While their products are highly coveted and their labour-intensive lifestyle is often admired, until recently hardly anything was known about how Austrian farmers themselves perceive their situation and the social aspects of farming life. A project funded by the Austrian Science FWF has now shed some light on this issue. Continue reading “Life on the farm is better than its reputation”
Fertilisers and pest control are central elements of agriculture and have a direct impact on the composition of species found in crop fields. Supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, a research group and helping hands from the University of Innsbruck are engaged in field research, using ecological and molecular methods to find out which type of fertiliser is most sustainable in maintaining beneficial predators’ appetite for pests. Continue reading “Manure boosts beneficial predators in agriculture”
In a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, a research team from the Medical University of Innsbruck was able to demonstrate that weight-loss surgery has a rejuvenating impact on the cells of the body. Continue reading “Turning back the clock in your cells”
The ability to recognize the thoughts, desires, and intentions of others is known in scientific circles as “Theory of Mind.” The psychologist and Schrödinger Fellow Matthias Schurz explores this human mind-reading phenomenon at Oxford University by investigating the workings of the brain. Continue reading “Oxford – venerable and cutting-edge”
Wherever things are likely to get emotional, as in political discussions, Laurenz Ennser-Jedenastik is ready to help out with facts and figures. This political scientist researches and blogs about voting behaviour, parties and elites. In an interview with scilog he explains why he is sceptical about more direct democracy, why there is no such thing as the “will of the electorate”, and what he would like to see from Austria’s new government. Continue reading ““People want to have a greater say””
For almost three decades, Peter Holzer has been dealing with the question of how the bowels and the brain communicate with each other. The results are remarkable. Continue reading ““Never stop, always keep thinking things over””
