Hacking solutions to science problems are springing up everywhere. But what about the publishing industry? Where are the TripAdvisors for journals submissions, the Deliveroo for laboratory reagents? Clearly there are so many opportunities technology could bring to radically change the lives of scientists that it is a bit difficult to know where to start. Yet, the debate on the future of scholarly publishing may be about changing the incentives for researchers rather than embracing smart technology solutions. Find out from the experts in the industry who gathered in Frankfurt a few weeks ago. Read more [...]
Thanks to advances in technology, the ubiquitous smartphone is not just a way to connect with friends. It also becomes a kind of “doctor in our pocket”. Health apps, wearable sensors and fitness trackers are all contributing towards ‘more and better data’ for monitoring everything from caloric intake to steps taken on a daily basis. If we want to better understand, manage, and prevent chronic diseases, then new technologies and innovations like these are vital. Read more [...]
Surveillance and security technologies do not exist in a vacuum. This is why it matters to study societal impacts and compliance with fundamental rights and values of citizens. Find out the perspective of Johann Čas, an economist from the Institute of Technology Assessment, at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, in Vienna. In an opinion piece, he talks about the findings of one of his latest projects, SurPRISE, which consulted 2,000 European citizens on their views of different security technologies and surveillance measures. This lead to interesting finding on what is acceptable to them in terms of security versus privacy trade-off. Read more [...]
The State is not just a market-failure fixer, it has to be active in investing in innovation
Mariana Mazzucato is a professor of economics of innovation at SPRU in the University of Sussex, UK. She presents her research in an internationally known book Read more [...]
The constant need to juggle between work and life commitments drives some scientists to shy away from a career in research, as the precarious positions and the need to be highly mobile, does not always sit well with the notion of family life, or the possibility to pursue research as a long term career option. Read more [...]
During this year’s edition of the Web Summit, in Dublin, Ireland, there was certainly a great buzz about the place. The carefully orchestrated industrial style décor fitted well with the informal style of the speakers’ presentation. It boasted over Read more [...]
William Gunn is head of academic outreach for Mendeley. He views social networks as the skeleton which supports the flesh and muscle of more substantial online and offline interactions. In this exclusive interview to EuroScientist, he shares his views on how technology is influencing the research pace. I also talks about how social networks have facilitated increased collaborations in research, thus responding to the funders' requirements to produce research with the highest impact. Read more [...]
Incompetence is probably the first of our competencies! Our globalised and technological society generates ‘systemic incompetence.’ These days, we interact with the outside world through a wide set of technological interfaces and tools which we cannot escape and whose detailed modus operandi is largely unknown to us, such as, for example, the search engine Google and the social network Facebook. Read more [...]
EuroScientist reports from the ‘Davos of Science’, recently held in Brazil. Its goal is to ensure that evidence-based knowledge feeds into policies applied on a global, regional and local level to foster transitions to more sustainable societies. The trouble is that achieving the unique goal of achieving sustainable societies is quite a challenge, given the differences between so called well-developed, evolving and the vulnerable countries. It emerged from the discussions at the event that knowledge co-creation may open the door to sustainability. Read more [...]
Many have praised the emancipating role played by Facebook and Twitter in the democratic uprisings of the ‘Arab Spring’. Meanwhile, Anders Breivik, fuelled by ideologies and chemicals he found online, emailed his manifesto across the globe before committing his Norwegian massacre. So what role does the internet have to play in modern politics? Read more [...]
Montenegro's science ministry is pushing ahead with plans for a science and technology park, despite initial calls for domestic proposals to invest in the park flopping. The government now hopes to reach out to international partners to invest in the science park. The park would link academia with industry as part of the country's recent strategy to renew its science base and make it relevant to development. Read more [...]
European science conversations by the community, for the community
