Article archives

AI tools are being used to subject women in public life to online violence

AI tools are being used to subject women in public life to online violence

Artificial IntelligenceSociology

By Invited Researcher

Authors: Julie Posetti, Director of the Information Integrity Initiative, a project of TheNerve/Professor of Journalism, Chair of the Centre for Journalism and Democracy, City St George’s, University of London; Kaylee Williams, PhD Candidate, Journalism and Online Harm, Columbia University, and Lea Hellmueller, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Research, City St George’s, University of London […]

A new two-dimensional carbon allotrope combining graphene and nanoporous design

A new two-dimensional carbon allotrope combining graphene and nanoporous design

ChemistryDIPC Advanced materialsDIPC Electronic PropertiesMaterials

By DIPC

Carbon is one of the most versatile elements in the periodic table. Beyond the familiar forms of graphite and diamond lies a rich family of carbon structures with surprising and useful properties. Among these, graphene, a single two-dimensional (2D) allotrope consisting in a layer of carbon atoms arranged in a perfect hexagonal lattice, has captivated […]

Self-healing concrete: Can we make infrastructure that repairs itself?

Self-healing concrete: Can we make infrastructure that repairs itself?

Materials

By Invited Researcher

Authors: Mouna Reda, Post doctorate fellow, Department of Civil Engineering, McMaster University and Samir Chidiac, Professor, Civil Engineering, McMaster University As winter approaches, Canada’s roads, bridges, sidewalks and buildings are facing a familiar problem: cracks caused by large temperature swings. These cracks weaken infrastructure and cost millions to repair every year. But what if concrete […]

Peak glacier extinction

Peak glacier extinction

Geosciences

By Mapping Ignorance

Glaciers are melting worldwide. In some regions, they could even disappear completely. Looking at the number of glaciers disappearing, the Alps could reach their peak loss rate as early as 2033 to 2041. Depending on how sharply the planet warms, this period may mark a time when more glaciers vanish than ever before. Worldwide, the […]

Critical thinking for the unstoppable use of artificial intelligence

Critical thinking for the unstoppable use of artificial intelligence

Artificial IntelligenceSociology

By Invited Researcher

The expansion of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) such as that offered by ChatGPT has multiplied the amount of content available very easily and quickly. In this scenario, two skills become decisive for safe and effective use: critical thinking—the ability to analyze and evaluate information—and media literacy—knowing how to locate, evaluate, and produce information responsibly. A […]

Antimicrobial peptides let ions through membranes without boring holes

Antimicrobial peptides let ions through membranes without boring holes

BiochemistryChemistryDIPC PolymersPharmacy

By DIPC

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are highly potent and broad-spectrum antibiotics, found as components of the innate immune system in almost all forms of life. AMPs are short proteins, tiny compared with conventional antibiotics but extraordinarily effective: they bind to and disrupt bacterial membranes, which quickly incapacitates or kills a cell. For decades, the picture many scientists […]

The diversity conundrum:  Why do oceans shelter fewer species than land?

The diversity conundrum: Why do oceans shelter fewer species than land?

BiologyEcology

By Invited Researcher

Authors: Guillem Chust , Head of Climate Change in Oceans and Coasts; Xabier Irigoien , IKERBASQUE Professor; and Naiara Rodríguez-Ezpeleta , Head of Molecular Ecology and Biotechnology at AZTI , Marine Research / Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) Most nowadays existing animal groups originated in the sea after the Cambrian explosion, 540 million years […]

Dynamic diversity of astrocytes charted in new atlas

Dynamic diversity of astrocytes charted in new atlas

NeurobiologyNeuroscience

By Mapping Ignorance

When it comes to brain function, neurons get a lot of the glory. But healthy brains depend on the cooperation of many kinds of cells. The most abundant of the brain’s non-neuronal cells are astrocytes, star-shaped cells with a lot of responsibilities. Astrocytes help shape neural circuits, participate in information processing, and provide nutrient and […]