount of radiation. For hospital staff, this means a slow trickle of exposure every day, slightly increasing their risk of serious diseases like cancer. “We are talking about thousands of people exposed every day in
What do you think hell smells like? British researcher Dr William Tullett has faithfully recreated its foul odour – or at least how our forefathers imagined it. Thanks to an EU-funded research initiative called ODEUROPA, which ran from 2021 to 2023, Tullett did not need to spend years scouring archives across Europe. Instead,
The Douro River is one of Portugal’s best-known waterways. It flows through the region that produces the famous port wines, and attracts a growing number of tourists each year. That brings economic benefits, but also problems. “Passenger ships are becoming more popular as tourists discover the area,” said Filipe Martins from APDL, the
At the Las Matas train station in the town of Las Rozas, just north of the Spanish capital Madrid, life is going on as usual. The sound of a highway can be heard in the background as a train pulls in. On the roundabout in front of the station, a churros vendor is
A large majority of Europeans believe in the benefits of science, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey on “European citizens’ knowledge and attitudes towards science and technology”. They want to see those benefits more equitably distributed and are cautious about any potential negative impacts of science. In the survey, conducted in 27 EU Member States,
Ph. Koshiro K/Shutterstock Daniele D’Alvia, Queen Mary University of London The AI revolution is well under way and two companies – DeepSeek and Nvidia – stand out among those competing to lead it. Outside the financial world, the story might seem distant – but it really does have consequences for everyone. It comes
In 1998, in a small park in Zurich, Switzerland, one bug woke up in a new world. The bricks on the roof of a local garden, imported from China, had brought with them a hidden guest: a brown marmorated stink bug. Fast forward to 2024, and the species – Halyomorpha halys – has
Throughout history, work has evolved hand in hand with technological advancements, from the steam engines of the Industrial Revolution to today’s digital metamorphosis. As automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and societal dynamics converge, the landscape of work is transforming in profound ways. Navigating these seismic shifts demands a proactive approach from individuals, organizations, and