Latest news
Big Data is so large, it’s raising privacy & ethical issues
Maybe it was inevitable in hindsight, but the accumulation and monetization of human data is now an industry — a commodity — of its own. As the internet's precursor technologies were being refined, the directive against using it for profit was gradually Read more [...]
Integrity is not a component of ethics, integrity is much more
Academic and research integrity cannot be a side project or an afterthought. Integrity and ethics must be central to everything we do and every decision we make. We must work to ensure that we are putting integrity at the forefront of our mission and operations. To achieve objectives mentioned it requests to respect the framework of integrity policies, processes and procedures at all institutional levels. Integrity policies, processes and procedures are an inseparable and significant part of the whole set of functions/activities within an institution that work together for the aim of the institution. Read more [...]
Tracking the movement of all plastic litter in the ocean is crucial
At the end of October the European Parliament approved EU’s plans to ban, by 2021, throwaway plastics, which make up over 70% of the marine litter. This is part of the newly launched EU’s plastics strategy and of speeding up global action on marine Read more [...]
Science together – contributing to citizen science projects around the world
Citizen science (CS) is a freely accessible and meaningful way to explore measure and experiment with the world around you. Also known as community science, crowd science, crowd-sourced science, voluntary monitoring and networked science, the initiative allows the public to engage with, contribute to and conduct scientific research to broadly increase knowledge. Read more [...]
Communicating science in a complex world
Social developments triggered by digitalisation, big data or artificial intelligence, curing diseases by modifying the genome of organisms and developing high-tech solutions to slow down climate change – these are just a few topics of enormous societal Read more [...]
iNerd quiz: one out of two Europeans scores as a digital Mr. Bean
Big data, AI, social media, the Internet of things and cybersecurity are transforming our work environments as well as our life as citizens and consumers but more than 56% of Europeans is still lacking the basic skills and competences to navigate effectively Read more [...]
Cybersecurity: a growing concern
Ruby Rose is the most dangerous celebrity on the net. The star of the TV series Orange Is the New Black and scientist facing off against a prehistoric shark in The Meg is a peaceful person offline, but online it's a whole different story. McAfee, one Read more [...]
The new global race is for digital skills
"An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest"
said Benjamin Franklin, to whom we owe the invention of the lightning rod and bifocals, among other things. More than two centuries later, the American mathematician's observation could not Read more [...]
iNerd: How nerdy are you? How nerdy is Europe?
Are a Steve Jobs like digital guru or a Mr Bean of the digital world? Play iNerd to find out!
iNerd makes you explore your knowledge of four key areas of the digital world: big data and artificial intelligence, social media and Internet of Things. Read more [...]
The emerging trends of Nobel Prizes in science
This article reviews the Nobel history since inception which shows that the Prizes in science conferred on individuals in the first 50 years are shifting to the Prizes being shared. It is,in part, because the science has become more complex, collaborative, expansive, and expensive. With the critical need for teamwork to tackle Big Science, we recommend that the policy of “no more than three” sharing the Prize be loosened on case by case basis and the nomination be made open for scientific organisations. We also suggest concrete steps for improving the gender gap among the Nobel Laureates. This necessitates proactive nominations of Nobel worthy work done by women and making structural changes in Nobel committees toward better gender ratio. Finally, our analysis shows that the U.S. is emerging as a Nobel Super Power leading to a divide not only with European countries but the world at large. Read more [...]
Wind energy data?… Hack it!
The wind energy industry is at a crossroads. With 40 to 80 GW of wind capacity reaching the end of its designed operational life in the next decade according to WindEurope, lifetime extension is a top priority and data will play a big role in accomplishing Read more [...]
Caterpillars: the masters of mimicry
Q: What would you do if you want to hide yourself from a ravenous predator?
A: I would disguise myself as a twig, leaf or even poop!
Caterpillars, soft and packed with proteins, know all the tricks of the trade to disguise themselves to avoid being eaten by predators such as birds. Read more [...]
