Every week, scilog features an exemplary project funded by the FWF. The presentations shed light on scientific questions and report on recent insights gained in basic research. The projects not only reflect the great variety of scientific disciplines, but also the range of support options offered by the Austrian Science Fund.
In a project supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, the biologist Jitka Polechová created a theoretical model to describe the spreading of animal and plant species. She was able to show that the underlying mechanisms are simpler than previously thought, which has important consequences for species conservation. Continue reading “A new model for the geographic ranges of species”
With the support of the Austrian Science Fund FWF, the chemist Zita Csendes has defined and tested iron complexes as a sustainable, inexpensive and efficient alternative to precious-metal catalysts. The shift from catalyst solution to reusable pore coating required mastering many chemical parameters. Continue reading “Catalytic converter with a green profile”
In a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, a research group led by biophysicist Tobias Bollenbach is investigating the effect of antibiotic combinations on bacteria. Their aim is to develop new strategies against antibiotic resistance. Continue reading “How different antibiotics work together”
As studies have shown, higher biodiversity enhances the benefits derived from the vineyard ecosystem. Within the context of a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, researchers investigated the interaction of soil cultivation and landscape structure in European wine regions. Continue reading “More life between vine rows”
For years, a team of researchers from Vienna has been working on the early works of Arthur Schnitzler (1862-1931) in a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF. Generating a wealth of material that prompts new questions, this large publication project has funnelled the work of the Austrian writer into the digital age. Continue reading “At Arthur Schnitzler’s desk”
With the support of the FWF, a team of archaeologists from the Czech Republic and Austria evaluated early medieval finds from the region around the modern-day border between the two countries. As it turns out, the regions of Weinviertel and Moravia enjoyed close exchanges for centuries and benefited from being at the periphery of regional […] Continue reading “The border area as a space for innovation”
In a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, a research group in Vienna developed robots that perceive unfamiliar objects in their environment and then compare them with images from the Internet in order to identify them. Continue reading “Machines learn to be curious”
After the decline of Communism, new museums dedicated to the Second World War were established in many EU countries in East-Central and South Eastern Europe. A comparison made within a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF shows that more empathy is needed to bridge the gap between us and them. Continue reading “Conflict-laden grey areas of memory”
A research team from Graz simulated creative thought processes using a computer and investigated the role played by creativity in the way people use digital media. First results indicate that those who think outside the box get more out of the web, even though personalised search recommendations make access to new information more difficult. Continue reading “Escaping the (mental) echo chamber”
In 16th century England, exchanging information about certain substances, such as pigments, helped the two disciplines of art and medicine to become more professional. At the time, knowledge about cosmetic products also constituted an integral part of natural science know-how. Continue reading “Colour – a link between art and medicine”