In 1990, Fried Vancraen visited a German trade show and was captivated by a 3D printer displayed there – so much so that he bought one for his new company, Materialise. Two years later, with the help of EU funding, he took his small Belgian start-up on a journey that would change the
by Policy Options. Originally published on Policy Options On farms around the world, data is increasingly being used to guide agricultural practices from influencing what crops to plant and when to plant them, to managing pests and allocating resources efficiently. Vast swaths of information — on crop yields, soil health, weather patterns, worker
Forever chemical or PFAS contamination is widespread, but so too are lobbying efforts. Melnikov Dmitriy/Shutterstock Gary Fooks, University of Bristol A team of academic researchers, lawyers and journalists from 16 European countries has exposed a huge lobbying campaign aimed at gutting a proposed EU-wide restriction on the use of “forever chemicals”. This campaign
Known as Mount McKinley until 2015, Denali’s current name reflects what Native Alaskans call the mountain. Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Innisfree McKinnon, University of Wisconsin-Stout President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Denali, the tallest peak in the country, has resulted in lots of discussion.
In 1998, in a small park in Zurich, Switzerland, one bug woke up in a new world. The bricks on the roof of a local garden, imported from China, had brought with them a hidden guest: a brown marmorated stink bug. Fast forward to 2024, and the species – Halyomorpha halys – has
Professor Didier Plassard is a leading scholar in theatre studies and puppetry at Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 University in France. He has spent the last five years exploring the rich history of puppet theatre in Europe and its contribution to the development of a common European cultural identity. “Puppets have helped to build a
Lynch, the director of ‘Twin Peaks’ and ‘Mulholland Drive,’ died in January 2024 at the age of 78. Hector Mata/AFP via Getty Images Billy J. Stratton, University of Denver “There’s a sort of evil out there,” says Sheriff Truman in an episode of David Lynch’s iconic TV series, “Twin Peaks.” That line gets
A container ship sailing at night through the Baltic Sea, travelling along the Polish coast, pulls alongside a fishing boat. This behaviour immediately triggers the Polish authorities and raises questions. “You need to ask why are two vessels meeting in the middle of the sea in the middle of the night? Are they
Scott Lucas, University College Dublin After 15 months of bitter conflict on the Gaza Strip, a ceasefire deal has been agreed which promises an end to the fighting and will allow for the access of food and other desperately needed humanitarian aid to the civilian population. Since the Israel Defense Forces launched their
Natasha Lindstaedt, University of Essex Donald Trump has already walked back on his claim that he would solve the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours of taking office. Just as he once stated that he would resolve the healthcare crisis in the US easily, then backtracked to say “nobody knew that health care was