SCIENCE VIEWS 24 ISSUE APRIL 2019

CONTENTS



Issue_24_2019



IN THIS ISSUE:
Science Write-ups The latest news and

Creating Conditions for Deeper Learning in
Science.................................................Page 2 science opportunities
In a picture: ‘Now we know what a black hole
looks like’………………………...............Page 2
Science in Action
Learning Science Through Theater
2019…........................................…..Pages 3-4
CREATEskills 3rd Transnational Project Meeting
& Teachers’ Training .......................…..Page 5
NUCLEUS:“Pathways to Transformation” joint
Conference, 20-21 June, Brussels........Page 5
SciCulture: Envisioning the Future of Education
in 2050….........................................…..Page 6
CASE project updates……………….…..Page 6
Education’s Corner
CASE Summer School 2019
30 June-05 July ..............................…..Page 7
OSOS Summer School 2019
7-12 July .........................................…..Page 7
STEAM Summer School 2019
15-24 July..............................................Page 7
Events - Save the date
STEM Discovery Week 2019 ……...........Page 8
Exploring the Universe with Gravity Waves, Kip
Thorn lecture.........................................Page 8
CSEDU 2019, International Conference on
Computer Supported Education...........Page 8
Enabling health equality in Europe – the role
of health research................................Page 9
Patras Science Festival……………........Page 9 Science View is communicating science to society since 2008,
European Climate Change Adaptation sharing a vision of science literacy and science awareness.
(ECCA) 2019…………............................Page 9
Science opportunities In this issue you will read about:
European Science Engagement Discover Events, Conferences, Seminars and the most recent
Conference 2019...............................Page 10 Science News!
Short Term Internship at CERN.............Page 10
Product Assurance Awareness Training Course  Scientific breakthrough of taking the first-ever image of a
by ESA...……………….....................…Page 10 black hole
Education @ EU  Learning Science Through Theater 2019

EU eduNews........................................Page 11  CREATEskills 3rd Transnational Project Meeting & Teachers’
Training
Science in a nutshell
Science News...............................Pages 12-14  SciCulture: Envisioning the Future of Education in 2050
 Summer Schools
Subscribe here if you want to receive monthly
these interesting news!

To download the issue click here.

Cover photo from Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration
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SCIENCE WRITE-UPS Issue_24_2019
SCIENCE WRITE-UPS


“Creating Conditions

for Deeper Learning in Science”


Deeper Learning is usually associated with the students to develop mastery in scientific subjects and
concept that the learners have to achieve the methods how these achievements can be
excellence at school through an equitable assessed.
educational system. In this process learners acquire At the same time, training in science using arts has
proficiency in a subject beyond just memorising facts been shown to improve creativity and innovation as
and concepts, techniques or procedures. Learners well as students’ Deeper Learning. Students learn to
understand the key principles and realise when, how approach issues with a critical mind and a positive
they can apply what they have learned in new real attitude towards problem solving. Exposure to the arts
situations. Consequently, deeper learning refers to enhances communication skills, which are essential
the combination of a deeper understanding of core tools for collaboration. It develops flexibility and
academic content, the ability to apply that adaptability. Thus the combination of those two
understanding to novel problems and situations, and disciplines appears to be significant interesting, in
the development of a range of competencies, regard with the present and future of science
including people skills and self-management . So, education.‘
the concept of Deeper Learning has been used both
to describe a set of competencies or educational Conference Themes: Deeper Learning in Science
objectives and to characterize a way of learning (or through Arts, Enhancing Science Education through
a process) that promotes these competencies. Digital Storytelling, Inquiry Based Learning, Creativity in
Science Education, Open School Culture
“Creating Conditions for Deeper Learning in Science”
is the topic of the conference, that will be Call for Papers & Posters:
conducted in Ellinogermaniki Agogi, on June 29th- Proposals are invited for Papers
30th, which aims to bring together researchers, and Poster presentations by
practitioners and decision makers from all around the the 5th of May 2019.
world to investigate the concepts of Deeper
Learning, the conditions under which it could lead More info here.



In a picture: ‘Now we know what a black hole


looks like’

