The 2nd Homo scientificus europaeus Meeting will be organized at the Ateneu Barcelones on 16 May 2017. Its aim is to foster the creation of a large pan-European community of citizen-scientists supporting the new social contract between science and society. In the morning, representatives of grassroots associations and organisers of March-for-Science from across Europe will discuss national initiatives. They will lead to discussions about their convergence. The afternoon will focus on the concept of Science Open to Society and will feature scientists from Barcelona. The meeting, which will be streamed live on the internet to ensure a broad reach. It will conclude with a general debate on how to proceed for promoting an Open Science in an Open World. Read more [...]
Every year, thousands of people are murdered in South Africa, at a rate that has been steadily increasing over the past three years. On average, some 50 people a day fall victim to violence at the hands of those motivated by rage, opportunity, or some dark compulsion it is difficult for others to imagine. In this three part series of investigative journalism, Sarah Wild explores how forensic scientists work to try and identify people from the most vulnerable groups, including women, children, and particularly illegal immigrants, many of whom “come down into South Africa, and they die in a field and no one is looking”, according to one forensic scientist. She then explore how they eventually get buried. Read more [...]
One in 10 people who pass through South Africa's Gauteng’s mortuaries is not identified. Eventually, when no one comes for them and they cannot safely be kept any longer, they are carted off en masse to a public graveyard, buried without names, and with no one to mourn them. Once in the ground, their chances of being identified and exhumed dwindle to almost nothing. Read the first part of a three part series of investigative journalism highlighting the role of forensic science in dealing with South Africa's forgotten dead. Read more [...]
If it wasn’t for the smell, no one would know there was a body there. The savannah grass reaches above the waists of passers-by sweating under South Africa's Gauteng summer sun. There is no data on how many of Gauteng’s 15 000 to 16 500 annual unnatural deaths are found in this way but the occurrence is common enough for these bodies to have their own moniker among the officials who dread having to deal with them: veld bodies. In the second part of a three-part investigative journalism series, we explore how forensic scientists work to identify these dead bodies. Read more [...]
Forty unclaimed bodies are to be buried in Doornkop cemetery in Soweto on this particular Tuesday morning. An undertaker confers with an official as they cross names and numbers off a list. Two men lean against bright yellow earthmovers, waiting for their cue in this burial scene. Authorities know who the people are but no family has collected the bodies for burial. The last of a three part series of articles investigating South Africa's forgotten dead focused on how unclaimed bodies eventually get buried. Read more [...]
EuroScientist is relying on its network of correspondents across Europe to give you an account of the March for Science on Storify. You will be able to read the reactions of our community on the days prior and after the event. This will convey the spirit of how people are to experience this unique mobilisation of scientists from across Europe. Feel free to join in and share your experience by including @EuroScientist in your tweets to attract the attention of our curator. Read more [...]
On 22nd April 2017, scientists will march through the streets of cities across the world. This will be a unique opportunity for our community to explain their work to the public and outline how scientific research affects lay people. But how do you condense years of research into a compelling, accessible story? EuroScientist has some tips. Read more [...]
This article has been produced as part of a data journalism initiative called 'Medicamentalia - Vaccines ' brought to you by the Civio Foundation. It outlines some of the successes in vaccination campaigns from governments across the world. It also gives you a historical perspective on the key scientists who have been instrumental in developing vaccines of the past centuries. Find out more, it makes for an insightful reading. Read more [...]
“Europe is sending us measles”, says Doctor Eduardo Suárez, director of the immunization programme at the Department of Health of El Salvador. And with good reason. Whilst the Americas declared itself to be free of this disease, outbreaks multiplied in significantly higher-income countries. Almost 26,000 cases were registered in Europe in 2015, far more than the 611 registered across the American continent, the majority of which were in Canada and the United States. Read more [...]
The measles vaccine was invented in the 1960s, and by the 1980s its use was widespread. Decades later, however, the disease persists. Half of the countries in the world do not achieve immunisation rates sufficient to curb the transmission of illnesses such as measles. Similar scenarios apply to the polio and DTP vaccines. Find out more about the actual variying levels of vaccination uptake from around the world. In this piece of data journalism brought by the Civio Foundation, evidence shows that many avoidable diseases could reduce mortality, should countries implement suitable vaccination policies. There is still a long way to go to reduce avoidable death, preventable through vaccination. Read more [...]
What scientists know about the microcosmos of your tongue's flora could help keep people healthy. In this opinion piece, genomics expert Toni Gabaldón, explains how crowdsourcing samples of microbes from people's tongue will contribute to advancing our understanding of the flora in our mouth. Read on about this exciting citizen science project. Read more [...]
Thanks to YouTube it’s never been easier – or more entertaining – to learn about science. The EuroScientist team has browsed some of YouTube’s most popular and emerging science channels to bring you a list of our their ten favourites. This list is by no means exhaustive, so feel free to share your favourites in the comment box below! Read more [...]
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European science conversations by the community, for the community
