Sabine has a passion for all things related to European research. A physicist by training, she has been covering stories in life science, the physical sciences, technology, policy and innovation for the past 20 years. She was previously the news editor at Nature Biotechnology. She was also involved in the creation of AlphaGalileo. She is the Founder of SciencePOD translating complex science and tech concepts into high-quality articles written in simple language.
The Cambridge Analytica scandal has shown that the work of scientists is not neutral. The work of psychologists who designed the questionnaire aimed at profiling Facebook users might have been stellar work in its own right, within the standards of the field. But the way the answers to the questionnaire were later used for the purpose of influencing the political choices of the Facebook users who took the questionnaire, is--to say the least--questionable. This scandal is a case in point to show that there is no better time to continue the dialogue of the role of scientists in society. After 5 years working as Editor of EuroScientist, I would like to announce that I am now moving on to pastures new. Read more [...]
Ivo Verbeek is the co-founder of Peerwith. He has a background in software development and has worked for scholarly publishers in the past. He shares his views on what it means to open up access to a wide community of academics with language editing skills to scientists who are no proficient in language editing. He also talks about how his magazine disrupts existing language editing agencies while cutting the middle man. Read more [...]
Find out from four experts how blockchain technology is likely to change the way scientists work. Some focus on the impact of blockchain-based cryptocurrencies in the financing of research while others analyse the way blockchain can improve the quality of the research itself by increasing its reproducibility. Clearly, blockchain has so many potential applications that we are only just opening the door to its many potential disruptions in professional research circles. Read more [...]
In this exclusive interview with Shawn Jensen, CEO of data privacy company Profila, EuroScientist editor finds out about the implications of the regulations for citizens and for researchers. Part of the discussion discusses the ins and out of giving consent, in an era where any organisations holding data is required to ensure that individual data is used appropriately. Read more [...]
In this exclusive interview, EuroScientist Editor, Sabine Louët, speaks with German physicist Claudius Gros about the insights that complex systems bring into our society, which help in understanding their deficiencies in terms of how decisions are made. Gros’ analysis is based on the observation that citizens’ opinions—supported by mobile phones and internet technology—are now forming faster than ever before, relative to the time scale of policy decision making. This suggests the need to introduce necessary changes in the modes of governance, to enhance the reactivity of policy decisions, as means to keep our democratic societies steady. These findings have potential implications for an à la carte EU membership. Read more [...]
Too much is at stakes in European science for people managing research—particularly in the UK—to leave it up to politicians to determine their future. Brexit or no Brexit, there are signs that further integration of the UK scientific activities into the European research fabric is underway. Indeed, universities across the UK are establishing new partnership deals in education and research with European and Commonwealth universities. Whether this move will allow UK research institutions to remain attractive to European collaborators remains to be seen. Read more [...]
Stand up comedy is very popular. Yet, when Helena González decided this could be a way for her to engage the public about her own research topic, she did not know how the public would respond. Together with colleagues from Big Van Science, she took to the stage back in 2013 and has not left since. Find out more how to turn life in a lab into the most compelling show. Read more [...]
There is innovation in the podcast world. The new audio and digital media drama series Blood Culture is case in point, as it goes beyond traditional borders of podcasting by encompassing website, film, live discussion with scientific experts and even a SMS text game. Find out from the mouth of his producer, Lance Dann how this bio-medical thriller series came about. Initially centred on the concept of blood research, it explores people's anxieties of the marketisation of the human body, exploitation of Millennial interns and the pervasiveness of corporate control in our everyday lives. The series results from a combination between creative practice and science, with experts and scientists contributing throughout the development of the narrative. Read more [...]
Irish author Darren Sugrue talks about how his own experience as a scientist has had an influence on his writing. His novels also reveal a fine analysis of differences between characters from Ireland and the Netherlands, giving his work the level of depth that European readers will enjoy. In this interview with EuroScientist, Sugrue shares his perspective on how science can fit in nicely in works of fictions, as long as it is credible enough to add to the suspense and make for a compelling read. Read more [...]
Lorenz Adlung did not go unnoticed when he took part in the March for Science in Heidelberg, on 22nd April 2017. In this interview, he shares his passion for communicating science in less conventional ways. He also explains his aspiration to associate a wider audience to his scientific journey, and argues why it matters that others follow suit. Included at the end are some samples in German and English of his poetic slams. Read more [...]
EuroScientist recently attended the CeBIT in Hanover, Germany, where discussion on privacy where top of the agenda. Invited speaker Michal Kosinski, who is now assistant professor of organisational behaviour at Stanford graduate school of business, California, USA, shares his late work in a podcast. He also discusses the most practical approaches to make life in our post-privacy era comfortable. Find out more in this exclusive podcast. Read more [...]
We are living through very puzzling times. Times where the unexpected, the counter-intuitive and the irrational make headlines day after day. In this new world order, some remnants of old models of governance are re-emerging. These are entered on top-down governance, sometimes stretched to the point of generating strongly nationalist and authoritarian regimes. Yet, new governance models are needed. Scientists, with the March for Science due to take place on 22nd April 2017, give a strong signal, that bottom-up input into policy is needed. Unlike any time ever before, technology makes it easy for people in power to consult citizens on how their lives should be governed. Meanwhile, the input of the humanities and deeper philosophical questioning could help us inform future policy decisions. The trouble is that the mechanisms for such bottom-up governance have not yet been fully elucidated. To contribute to discussions on this issue, it is now time for EuroScientist and HSE community members to step in. Read more [...]
European science conversations by the community, for the community
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