It is undoubtedly the hottest scientific breakthrough a black hole that you can see using current
in 2019, till now! The first-ever image of the technology, this very-long-baseline interferometry
gravitational boundary of a black hole was revealed (VLBI) technology we are currently using. That was
on 10 April and is the best evidence yet that these around 2000. I actually said boldly in 10 years we
phenomena really do exist. It was the result of a can do this, and now it took us 19 years. So I was off
global collaboration of hundreds of scientists, using by a factor of two! But we did it.”
multiple telescopes around the world. Dr Luciano Rezzolla from Goethe University
Horizon Magazine spoke to Dr Heino Falcke, Dr Frankfurt in Germany: “Even the largest telescopes
Luciano Rezzolla, and Dr Michael Kramer, we have on Earth wouldn’t be sufficient. The
researchers on the European BlackHoleCam project resolution we need would allow you to see an
– which was part of the global Event Horizon orange on the surface of the moon. So if you can’t
Telescope (EHT) collaboration – about what the build a telescope bigger than a few hundred
image means for them, for black holes and for metres, maybe you can put together two
Einstein’s theory of relativity. telescopes which are far apart and imagine they
are together a single telescope? We observed with
Dr Heino Falcke, Radboud University Nijmegen,
The Netherlands: “It has been an emotional journey, eight simultaneously, so that as Earth rotates, there
I must say. It started from when I was a PhD student are three or four that are always pointing to the right
and I found that, at certain radio frequencies, you source. And then you have to put all data together.”
would have radiation coming from near the event Read the whole interview here!
horizon (of a black hole). That was in the early 1990s.
The original interview was published on April 10th,
We published a paper that said there is a shadow of in Horizon Magazine, the EU Research & Innovation Magazine.



2

SCIENCE IN ACTION
SCIENCE IN ACTION Issue_24_2019














Successful closing events for 2019 in
Athens and Thessaloniki

The first event took place in Ellinogermaniki Agogi, on
6-7 April! The “Learning Science Through Theater”
Athens event consisted of 11 astonishing
performances by primary schools, junior high schools
& high schools.
For the first time, four distinguished experts in arts and
pedagogy attended the performances and helped
students and teachers with their comments. Namely,
Dr. Maria Dimaki Zora, Assist. Professor in Faculty of
Primary Education, NKUA; Mr. Christos
Konstantopoulos, singer & composer; Mrs. Niki
Krasaki, composer of modern music; and Dr. Martha
Georgiou, biologist.
Presenter of the event was Stefanos Giagtzoglou, a On Sunday, the theatrical plays continued with the
secondary school science teacher and a stand-up rest of the high schools and the junior high schools,
comedian, member of Science Reactors. At the which charmed the audience and the jury with their
beginning of the event, he invited the organizers Mr. performance! The theatrical performances covered
Menelaos Sotiriou, president of Science View and almost all STEM disciplines, such as physics laws,
Mrs. Zacharoula Smyrnaiou, Assistant Professor in astronomy (planet movements and solar energy),
Faculty of Philosophy, Pedagogy & Psychology, environmental issues, chemistry (periodic table,
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, to molecular structures), biology, health issues etc. At
introduce the event and refer to its achievements the end of the event, each school was awarded in
during the last 5 years. its distinguished field!
On Saturday the opening performance was by a
primary school, presenting a theatrical play on
electricity and energy conversion. After this, the high
schools presented their performances. One of the
participating high schools cooperated a the
kindergarten! Students aged up to 5 years old
collaborated with the high school students who wrote
an adaptation of the well-known novel "The Little
Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, about
environment pollution. The innovative ideas
presented by the participating schools did not stop
there; important social issues were also directly
addressed by the simultaneous use of sign language
narration during the performance.
After every twenty-minute performance, Stefanos
invited representatives from each school, teachers
and / or students, to talk about their experience after
months of preparation.










Continued on next page 3

SCIENCE IN ACTION
SCIENCE IN ACTION Issue_24_2019













Along the same lines, the following weekend, on 13-
14 April, the event in Thessaloniki was conducted! Six
schools, mainly from Northern Greece, took part in
this event: 2 primary schools, 2 junior high schools
and 2 high schools.
The experts of the event were Mrs. Korina Vogiatzi,
teacher with postgraduate studies at the Department
of Theater; Mr. Vasilis Koulountzos, Ph.D. in
Pedagogical Department of Primary Education of
the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; and Mrs. Martha
Katsaridou, Special Educational Personnel at the
Department of Theater of the School of Fine Arts,
AUTH.
The students and their teachers who got involved in
making these truly exceptional performances were
awarded with the most powerful applause of the
audience!
You can find here the results of the theatrical Implementation in other
performances’ assessment from the Athens event, countries!
the Thessaloniki event and the video reconded
performances (in Greek only).
Finally, it is worth mentioning that the volunteers’
contribution, who participated in the event for the first
time,was a very important factor for the success of
both events. A big thank you to Ioanna Tatidi, Dimitra
Fronimaki, Eirini Demesticha, Sedef Deli & Stefanos
Diamantis.
This year, over 500 students and more than 30
teachers were involved. More specifically, students
from 4 primary schools, 10 junior high schools and 9
high schools were involved by developing and Besides Greece, schools from other countries are
performing theatrical performances related to implementing the “Learning Science Through
scientific concepts. Theater” initiative!
As the framework was expanded towards primary
education, through CASE & CREATEskills projects,
teachers from Norway, the Netherlands, Finland,
Germany implemented LSTT, while in Malta it’s the
second year of implementation!
Also, teachers from Lithuania, Portugal and Spain,
who participated the CREATEskills Teachers’ Train-
ing on February 2019, will implement the activity
at a shorter scale in their local context.












