In this SciLux episode, we speak about science communication with Professor Mike S. Schäfer, Head of Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich. We examine the role of intermediaries between researchers and audiences and discuss the difficulties scientists face when explaining their work,

Mike addresses the need to understand different audiences, and strategies for engaging people who don't go looking for scientific content. We cover changes in science journalism, AI's impact on communication, and the growing importance of countering misinformation.

USEFUL LINKS

More about Prof. Mike S. Schäfer - https://www.ikmz.uzh.ch/en/research/divisions/science-crisis-and-risk-communication/team/mike-s-schaefer.html

JCOM special issue - Science Communication in the Age of Artificial Intelligence - https://jcom.sissa.it/collections/129/

Amplifying Research with Chris Pahlow - https://www.amplifyingresearch.com/podcast/33-mike-schafer

"Co-Intelligence" by Ethan Mollick - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198678736-co-intelligence

History isn't just what happened - it's who gets to tell the story. In this episode, we sit down with public history researcher Dr. Joëlla van Donkersgoed (C2DH, University of Luxembourg) to explore how communities are reclaiming their narratives and reshaping our understanding of the past.

From the streets of Esch-sur-Alzette to the remote Banda Islands of Indonesia, Joëlla's work reveals how traditional historical methods often miss crucial perspectives. She breaks down the real challenges of public history: building trust with communities, sharing authority over historical narratives, and creating platforms that actually last beyond academic projects. Through her Historesch Gesinn project and other initiatives, Joëlla demonstrates how sustainable community engagement can transform historical research from a top-down academic exercise into a collaborative exploration.

USEFUL LINKS

Historesch Gesinn - https://historesch.lu/

More about Joëlla - https://www.c2dh.uni.lu/de/people/joella-van-donkersgoed

More about C2DH https://www.c2dh.uni.lu/

More about Hikayat Lonthoir - https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.com/whats-on/exhibitions/manuscript

The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch by Lewis Dartnell - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18114087-the-knowledge

Prof. Takis Tridimas: "Europe for me is a set of values. It's about democracy. It's about putting the citizen at the centre of society."

As we celebrated Europe Day last week, we took the time to revisit the concept of Europe and talk about EU Law with Prof. Takis Tridimas, the founding director of the Luxembourg Centre for European Law at the University of Luxembourg. With Prof. Tridimas we looked closer at the significance of the European Court of Justice, the protection of fundamental rights, and the evolving challenges faced by the EU. Don't miss this engaging discussion that sheds light on the importance of legal systems in our daily lives.

USEFUL LINKS

Luxembourg Centre for European Law - https://www.uni.lu/lcel-en/

More about Prof. Takis Tridimas - https://www.uni.lu/lcel-en/people/panagiotis-tridimas/

The General Principles of EU Law - https://academic.oup.com/book/50587

More about ECJ - https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/j_6/en/

Let's change the way we learn foreign languages! In our latest episode, Dr. Kateřina Chládková (assistant professor at Faculty of Arts, Charles University and a senior scientist at Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences) upends conventional wisdom about language learning.

Babies don't use flashcards or grammar drills—they absorb language through immersion in their linguistic environment. Dr. Chládková's research suggests adults retain these innate mechanisms but rarely access them. Instead of focusing on isolated vocabulary lists and grammar rules, adults should aim to ‘soak up’ the language around them, much like babies do.

Dr. Chládková proposes reconnecting with our instinctive learning capabilities by focusing on rhythm and context over isolated components. This approach mirrors how infants develop fluency—through pattern recognition rather than conscious analysis.

USEFUL LINKS

More about Dr. Kateřina Chládková: https://psu.cas.cz/en/people/cv/chladkova/index.html

Article on The Conversation co-authored by Dr. Chládková: https://theconversation.com/how-to-learn-a-language-like-a-baby-250551

The Mooveez app: https://www.mooveez.com/

In a world where traditional economic systems are being challenged, the concept of local currencies is gaining traction as a powerful tool for community empowerment and social innovation. In the latest episode of the podcast, host Hanna Siemaszko welcomes Dr. Gilles Evrard Essuman, a research associate at LISER specializing in social innovation and community economies. Their engaging conversation focuses on the intricacies of local currencies, participatory action research, and the transformative potential of grassroots movements.

Do you know how many local currencies there are in Europe and which country leads the way? Listen to the pub quiz segment to find out.

