Why does our genome have so many blank spaces? According to some calculations, up to 80% of our DNA does not code for proteins or functional RNAs, or has any known regulatory functions. DNA is…
Creating alien life (The tinkerers of DNA, part…
In the first post of this double we've already established that scientist sometimes manage to surprise even themselves with how far they can push the boundaries of science and technology. As if creating nano sized…
The smiling DNA (The tinkerers of DNA, part…
Whether we like it or not, and whether we understand it entirely or not, we've become incredibly good at tinkering with DNA - the very molecules that make us what we are. Ever since an…
Traveling back in time to discover the machines…
Psychology from the 1920s, 1960 statistics, today’s smartphones and tomorrow’s energy-efficient houses. As surprising as it might be, the common denominator of all these things is the Artificial Intelligence. Long before AI was an official…
Other works
Things I've been involved with, published elsewhere, original works and translations: Social media campaigns @SciCommJC twitter chat - science communication on languages other than English here Guest-hosting @IAmSciComm moments here @ILSI_Europe #JournalJourney research work popularisation…
Human ignorance is more deadly than any weapon
Much has been said about GMOs - we don't need another article explaining us why the GMOs are not the evil that will put an end to the world as we know it, because we…
Cash for science – food for thought
The world would not be as we know it today without the advances in science and engineering. Arguably, research is an expensive passion for scientists, and a costly investment for governments and industry alike. Even…
Beer in the two extremes of Europe
I've always been impressed by the new trend of infographics. So much information can be shared in such an accessible way! Hence, I decided to try and create one of my own to see how…
"New call for grants" or "The hunger games"…
Every year, there is at least one new call for proposals from the big institutions awarding grants for scientific research. In Europe, some of these are the Horizon 2020 program, IRC, Marie Curie, LIFE…
Revisiting Cleopatra's remedies
Undoubtedly, many of you have heard of the famous milk baths that Cleopatra used to take daily, which were believed to be her secret to beauty and irresistibility. Not surprisingly, Cleopatra's example was followed by…