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SCIENCE IN ACTION Issue_24_2019
SCIENCE IN ACTION



CREATEskills 3 Transnational Project
rd
Meeting & Teachers’ Training




countries. The activities covered several aspects of
all STEM disciplines, using different methodologies
and implementation strategies. There were 8
collaborative activities that, in addition to increasing
knowledge regarding STEM, promoted critical
thinking and team spirit. In
On 18th – 19th February the 3rd Transnational
Project Meeting of the CREATEskills project took place
in Athens, Greece. The consortium consists of 8
partners from Portugal, Spain, Greece and Lithuania,
namely: Mentortec; Universidade de Murcia; Science
View; UAB Mestis Baltic; Agrupamento de Escolas de the end, each
Loureiro; Colégio Público Consolación; Chania activity was
Directorate of Primary Education and UAB Karalienes evaluated individually, in order to reflect on the
Mortos Mokykla. The partnership discussed about the respective feasibility of implementation in the next
Web Platform "STEM on WEB", the Toolkit and the phase of the project: the pilot test.
Multiplyer Events that have already started!
After the training, most of the teachers participating,
The next days, on February sceduled the
20th to 22nd, the Teachers’ implementation of
Training was attended by 25 the activities in their
teachers from all 4 partners’ classrooms with their
countries. Each country was students, while some
invited to select and other are still in the
present two activities from implementation
the Toolkit "Tools to Socially Learn STEM", phase!
implementing the activity with colleagues from other Photo Credits: CREATEskills

“Pathways to Transformation” joint

Conference, 20-21 June, Brussels





approaches is now firmly part of policy initiatives,
such as Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI).
This joint conference by the EU-funded projects
“NUCLEUS” and “RRI-Practice” explores the pathways
that institutions may follow towards being more
socially responsive: What can research-performing
The final Conference in the framework of the organisations learn from the projects’ institutional RRI
NUCLEUS project will take place on 20-21 June in experiments (‘Practical Pathways’)? And how can
Brussels, jointly with the Conference of the project RRI research policy incentivise stakeholders to contribute
-Practice. This joint conference will give insights from to more responsive science and innovation systems
global institutional experiments in Responsible (‘Policy Pathways’)? Registrations are free and open
Research and Innovation. In the drive for more here: http://pathways2019.eu/
sustainable futures, research and innovation actors To learn more about the progress of the NUCLEUS
are increasingly called upon to anticipate and project which is running its final year of
respond to expectations and concerns from citizens implementation of RRI activities across the globe,
and policy, industry and a variety of other you are invited to read the NUCLEUS Newsletter Issue
stakeholders. The cultivation of such processes and
#7


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SCIENCE IN ACTION
SCIENCE IN ACTION Issue_24_2019



Envisioning the Future of

Education in 2050



We face a future that is increasingly unstable and build on ideas together.
difficult to predict: ever-more-complex global Despite the inevitable hiccups in these challenging
challenges demand a new approach to education working groups, participants produced highly
and people from diverse backgrounds to work creative and innovative projects. Their ideas ranged
together to identify innovative and holistic from a posthumanist vision for education to an
approaches for more sustainable societies. As an education model with continuous learning where the
exercise, the EU project SciCulture brought artists, school is the community. The transdisciplinary
researchers, educators and entrepreneurs together approach worked to envision a different future that
in an intensive 5-day course this month in Greece (1– tries to make small strides to improve society.
6th April). These diverse participants were guided by
experts from around Europe to tangibly imagine SciCulture’s next course is in Norway in November to
what and how education might be in 2050. continue to improve the approach with grants soon
open for University of Malta students.
The intensive course showed how challenging and
rewarding it is for groups with diverse backgrounds to
work together. Participants were purposefully placed
with other individuals who shared differing expertise,
creating a space where highly philosophical and
practical minds needed to find a way to create and

