Recharge overview
Dance as an opening to the history of slavery
Can dance make emotions about the history of colonialism and slavery of the Dutch province Gelderland tangible, negotiable and palpable? Cultural scientist Liedeke Plate will investigate this in the new research project Feeling the Traces of the Colonial Past. ‘The debate about the history of slavery past involves more than just words.’
Biomass can help achieve climate goals
When it comes to achieving climate goals, biomass currently appears less than ideal as an energy source. But in terms of CO2 emissions, power plants operating on biomass are sometimes the ‘least bad’ option for some residual materials. This was the main conclusion in Steef Hanssen’s PhD thesis.
How the Nutrition Education Bureau lost the battle for our waistlines
Starting in the 1950s, the Nutrition Education Bureau (Voorlichtingsbureau voor de Voeding) attempted to swim against the tide of post-war abundance and offer guidance to ensure healthy, moderate food consumption. Unfortunately, the agency itself was forced to conclude in the 1970s that its influence was unclear, and that citizens had only grown fatter. This story is explored in a publication by historian Jon Verriet of Radboud University set to be published in Bijdragen en Mededelingen betreffende de Geschiedenis der Nederlanden (BMGN) on 24 March.
A closer look at Twitter: Amsterdam, you're raining!
A group of linguistics experts from the Radboud University took a closer look at an interesting construction on Twitter.
Sketching a shape based on its sound
In his dissertation, mathematician Abel Stern managed to reconstruct the shape of a drum on a computer from hearing merely the lowest tones. He will obtain his PhD from Radboud University on 30 March.
‘Also acknowledge the ugly sides of our academic heritage’
Dutch universities, including Radboud University, do not reflect enough on their role in painful and violent aspects of the past, argue philosopher Josias Tembo and political scientist Kiki Kolman. During their Heritage and Healing panel – part of the Anti-Racism Awareness Week that began on Monday 22 March – they will provide tools to expand perspectives and create multiple forms of knowledge together. “There are so many ways of living in this world.”
Astronomers Image Magnetic Fields at the Edge of M87’s Black Hole
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration, who produced the first ever image of a black hole, has revealed today a new view of the massive object at the centre of the M87 galaxy: how it looks in polarised light.
‘We’re entitled to a bigger story than the one we’re born into’
Since September 2020 Radboud University has its own Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategist: Rona Jualla van Oudenhoven. Her task is to develop a University-wide strategy on these themes. A conversation about inclusive literature, moving with a changing world, and the importance of working together. ‘This is something that concerns us all.’
What do the election results mean for the academic world?
Victory on the right, some tears shed on the left and a historical degree of fragmentation. What do these election results mean? How did it come to this and what are the consequences? Three Radboud researchers reflect on the 2021 Dutch general election.
“Reducing global warming matters for freshwater fish species”
The habitats of freshwater fish species are threatened by global warming, mainly due to rising water temperatures. A 3.2-degree Celsius increase in global mean temperature would threaten more than half of the habitat for one third of all freshwater fish species. The number of species at risk is ten times smaller if warming is limited to 1.5 degrees. This is the conclusion of a study led by Radboud University, in collaboration with Utrecht University, PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Leiden University and others, and published in Nature Communications.
Not only students benefit from self-directed learning
Knowing how to study effectively is an advantage when you’re a student, but in a fast-changing world this quality alone is not always enough. What helps is getting students familiar with setting and achieving their own learning goals, concludes Tamara van Woezik of the Radboud Teachers Academy in her PhD research. “Companies also benefit from self-directed learning.”
Can you be seduced to buy more ecological supermarket products?
Many of us try to reduce our ecological footprints or to buy cruelty-free products. Still, our good intentions often disappear once we see the price difference between organic products and the 'regular' cheap alternatives. The increasing popularity of online supermarkets may provide ways to seduce customers to exchange their cheap mass-produced sausage for a more sustainable, organic or even a plant-based alternative. In this blog, we investigate some possible ways.
Twin Peaks: more twinning in humans than ever before
More human twins are being born than ever before, according to a study by researchers at Radboud University, University of Oxford and the French Institute for Demographic Studies (INED). One in every 42 children born is now a twin, an increase by a third compared to the 1980s.
When queer histories are mainstreamed
This photo of Edward Carpenter is often used to champion gay rights:
What motivates the green volunteer?
Countless numbers of volunteers throughout the world are dedicated to nature: via citizen science or through activities like planting trees or organising nature excursions. But who are these people and why do they take action?
How do animals suffer the consequences of our medicine use?
Part of the medicines we swallow is excreted in our urine. That can have adverse consequences for nature and the environment. Environmental expert, Ad Ragas, is to chart exactly which risks more than a thousand of such pharmaceuticals pose.
Feasting among Romans: gorging, gifts and slaves as masters
The Roman poet Martialis was known for his epigrams: succinct poems full of mockery, sex and edgy jokes. Why he also wrote two entire collections focused solely on eating and gift giving, puzzles many classicists. Yet the flamboyant poet can already be seen in these early works, illustrates classical antiquity assistant professor and Latin translator Vincent Hunink in the first Dutch translation of the Xenia and the Apophoreta. Moreover, the work offers a unique peak into everyday life in the Roman Empire.
Campaigning in 2021: microtargeting in the political arena
Only a small part of the 2021 political campaigns will be conducted in public. Of course, this is partly due to the coronavirus: shaking hands while walking around the market and speaking to large groups of their own party is not possible. However, the impact of microtargeting should not be underestimated either. Political parties can use social media to send highly targeted messages to specific voters. Leon Trapman, lawyer and lecturer at the Faculty of Law, is researching legislation on microtargeting by political parties.
Researchers grow most lifelike bone organoid to date
Researchers from Radboudumc and Eindhoven University of Technology have interwoven various bone cells into an 'organoid' that can independently make new, hard bone tissue. It’s the most complete 3D model of bone formation to date. The 3D model allows for the study of the key biochemical processes in unprecedented detail and could help in cracking the many mysteries surrounding bone formation. Moreover, the lab-grown bone is particularly suitable for testing and designing new treatments for bone diseases such as osteoporosis or osteogenesis imperfecta.
Should the Dutch football team take part in the World Cup in Qatar?
According to some newspaper commentators, it makes little sense to boycott the World Cup in Qatar since moral objections have no impact on the corrupt FIFA and the world of football. Historian Paul Reef disagrees and argues that forms of protest that highlight the shadow sides of sports competitions can definitely trigger change.