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
Scientists are probing what happens in the brain as people slumber and how they can enjoy the restorative effects of better deep sleep. BY ANTHONY KING Everyone suffers restless nights from time to time. Chewing over failures or worries at the end of the day undermines rest, especially deep sleep. ‘A ruffled mind makes a … Read more
Char from ancient fires and stalagmites in caves hold clues to the mysterious disappearance of Neanderthals from Europe. BY SARAH WILD For more than 350 000 years, Neanderthals inhabited Europe and Asia until, in a sudden change by evolutionary standards, they disappeared around 40 000 years ago. This was at around the same time the … Read more
Europe’s valuable wine and beer industries are working to retain their competitive edge with an expanded range of aromas and blockchain-based fraud prevention. BY DANIELA DE LORENZO The debate over whether fermentation was a more important human discovery than fire will continue forever. In the meantime, with Europe as the world’s premier producer of wine … Read more
By Sofia Strodt Global food supply faces a range of threats including climate change, wars, pests and diseases. An organism too small for the human eye to see – microalgae – could offer some answers. Feeding a growing world population that will reach 9.8 billion by 2050, according to United Nations forecasts, and the need … Read more
Between doomscrolling and disinformation, our media-saturated world makes it difficult to know who to trust. To mark today’s International Day of Democracy we spoke to a journalism researcher about the role of media in a healthy democracy. BY KEVIN CASEY Media is this layer that exists everywhere in our lives’, said Dr Tanya Lokot as … Read more