CASE project updates


Implementation in the Netherlands, Lithuania, Norway,
Greece & Ireland

CASE is spreading across Europe by showcasing promising progress of the implementation of creative
science-arts activities in the participating countries! In the Netherlands, several primary schools use differ-
ent CASE tools in their classrooms! Many components of CASE are combined and connected with sci-
ence: puppetry, acting, animation, shadow play or even composing music. In the following months,
many colleagues will participate in workshops, so that entire schools will be able to use the tools in their
educational system.
In Lithuania on the 19th of February 2019, the scientific practical conference “To Explore, To Discover, To
Exercise: Connections Between Art and Science in Primary Education” was organized at Klaipėda Universi-
ty. Besides this, primary school teachers who attended CASE Summer School 2018 in Greece, gave semi-
nars in their schools to share their experience!
In Norway, the implementation was realized through a mini project about sea life. Students, after learning
about sea life, wrote with their Norwegian teacher "Bio-poems" about their favorite sea animals (17 poems
in total) and painted animals living in the sea.
Last but not least in Greece, Science View organized the “Learning Science through Theater” iniative at a
national level, and Ellinogermaniki Agogi implemented the “Learning Science Through Digital Storytelling”
case, with the theme of preparing a space mission! In Thessaloniki, from October 2018 till February 2019,
a series of workshops took place, applying the slowmation creative learning environment and other CASE
related activities, organized by ATLAS Research Group of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Upcoming CASE events
In the near future, three main CASE events are scheduled! On April 29th, a CASE Showcase event will be
conducted in Ireland. This seminar and workshop will examine, and look critically at the use of arts, crafts
and fictive and imaginative techniques of teaching and learning science for primary school children.
Furthermore, the CASE project will also be presented in a specific session in the IHPST Conference, in Thes-
saloniki and on 30/6-5/7 you can participate in the CASE Summer School 2019 Greece Marathon (have a
look at the next page!). Find out more news about CASE in the 3rd CASE Newsletter!





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EDUCATION’S_CORNER
EDUCATION’S_CORNER Issue_24_2019



CASE Summer School 2019

30 June-05 July (Marathon, Greece)




In the framework of the CASE (Creativity, Art and science education. Register Here!
Science in Primary Education) project, a 5-day Check out the Training Materials
intensive course that introduces case studies for
creative science inquiry for primary schools (Learning The participants of the previous edition of the CASE
Science Through Theater, Through Puppetry and Summer School 2018, have been implementing the
Through Digital Narratives & Storytelling) is organized creative science cases they learnt last year in their
in Marathon, Greece. The second edition of the educational environments all across Europe during
successful CASE Summer School is targeted at the 2018/2019 school year. Participants in this year's
primary school teachers, artists, researchers and Summer School will be invited to do the same;
educational stakeholders/practitioners in order to namely implement the presented cases and
motivate them by combining science education approaches in their local/national context during the
with aspects of art in their own practice and to be next school year. More info here.
aligned to the guidelines of Europe for the future of
OSOS Summer School 2019

7-12 July (Marathon, Greece)




In the framework of the OSOS (Open Schools for Open Societies)
project, the OSOS Summer School 2019 is targeted at School Heads
and Teachers seeking to bring innovation to their schools, while aiming
at offering a high-impact and transformative experience in personal
and organizational level. It also aims to contributing to their professional
development, as it will provide significant insights and tools to
implement the necessary changes and foster the skills to best plan and
then diffuse innovation in schools, helping them evolve to an Open Schooling Environment and establishing
Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) principles. More info here.
Register Here!

STEAM Summer School 2019

15-24 July (Malta)



An intensive programme, open to all motivated STEM students and researchers interested in science
communication, will be held on 15-24 July, in Malta. Teachers, science communication practitioners,
science journalists, and established researchers will also find novel techniques within our content.

STEAM Summer School 2019 will be divided this year into two parts: a multimedia online course and a highly
practical, face-to-face 10-day programme. The online course
will focus on the background information while the Summer
School will build on this knowledge through critical thinking and
practical application. The 10-day intensive course in science
communication integrates Arts into the classical STEM and
includes interactive experiments and informal learning. The
goals are to improve science awareness and develop
informed opinions, increase student uptake of STEM careers for
high-level jobs and enhance the transferable skills of current
researchers. More info here. Photo Credits: STEAM



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EVENTS SAVE THE DATE Issue_24_2019
EVENTS SAVE THE DATE



STEM Discovery Week 2019




Europe 22-28/04/2019
STEM Discovery Week 2019 is a joint international initiative co-organised by
Scientix, SYTEMIC, STEM Alliance and many more projects that
invites organisations, schools and projects to celebrate careers and studies in
the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The
primary focus of this year's campaign is to showcase how teaching materials
and other learning resources are used in educational activities.
During SDW19 you can exchange best practices in using innovative STEM
resources with thousands of educators and pupils all across Europe and the
world
You can find more details and many activities next to you here!




