European projects are developing new ways to clamp down on international trafficking of cultural goods. By ALEX WHITING Lujza Varga is a local player in a European campaign against a global plight: the trafficking of historical objects including artworks. Varga works for the Hungarian National Museum, which is taking part in an EU-funded project to help … Read more
While flying is a major contributor to the climate crisis, behind the scenes scientists are designing cleaner and faster airliners. By Tom Cassauwers The passenger planes of today are based on designs that have been fundamentally the same for decades. This means that flight times have also changed very little. But what if people could … Read more
The robotic bee replicants home in on the unsuspecting queen of a hive. But unlike the rebellious replicants in the 1982 sci-fi thriller Blade Runner, these ones are here to work. Combining miniature robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, the plan is for the robotic bees to stimulate egg laying in the queen by, for … Read more
In February last year, as oil prices spiked following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, computers stopped working at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp oil trading hub. This group of terminals concentrated at some of Europe’s biggest ports had fallen victim to a cyberattack. Barges couldn’t be unloaded and supply was disrupted. Cyberattacks on critical infrastructure like energy companies, hospitals and … Read more
The enhancement of human-machine interaction is expected to bring notable improvements in support for learning and access to healthcare. By CALEB DAVIES In a Swiss classroom, two children are engrossed in navigating an intricate maze with the help of a small, rather cute, robot. The interaction is easy and playful – it is also providing researchers with … Read more
Power management systems that harvest ambient energy will power billions of small devices on the Internet of Things. By MICHAEL ALLEN Tiny internet-connected electronic devices are becoming ubiquitous. The so-called Internet of Things (IoT) allows our smart gadgets in the home and wearable technologies like our smart watches to communicate and operate together. IoT devices are … Read more