USEFUL LINKS

More about Dr. Gilles Evrard Essuman - https://liser.elsevierpure.com/en/persons/gilles-evrard-essuman

Interview with Dr. Gilles Evrard Essuman on the Research Luxembourg page - https://www.researchluxembourg.org/en/in-conversation-with-our-young-researchers-gilles-evrard-essuman/

La Doume - https://doume.org/

Le Biau Jardin - https://www.lebiaujardin.org/

Social Business Incubator - https://socialbusinessincubator.lu/en/home/

BEKI - https://www.beki.lu/

iNaturalist - https://www.inaturalist.org

More about the REGEN project - https://www.schroeder.lu/fr/a-propos/actualites/pour-une-energie-urbaine-renouvelable

With the advent of quantum computers, traditional cryptographic methods face unprecedented threats. In the latest episode of our podcast, we invited two guests from the Applied Security and Information Assurance (APSIA) Group at SnT (University of Luxembourg to discuss it: Prof. Peter Ryan and Dr. Peter Roenne.

Listeners will discover how quantum key distribution (QKD) works (or as Prof. Ryan calls it: quantum key establishment), leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics to create secure communication channels. The conversation also touches on the engineering challenges involved in implementing these technologies, particularly as we move toward a future where quantum computers may become a reality.

USEFUL LINKS

APSIA group - https://www.uni.lu/snt-en/research-groups/apsia/

Quantum algorithm article on Quanta Magazine Hanna mentioned - https://www.quantamagazine.org/quantum-speedup-found-for-huge-class-of-hard-problems-20250317/

Prof. Peter Ryan's publications - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=k2Uy_t4AAAAJ&hl=en

More about Dr. Peter Roenne - https://sites.google.com/site/peterroenne/

No-cloning theorem - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-cloning_theorem

This week we enter the Quantum Day celebrations starting with an episode with Professor Ignacio Cirac, a distinguished theoretical physicist and director at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics.

Professor Cirac begins by addressing a common sentiment surrounding quantum physics: fear and confusion. He emphasises that the threshold for understanding these concepts is surprisingly low, and with the right explanations, anyone can grasp the fundamentals. This is particularly important as we navigate the intricate world of quantum computers, which, although not fully realised yet, promise to solve problems far beyond the capabilities of classical computers.

One of the key concepts discussed is the notion of qubits, the building blocks of quantum computing. Unlike traditional bits, which can exist in a state of 0 or 1, qubits can inhabit multiple states simultaneously, thanks to the principle of superposition. This unique property allows quantum computers to perform calculations at unprecedented speeds.

The conversation also touches upon the critical issue of error correction in quantum computing. As quantum systems are inherently delicate, errors can easily arise during calculations. Professor Cirac explains the advancements in error correction methods that have been made in recent years, highlighting the balance between correcting errors and not introducing new ones.

As the episode progresses, listeners learn about the various applications of quantum computing, from cryptography to optimisation problems in industries such as logistics and material science. Professor Cirac expresses his excitement about the potential for quantum computers to simulate complex physical systems, which could lead to breakthroughs in science and technology.

The episode also contains a thought-provoking pub quiz question: how many qubits would be required for a quantum computer to crack modern encryption methods? Listen to it all to find out!

USEFUL LINKS

Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics - https://www.mpq.mpg.de/en

Prof. Ignacio Cirac on Google Scholar - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=gPGlTbgAAAAJ&hl=en

Prof Ignacio Cirac - Video Portrait - https://youtu.be/c8RmEDH4cDg?feature=shared

Join us as together with Prof. Carole Linster (LCSB) and Prof. Rafael Fernandez Chacon (IBIS) we explore rare metabolic diseases and the innovative research happening between Luxembourg and Seville. Carole and Rafael talk about their focus on rare diseases categorised under a disorder known as Batten disease or neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCLs). We also have a chance to compare different models employing mice and zebrafish.

Last but not least, one of the key takeaways of this episode is the importance of fundamental research - which is something we always love discussing.

USEFUL LINKS

Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) - https://www.uni.lu/lcsb-en/

Enzymology & Metabolism Group led by Prof. Carole Linster - https://www.uni.lu/lcsb-en/research-groups/enzymology-metabolism/

IBiS - https://www.ibis-sevilla.es/en/

Molecular Physiology of the Synapse at IBiS - https://www.ibis-sevilla.es/en/research/neurosciences/molecular-physiology-of-the-synapse/members/