CSEDU 2019, International Conference
on Computer Supported Education




Heraklion, Greece 02-04/05/2019
CSEDU 2019, the International Conference on Computer Supported Education, is a yearly meeting place for
presenting and discussing new educational tools and environments, best practices and case studies on innovative
technology-based learning strategies, and institutional policies on computer supported education including open
and distance education. CSEDU 2019 will provide an overview of current technologies as well as upcoming
trends, and promote discussion about the pedagogical potential of new educational technologies in the
academic and corporate world.
CONFERENCE AREAS: Artificial Intelligence in Education, Domain Applications and Case Studies, Information
Technologies Supporting Learning, Learning/Teaching Methodologies and Assessment, Social Context and Learning
Environments, Ubiquitous Learning
More info at: http://www.csedu.org/




Enabling health equality in Europe – the
role of health research



Brussels, Belgium 06/05/2019

The European Commission's Scientific Panel for Health (SPH) is a science-led expert group based on the provisions
of the Horizon 2020 Specific Programme, which is tasked with helping to achieve better health and wellbeing for all.
The Panel’s main roles are to provide foresight and overall vision and strategy, as well as, to identify bottlenecks to
innovation and propose solutions in the area of health and biomedical research.
From further stakeholders’ consultation important topics were identified that will be the focus of the next forum to be
organized with the European Commission on May 6, 2019 in Brussels: ‘Enabling health equality in Europe – the role
of health research’.
The forum explores the current situation, barriers in participation and engagement with health research, and ways
forward. The forum with the European Commission is an opportunity to participate in the debate to which you are
warmly invited.
More info here.

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EVENTS SAVE THE DATE Issue_24_2019
EVENTS SAVE THE DATE

Patras Science Festival

“The Future of Science – our Present”




Patra, Greece 08-11/05/2019
How do you imagine the future? What are the challenges of today that affect tomorrow? Can science take a
leading role in solving the most important issues? Patras Science Festival returns for the 3rd consecutive year
on “The Future of Science – our Present” to provide answers to these questions and reveal how modern
developments in science influence our lives. Effects of scientific development can be found in social, cultural,
economic and environmental dimensions. In addition, new knowledge structures are emerging in all educational
settings grades through the integrated teaching of the sciences with innovative methods and approaches and
without dividing lines between them. During the Festival, people of all ages will have the opportunity to attend talks
and presentations by prominent Greek scientists, as well as to participate in workshops, educational events and
educational games.
Patras Science Festival is organized by the educational organization “Science Communication – SciCo” and the
Hellenic Open University under the auspices of the Hellenic Open University and the General Secretariat for
Research & Technology with the support of the Regional Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education in
Western Greece in collaboration with various academic, research and educational institutes.
More info at: http://www.patras-science-festival.gr/en/


Exploring the Universe with Gravity

Waves: From the Big Bang to the Black
Holes


Athens, Greece 23-24/05/2019
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Hellenic Society of Relativity, Gravity and
Cosmology, and the Ropi Publications, under the auspices of the GSRT, are
organizing a public speech of the Professor Emeritus at the Feynman Institute of
Theoretical Physics of the California Institute of Technology and the Nobel Prize-
winner in Physics for the Gravity Waves’ Detection, Kip Thorne.
The subject is: Exploring the Universe with Gravity Waves: From the Big Bang to the
Black Holes
It will be held on Thursday, May 23, in Athens (place to be confirmed) and on Friday,
May 24, 2019, at 19:00 at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
More information here.


European Climate Change Adaptation

(ECCA) 2019


Lisbon, Portugal 28-31/05/2019

Climate change is considered by many to be the challenge of the 21st century. The urgency and severity of this
challenge call for integrated ways of looking at responses to reduce the risks associated with environmental and
social stressors, and ensure a secure future for humans and ecosystems. European Climate Change Adaptation
(ECCA) is the only conference in Europe that brings together academia, government, business and community in
a cooperative approach to improve learning and knowledge exchange in order to deliver optimal solutions. ECCA
2019 will offer an inspiring opening plenary and a business plenary to address major challenges together with top
speakers from the sector and your own choice of eight parallel sessions to delve into more specific issues.
More info at: https://www.ecca2019.eu/

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SCIENCE OPPORTUNITIES Issue_24_2019
SCIENCE OPPORTUNITIES

European Science Engagement

Conference 2019


The next European Science Engagement (EUSEA) Annoual Conference will be
held, on 9-10 May 2019, in one of the most beautiful, open-minded, diverse and
dynamic cities in Europe – Vienna!
Cultures of (Science) Communication will be the main focus
of #EUSEA19. Participants will share, discuss and develop the diversity of
knowledge, experiences, tools and methodologies that make our field vital and
relevant across boundaries of institutions, subjects and countries.
For the first time, three partners will join expertise and enthusiasm to create an
excellent program: The conference will be co-organized by EUSEA, OPEN SCIENCE and SCIENCE CENTER
NETWORK. Based on your proposals and ideas there will be developed two days filled with lively discussions, swirling
debates, inspiring talks and challenging sessions.
Find out the conference programme here!
More info at: https://www.eusea.info/annual-conference/




Short Term Internship at CERN



At CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, physicists and engineers are probing the fundamental
structure of the universe. Using the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments, they study the basic
constituents of matter - fundamental particles that are made to collide together at close to the speed of light. The
process gives physicists clues about how particles interact, and provides insights into the fundamental laws of
nature.
If you’re an undergraduate in the technical or administrative fields and you’re looking to spend a few months
training “on-the-job”, imagine doing your internship at CERN in Geneva. An impressive addition to your CV! CERN
offers a limited number of places in their practical training programme from between 1 to 6 months geared
towards your particular field of study.
You can apply for a place at any time throughout the year. Your application will be considered by a group of
CERN experts who will act as supervisors to the selected students.
More info here.



