As a young engineering student contemplating the direction of his doctoral research, Jaka Tušek knew he wanted to push the boundaries of science. “I wanted to work on breakthroughs, tackle something new that hasn’t been done before.” Today, the Slovenian researcher is on the cusp of the first major breakthrough in cooling technologies
An international team of researchers is developing a model of Mars’s evolution that could unlock some of its long-held secrets, including whether it once harboured life. François Forget, a space scientist from the Pierre Simon Laplace Institute in France, is the man looking for those answers. He is not a time traveller, but
Ph. UladzimirZuyeu/Shutterstock Viktoriia Ivannikova, Dublin City University Some long-haul flights connecting Europe and Asia are emitting 40% more CO₂ since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, my new study shows. The spike is largely due to airspace closures above conflict zones which are forcing airlines to seek alternative routes, significantly increasing
Ph. IRENA/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND Isabela del Alcázar, IE University If I had to sum up COP29 in a single word, it would be entropy. Borrowed from thermodynamics, this concept describes the delicate balance between order and disorder, a principle that governs both natural and human systems. An ecosystem, much like the climate negotiations,
ph. French President Macron welcomes US Vice President Kamala Harris for a meeting at Elysee Palace In Paris, in November, 2021. Jo Bouroch/Shutterstock Waya Quiviger, IE University Many pundits are claiming that the 2024 contest will be the most important US election since 1860. Most Europeans would also agree. At stake is not
In the modern landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most potent and revolutionary tools, with applications spanning medicine, economics, security, and natural resource management. One of the most promising and critical areas is environmental conservation. The growing threat of climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation demands innovative solutions,
In an era defined by climatic vicissitudes and the consequential societal demands for sustainability, the onus has decidedly shifted towards engineering solutions that promise not merely amelioration but transformation. Amidst rising global temperatures and increasingly erratic weather patterns, engineers worldwide are pivoting towards strategies that integrate sustainability with technological innovation, thus redefining the
Trevelyan Wing, University of Cambridge One year ago, Germany took its last three nuclear power stations offline. When it comes to energy, few events have baffled outsiders more. In the face of climate change, calls to expedite the transition away from fossil fuels, and an energy crisis precipitated by Russia’s 2022 invasion of
Richard Washington, University of Oxford Some years ago, I found myself making my way up the narrow stairs of a Learjet on a sultry runway in a deserted airport near the South Africa-Mozambique border. The humidity was there to taste – the air thick with it. The weather radar was showing a fast-developing
In the medieval Belgian city of Bruges, the urban administration has been seeking a new home and decided to move into an old hospital rather than construct a building. Elsewhere in Bruges, famous for its picture-postcard setting amid winding canals and cobbled streets, work is underway to connect the historic centre with the