The unmistakable silhouette of Špilberk Castle towers over Brno, the largest city in Czechia’s South Moravia region. From this medieval stronghold, you can spot the buildings of Masaryk University nestled below. It was here, at the foot of this centuries-old fortress, that local computer scientists first had the idea to strengthen the defences
While studying the causes of death in large whales during her PhD, Yara Bernaldo de Quirós became intrigued by the fact that these marine mammals do not suffer from atherosclerosis or other age-related arterial diseases. A diver herself, she was well aware of how diving affects arterial function. Each dive triggers rapid changes
Asier Larrañaga Ochoa de Eguileor, a wildfire analyst at the Catalan Fire and Rescue Service, experienced the Solsonès wildfire in Spain in 1998 and still remembers it as a revelation. “I had basic fire theory training, but what I saw on the ground didn’t match any of it. Fires were jumping over valleys.
In today’s world, the line between online and offline is increasingly being blurred, especially for children and teens. Navigating this space safely can be a challenge. Klavdija Berginc, a maths and computer science teacher at a primary school in Kobarid, Slovenia, has witnessed this struggle up close over more than a decade in
Batteries are one of the biggest speed bumps on the road to mass electric vehicle (EV) adoption. But what if they could not only last longer, but also repair themselves? That is the vision driving researchers such as Johannes Ziegler and Liu Sufu, who are working to make this a reality. EV sales
The Maritsa Iztok Complex in southeastern Bulgaria stands as a relic of the past. Since the 1950s, its four thermal power stations have powered the region, relying on coal from three nearby open-pit mines. This type of mining is among the most environmentally damaging, and a long-overdue transition is now underway, promising to
Giulia Acconcia grew up in the picturesque, historic town of Spoleto, nestled in the foothills of Italy’s Apennine Mountains. Already in secondary school, she became fascinated with modern technology – a passion that would shape her future. Her love of electronics led her to the Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy, where she now
Professor Piero Baglioni vividly recalls the moment that set him on a lifelong path of art conservation. It was 1966, and the young Italian chemistry student witnessed firsthand an event that would change the course of his career. On 4 November, his home city, Florence, experienced a devastating flood, possibly the worst in
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
As the world woke up to a global pandemic in early 2020, a new EU-funded research initiative was just getting underway – the Versatile Emerging Infectious Diseases Observatory (VEO). The researchers involved in this timely initiative had set out to improve how we respond to public health emergencies through better disease surveillance. Their