Product Assurance Awareness Training Course

by ESA


Following the success of the two first editions of the ESA Academy’s Product Assurance Awareness Training Course,
ESA’s Education Office is happy to announce a new edition, which will take place between 4 - 7 June 2019 at ESEC
-Galaxia in Transinne, Belgium. This course was developed in collaboration with ESA’s Product Assurance and Safety
Department and will equip 30 University students with knowledge in Product Assurance (PA). Experts will teach them
how this knowledge is implemented in a space project not only in ESA but also in the space business. PA engineers
are a crucial part of mission operations. They are responsible for ensuring that materials, mechanical parts,
processes, and electrical components used in spacecraft and launchers.
This upcoming PAA Training Course is designed to attract the next generation of specialists needed to fulfil these
vital positions. Run by ESA’s current PA managers and discipline experts, it will allow the students to discover, through
interactive lectures, how PA is an integral part of engineering activities, playing a role in the development, design,
test philosophy, building, and operation of systems. The trainers will also instil in students the unique ethos at the
heart of every successful PA engineer.
More info here.


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EDUCATION @ EU
EDUCATION @ EU
Issue_24_2019
EU edu News




EU Parliament adopts position to triple the budget

for future Erasmus+


The European Parliament, outlined its position regarding measures to lift all
the future of the Erasmus+ programme, as the plenary economic, social and
report shows. It calls for tripling the current budget in cultural barriers. The
order to allow more people to be engaged in the final text must be
programme and better adapting grants to their needs. negotiated and agreed
It also adds a dedicated chapter for inclusiveness. For with the Council under
the next generation of the Erasmus+ programme, one the next parliamentary
of Parliament’s main objectives is that more young term.
people take part in the different learning mobility Read more here
schemes. It therefore proposes a detailed set of

International Report on Future Skills published


How will higher education data on future learning and consolidated scenarios for
institutions have to position future higher education. With fundamental changes in
in order to prepare future the job market and challenges in our societies due to
graduates for the global and technological progress, research on future
changing society and skills becomes increasingly relevant. The results
future work place? The presented from this Delphi survey are taking a broader
Future Skill Report is based view and go beyond digital skill demands. The
on a number of prior approach elaborates on an experts’ informed vision of
research studies on future future higher education (HE), taking into account the
skills – future learning and demand for future skills, outlines the four signposts of
future higher education. It change which will shape the learning revolution in
presents validated higher education and presents a first model of future
concepts and elaborates skills for future graduates.
a model of future skills,
Read the full report here
“Science and Scientific Literacy as an Educational

Challenge” CULT Committee Study


scientific literacy in the EU and on potential education
policy responses to better prepare scientifically literate
citizens. The study that was conducted for the EP’s CULT
Committee considers scientific literacy as a broader
Considering the emerging threats relating to the spread concept than mere knowledge of scientific content;
of misinformation and disinformation and the influence more so as the ability to engage critically with and
of anti-scientific movements, fostering scientific literacy make informed decisions about science-related issues.
among the population has never been more essential. This broader
Scientific literacy can provide tools to navigate and approach to scientific
critically address the vast amounts of information literacy should be
exchanged in public debates, foster democratic coherently integrated
political processes and ensure sustainable growth. in curricula across
Building on a review of academic and policy literature, Europe.
this study aims to enable Members of the European
Parliament to form their opinions on the state of Read the complete
study here


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SCIENCE IN A NUTSHELL
SCIENCE IN A NUTSHELL Issue_24_2019

SCIENCE NEWS




After decades of theorizing about the possibility of catching a black
hole image, astronomers have finally pulled it off. The results offer new
insights into the mysterious objects. On April 10th, astronomers revealed
the first image ever taken of a black hole, bringing a dramatic
conclusion to a decades-long effort. The iconic image offers humanity
its first glimpse at the gas and debris that swirl around its event horizon,
the point beyond which material disappears forever. A favorite object of
science fiction has finally been made real on screen.
http://bit.ly/2ULVQRu (Photo Credit: Credit: S. Issaoun, M. Moscibrodzka, Radboud
University/ M. D. Johnson, CfA)

