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Interview & Opinion

In the Interview & Opinion column, renowned scientists and researchers talk about developments and perspectives in the world of science. They reflect on regional and European science policy as well as the support of talents and the importance of innovation in a highly competitive international environment.

Interview & Opinion

10 December 2020

“It’s hard to explain why this is taking so long”

Interview: Ingrid Ladner

When it comes into force at the beginning of 2021, the Open Access initiative “Plan S” is poised to help opening up and improving academic publishing. Ulrich Pöschl, a chemist and Open Access advocate of the first hour, explains why free access to research results is important and how an up-to-date academic publishing system can […] Continue reading ““It’s hard to explain why this is taking so long””

Interview & Opinion

16 November 2020

The surprising properties of the coronavirus envelope

Interview: Reinhard Kleindl

In computer simulations of components of the coronavirus, an international team including the physicist Mateusz Sikora found its surface proteins to be unexpectedly flexible. The impressive 3D reconstructions are the first to show detailed information about the virus surface. This has an impact on current vaccine development, as Sikora explains in this interview. Continue reading “The surprising properties of the coronavirus envelope”

Portrait of Tan Eng Chye, president of the National University of Singapore.

Interview & Opinion

20 August 2020

“Excellence and relevance are not mutually exclusive”

Interview: Alois Pumhösel

Tan Eng Chye, President of the National University of Singapore (NUS), considers finding the right balance between basic and applied research a constant struggle. For the mathematician, who graduated from Yale University in the US, the Covid-19 crisis is an opportunity for universities to demonstrate how valuable they are for their country. Continue reading ““Excellence and relevance are not mutually exclusive””

Interview & Opinion

19 June 2020

Understanding the Earth’s system of waves and currents

Interview: Alois Pumhösel

Wittgenstein Award winner Adrian Constantin is fascinated by the multifarious patterns of movement in the atmosphere and oceans of the Earth. Using the tools of his field of expertise, mathematician Constantin, who conducts research and teaches at the University of Vienna, wants to get to the bottom of these phenomena, which depend on innumerable factors. Continue reading “Understanding the Earth’s system of waves and currents”

Interview & Opinion

19 June 2020

Smart materials for the next generation

Interview: Tanja Paar

Optical data processing, quantum information and intelligent buildings are areas of application for Elisa Davoli’s research. The mathematician and recipient of a 2020 START prize develops theories for modelling composite materials with the ability to adapt to their environment. Continue reading “Smart materials for the next generation”

Interview & Opinion

19 June 2020

UV light to help in understanding climate change

Interview: Reinhard Kleindl

The physicist and START Prize winner Birgitta Schultze-Bernhardt has developed a way of generating UV light with special properties using ultrashort laser pulses. She hopes to use this to investigate the behaviour of trace gases in the atmosphere in greater detail. Continue reading “UV light to help in understanding climate change”

Interview & Opinion

19 June 2020

A rare crystal as an ultrathin magnet

Interview: Reinhard Kleindl

The START Award winner and materials scientist Aleksandar Matkovic is looking for materials of a single atomic layer in thickness, an aspect that gives them extraordinary magnetic properties and makes them suitable for new electronic applications. Talc seems to be a particularly promising candidate. Continue reading “A rare crystal as an ultrathin magnet”

Interview & Opinion

19 June 2020

Why does the Goffin’s cockatoo use a hook?

Interview: Astrid Kuffner

Behavioural researcher and START Award winner Alice Auersperg investigates the behaviour and ecology of the Goffin’s cockatoo on the Indonesian Moluccas and compares the bird with close relatives. Exhibiting flexibility and dexterity in using tools similar to higher primates, this bird could corroborate theories that were established for the point when humans (and great apes) […] Continue reading “Why does the Goffin’s cockatoo use a hook?”

Interview & Opinion

19 June 2020

Upgrading the toolkit for AI problems

Interview: Astrid Kuffner

Robert Ganian wants to modify a well-proven theoretical computer science toolkit so it can be used for the booming field of artificial intelligence and machine learning. In order to extend the so-called parameterised complexity theory to this rapidly growing area of application, he needs to bring together expertise from various fields. At the end of […] Continue reading “Upgrading the toolkit for AI problems”

Interview & Opinion

19 June 2020

The poetry of the spoken word

Interview: Tanja Paar

In her project “Poetry off the page”, the English studies scholar and START Award winner Julia Lajta-Novak examines the significance of poetry performance for recent British literary history, focusing on the potential of oral delivery and on performative genres such as poetry slam. Continue reading “The poetry of the spoken word”

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