Recharge overview
Google Maps for 14th to 17th century trade routes
If you would like to know how long it took to get from Eindhoven to Deventer around 600 years ago, the updated version of Viabundus - which is like a variation of Google Maps for the 1350-1650 period - can be used to calculate just how much time was needed. One of the things that the project’s researchers managed to achieve this year was a more accurate map of Brabant’s road network.
Detecting and treating tumor cells during prostate cancer surgery
A new molecule that specifically binds to tumor cells can provide better treatment of prostate cancer. That is one of the conclusions from the thesis of Yvonne Derks of Radboud university medical center. With this new molecule, surgeons might be able to recognize and kill tumor cells during surgery.
Hat parade on Prince's Day: “The hippy spirit really got hold of the Netherlands”
The fact that everyone already knows the content of the Annual Budget seems to be the rule rather than the exception on Prince's Day. More surprising than the Budget, however, are the extravagant outfits, in particular the hats, sported by female politicians on this occasion. Professor Anneke Smelik: “The merry, lavish hat parade is a typical Dutch response to our aversion to rituals.”
Are you done learning after 50?
Ranging from a curious baby crawling through a room to someone who learns to recognise and solve problems more quickly as they age. You’re never too old to learn, but how do you continue to develop in the various stages of your life? Radboud scientists tell you more about The Wonders of Lifelong Learning.
Mathematical Secrets of Nature’s Beauty
Alan Turing was an excellent mathematician and codebreaker. Less is known about his great contribution to the field of biology: he spent the last years of his life developing mathematical theories to describe the patterns we see in nature
Research into our relationship with social media is flawed
Social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Twitter encourage their users to scroll endlessly through content. But this doesn’t automatically imply that there is evidence of ‘doom scrolling’, in which the user’s endless scrolling has a negative effect on their well-being. That's what Nastasia Griffioen argues, who has conducted research into smartphone use among young people.
Wormy spaghetti and farting like a brass band: the humour of Roald Dahl
Characters who get away with farting and burping or jokes about violence, abuse and death: although Roald Dahl’s humour made his books world-famous, it also earned him harsh criticism. “He knew full well what made children laugh and he didn’t care what adults thought.
Memories of the debris of 9/11
After the attacks on 11 September 2001 in New York, nothing was left of the once iconic Twin Towers but a huge pile of debris. But debris, dust and steel acquired value because they mixed with the remains of unidentifiable victims. In his book project, researcher László Munteán explores the complex relationship between materiality and memory after the 9/11 attacks.
When local governments trust their citizens, they receive trust in return
Is it possible to deal with people on welfare benefits differently than in the prevailing approach, for example with less strict rules and more room for personal initiative? In 2018 and 2019 this approach was tried in six Dutch cities, including Nijmegen. Regarding the transition to paid employment, the experimental approach seemed little more successful than the current one. Regarding trust in local government, however, it did make a difference.
Already fewer seeds and fruits under mild heat conditions
“Better safe than sorry”: Plants anticipate potential heatwaves by already slowing down pollen development under mild heat conditions, concludes Stuart Jansma in his PhD research project. This “overreaction” on the part of plants has negative effects on fruit and seed harvests when the weather is warm. This can cause more serious problems when warm days increase in number due to climate change.
Is walking on summer footwear like flip-flops healthy?
With the hot weather, have you been enjoying walking on flip-flops all summer? It's nice and airy, but is it good for your feet? Micha Holla of Radboud University Medical Center has no objections, except for people with foot problems. ‘Healthy feet don't really need any support. People have been walking on flip-flops for thousands of years without any problems.’
‘Electronic noses’ can smell how healthy the soil is
In the past, farmers used to smell their soil in order to ascertain whether their farmland was healthy. But an understanding of what is happening underground requires more than just a keen sense of smell. Radboud University ecologist Rosa Boone is focusing on an ‘electronic nose’ that can provide insight into soil conditions.
Young religious people on the separation of church and state
Is our multicultural society ready for a definitive separation of church and state? Young Christians, Muslims, and Humanists think not. If it was up to them, the state would retain its ties with religion, but treat all forms of belief equally. This is the conclusion of religious studies expert Jeroen Jans, who will defend his PhD thesis on 12 September at Radboud University.
New device helps care for seriously ill babies
A newly developed tablet with smart software helps doctors care for seriously ill babies.
Conversations about alcohol and drugs predict future use
Teenagers who talk a lot about drugs with their friends are more likely to become excessive drug users in later life. Research that was recently published by scientists from Radboud University and Arizona State University has shown that language influences behaviour. ‘Even young people who have little interest in alcohol or drugs are more likely to develop a substance abuse problem because they spent time discussing this issue.’
Genetic factors play important role in severity of disease COVID-19
On life support or no complaints at all: our DNA plays an important role in the course of COVID-19. Researchers at the Radboud University Medical Center mapped out the current knowledge on all genetic errors that are associated with a serious course of the disease. They published their overview in Genome Medicine.
A glimpse into the making of digital humans
The term ‘digital human’ has been on the rise, especially in entertainment industry. But what is it exactly and how do you make one?
Female characters are still coming off worst in fiction
Even though women have been playing an increasingly important and visible role in society since the 1960s, that isn't at all reflected in literature: the position of female characters in fiction is still lagging behind that of male characters. This was revealed in quantitative research carried out by Assistant Professor of Modern Literature and Digital Culture at Radboud University Roel Smeets, who unleashed algorithms on books from the 1960s and 2010s.
One in eight Dutch people have persistent symptoms after COVID-19
One in eight Dutch people have persistent symptoms after been diagnosed with COVID-19. This is the conclusion of researchers from UMC Groningen and Radboud university medical center after analyzing the health data of 13,000 Dutch people. They compared the symptoms of people before and after they had COVID-19. The study was published in the scientific journal The Lancet.
Our brain is a prediction machine that is always active
Our brain works a bit like the autocomplete function on your phone – it is constantly trying to guess the next word when we are listening to a book, reading or conducting a conversation. By contrast with speech recognition computers, our brains are constantly making predictions at different levels, from meaning and grammar to specific sounds. This is what researchers at Radboud University’s Donders Institute and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics discovered in a new study.