A 42,000-year-old foal discovered frozen in Siberian permafrost
contained a surprise: the oldest liquid blood on record. This is the
second time that a defrosted Ice Age animal has turned out to contain
liquid blood, said Semyon Grigoriev, the head of the Mammoth
Museum at North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk. In 2018, Grigoriev
and his colleagues extracted liquid blood from a 32,200-year-old
mammoth carcass. That makes the foal's blood the oldest ever found
by 10,000 years.
http://bit.ly/2GzRtAm (Photo Credit: Semyon Grigoriev)


Pig brains kept alive outside body for hours after death. In a challenge
to the idea that brain death is final, researchers have revived the
disembodied brains of pigs four hours after the animals were
slaughtered. Although the experiments stopped short of restoring
consciousness, they raise questions about the ethics of the approach —
and, more fundamentally, about the nature of death itself. The current
legal and medical definitions of death guide protocols for resuscitating
people and for transplanting organs. Details of the pig-brain
experiments appear in a paper published on 17 April in Nature.
https://go.nature.com/2IN2wYn

In science, the success of an experiment is often determined by a
measure called “statistical significance.” A result is considered to be
“significant” if the difference observed in the experiment between
groups would be very unlikely if no difference actually exists. More
than 800 statisticians and scientists are calling for an end to judging
studies by statistical significance in a March 20 comment published
in Nature. An accompanying March 20 special issue of the American
Statistician makes the manifesto crystal clear in its introduction:
“‘statistically significant’ — don’t say it and don’t use it.”
http://bit.ly/2vif2XU


Israeli researchers have successfully created a heart made from human
tissue using a 3D printer. The groundbreaking feat of engineering from
the team at Tel Aviv University has surpassed previous prints of human
tissue, which did not include blood vessels. The next phase of research
will see scientists attempt to make printed hearts behave like a human
heart. Once this has been done successfully, attention will turn to
providing working transplants first in animals, and then human patients.
It’s hoped the technological development could be a major step in the
battle against heart disease. The findings were published in the peer-
reviewed journal Advanced Science.
http://bit.ly/2vcU1Ou (Photo Credit: REUTERS/Amir Cohen)


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SCIENCE IN A NUTSHELL
SCIENCE IN A NUTSHELL Issue_24_2019

Helium hydride ions, thought to be the first type of molecule to form in
the universe, have finally been spotted in space. These charged
molecules, each made of a neutral helium atom and a positively
charged hydrogen atom, first emerged within about 100,000 years after
the Big Bang. Although researchers have seen helium hydride ions in the
lab, these molecules have never been definitively detected in space.
The discovery of helium hydride in a nearby planetary nebula ends a
decades-long search for these seminal molecules and helps confirm
our understanding of chemistry in the infant universe, researchers report
online April 17 in Nature.
http://bit.ly/2vhObeG (Photo Credits: Nature)


Things are not looking good for Earth's glaciers. Usually, when it comes to
climate change and melting ice, we think of the Earth's polar regions.
But they're not the only important ice formations, and they're not the only
ice that's melting due to climate change. New research published on 8
April 2019 shows that the Earth's glaciers have lost over 9,000 gigatons
of ice since 1961. That's over 9 trillion tons. And as a result, they have
caused the seas to rise by 27 mm (1.06 inches) since then.University of
Zurich, Switzerland. They relied on glacier measurements, both from the
ground and from satellites, taken over the last 50 years.
http://bit.ly/2GkZ0l6 (Photo Credits: ESA/Nature/World Glacier Monitoring Service)


Free will, from a neuroscience perspective, can look like quite quaint. In
a study published on March in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers
in Australia were able to predict basic choices participants made 11
seconds before they consciously declared their decisions. In the study,
14 participants were shown two patterns and they were given a
maximum of 20 seconds to choose between them. Once they’d made
a decision, they pressed a button. Using the fMRI to monitor brain
activity and machine learning to analyze the neuroimages, the
researchers were able to predict which pattern participants would
choose up to 11 seconds before they consciously made the decision.
http://bit.ly/2UP6gQv


Researchers from the University of Cambridge have discovered genetic
variants, or mutations, that protect people from obesity and its symptoms
— and they think the discovery could lead to new weight-loss medications.
“A powerful emerging concept is that genetic variants that protect against
disease can be used as models for the development of medicines that
are more effective and safer,” researcher Luca Lotta said in a news release.
The study does more than just illuminate a path toward new weight-loss
medications — it also shines a light on the very nature of obesity. In
a study published on April 11th in the journal Cell, the team details how
it analyzed the MC4R gene in half a million volunteers.
http://bit.ly/2vp9wDb

Fake news has already fanned the flames of distrust towards media,
politics and established institutions around the world. And while new
technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) might make things even
worse, it can also be used to combat misinformation. He is the principal
researcher on the Fandango project, which aims to do just that. The
team is building software tools to help journalists and fact-checkers
detect and fight fake news. Today, images & video can easily be
manipulated, whether through simple or more complex techniques.
Fandango’s systems can reverse-engineer those changes, and use
algorithms to help journalists spot manipulated content.
http://bit.ly/2Pn9oNl


