Stimulate your brain during the holidays with Radboud Science Snacks
News item
Of course it is nice to switch off your brain during the summer months, but it can also be wise to activate it every now and then. The Radboud Science Snacks podcast (in Dutch) will get your brain cells working again in a pleasant way. Bonus: if you listen to them in the car, you'll be in Belgium by episode 10.
In the podcast Radboud Science Snacks, scientists from Radboud University explain a small part of their field in the time it takes to empty a bowl of popcorn. The ultra-short episodes cover topics you probably heard about in high school, but can't really remember: from neutron stars to infinity and from populism to papyrus. The mini-lectures are in Dutch, last up to 10 minutes and can be listened to via Spotify, YouTube or your favorite podcast app.
With these three episodes, you’ll take small bites of the podcast while having a short break from your holiday.
Papyrus
Papyrologist Mark de Kreij puzzles all day with pieces of papyrus, the paper of 2000 years ago. Papyrus is sturdy, strong and - if kept dry - unbreakable. In this episode, De Kreij explains what people used papyrus for and why he loves to research it.
Article 1
Democracy is under pressure and some people even fear that Article 1 is going to be removed from the Dutch Constitution. Sociologist of law Ashley Terlouw reassures us: that's not going to happen overnight. Just as well, because the article ensures that everyone in the Netherlands is treated equally. Terlouw explains what the article entails and why it is far from perfect.
Fungi
Farmers try to keep fungi off their land as much as possible, but mostly don't know that fungi are vital for a healthy soil. What are fungi? And what exactly do they do? Ecologist Rosa Boone thinks they deserve a better reputation, and is developing an electronic nose that allows her to smell which fungi living in the soil. That way, she helps farmers keep their land as healthy as possible.
Contact information
For further information, please contact one team Science communication via +31 24 361 6000 or media [at] ru.nl (media[at]ru[dot]nl).