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SCIENCE IN A NUTSHELL
SCIENCE IN A NUTSHELL Issue_24_2019

A new report published by the Centre for Neuroscience in Education at
the University of Cambridge explored the nature and resolution of so-
called ‘mathematics anxiety’ and examined the factors that influence
maths anxiety among primary and secondary school students, Students
often discussed the role that their teachers and parents played in their
development of maths anxiety. Primary-aged children referred to
instances where they had been confused by different teaching
methods, while secondary students commented on poor interpersonal
relations.
http://bit.ly/2INdAET

Engineers at Cornell University have created a DNA-based biomaterial
that is more life-like than ever seen before. Their creation is capable of
self-assembly, organization, and metabolism, which are the three key
traits of life. For an organism to sustain itself, it must be able to remove
old cells and create new ones. Biosynthesis and biodegradation are key
to self-sustainability, and it must be capable of metabolism to sustain
itself. Using what they called DNA-based Assembly and Synthesis of
Hierarchical (DASH) materials, engineers developed a unique
biomaterial that has the basic properties of living things. From
nanoscale building blocks, the material can arrange itself into polymers,
then into mesoscale shapes. (Photo Credits: John Munson |Cornell University)
http://bit.ly/2Pw7QRz

Scientists have uncovered the first strong evidence that the amount of
plastic polluting the oceans has risen vastly in recent decades — by
analysing 60 years of log books for plankton-tracking vessels. Data
recorded by instruments known as continuous plankton recorders (CPRs)
show that the trackers have become entangled in large plastic objects,
such as bags and fishing lines, roughly three times more often since
2000 than in preceding decades. This is the first time that researchers
have demonstrated the rise in ocean plastics using a single, long-term
data set. The analysis was published on 16 April in Nature
Communications.
https://go.nature.com/2XrOaAO


Self-driving cars are set to bring one of the biggest changes to our
global transportation system in decades, but their potential to increase
road safety should not be over-emphasised if we want to increase
people’s trust in automated vehicles, says Dr Jean-François Bonnefon
from the Toulouse School of Economics, France, and Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, US. He is a behavioural scientist who studies the
ethics of self-driving cars and is speaking at the European Conference
on Connected and Automated Driving(EUCAD) in Brussels, Belgium,
which runs from 2-3 April 2019. A fruitful interview in Horizon Magazine.
http://bit.ly/2PqypYi


A team of engineers has built and tested a radically new kind of
airplane wing, assembled from hundreds of tiny identical pieces. The
wing can change shape to control the plane's flight, and could provide
a significant boost in aircraft production, flight, and maintenance
efficiency, the researchers say. The new approach to wing construction
could afford greater flexibility in the design and manufacturing of future
aircraft. The new wing design was tested in a NASA wind tunnel and is
described in a paper in the journal Smart Materials and Structures, co-
authored by researchers form NASA and MIT. (Photo Credits: Eli Gershenfeld,
NASA Ames Research Center)
http://bit.ly/2GBhoaU


14

Mr. Menelaos Sotiriou is a science writer
and communicator. He was the editor of
the official Research and Technology
online magazine in Greece, E&T (www.et-
online.gr) that was published from the
General Secretariat of Research and
Technology. He started his professional
career by developing various Management Systems,
mostly in the field of Education as well as Health Care
and Telecommunications, in over 40 public and private
Organisations. He is a certified auditor and has realised
over 50 audits, mostly in the field of Quality
Management Systems and Assurance. The last twelve
(12) years he is running (project management) and
organising European and national projects for several
institutions (including research institutions) mainly in the
areas of new and innovative technologies (ICT). He has
been involved in more than 30 EU projects in the areas
of SiS, SSH, ICT, Research for the Benefit of SMEs. He has
vast experience in networking activities as the project
Coordinator of EUROSiS Project that is the Network of the
Science in Society NCPs. (Greek NCP for SiS
Programme). During this project he has organized a lot
of brokerage events as well as info days / trainings
concerning the participation of institutions in the specific
programme. He is holding the position of President of
Science View (www.scienceview.gr) a nonprofit, non
governmental organization that has expertise in Science
Communication and Science Journalism. He is
specialised in science communication, organisation of
events (science cafes, conferences, science festivals,
exhibitions, science weeks), publications, science
writing, outreach activities for young students (mainly in
the fields of mathematics, physics, astronomy and
health), and creativity in science education
(Introduction of creative ways to provide science
education like science theatre, music and science).
Finally, he is included in the Evaluators’ Data Base of the
European Commission for the HORIZON2020 and of the
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and also he had
participated in several EC meetings as an expert in
Science Communication and Journalism issues.