FRONTIERS

CESJ’s Fabio Turone spoke about the FRONTIERS #science #journalism #residencies — funded by the European Research Council (ERC) — with Sara Urbani of the #enjoi project on #science #communication. «Since the first draft, we have made efforts to make sure that the project would serve and support science journalists and protect their independence as a way to serve society at large. So from the very beginning, we tried to anticipate and, as much as possible, mitigate the risk of clashes by ensuring that the journalist was also accepted in their role as a "watchdog" and not just as a "cheerleader" (as a 2009 Nature editorial put it). Science journalists are often a bit of a cheerleader because they are passionate and find stories that are beautiful, interesting, and important for their investigation and for the tangible results they can bring to society. However, quite often, they are perceived only in this role, while they also have the social function of watchdogs.» https://lnkd.in/gzgrCYhD

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of hosting Will Grimond, our new FRONTIERS Science Journalist in Residence, for his introductory talk at the Complexity Science Hub! Will shared highlights from his work as a data journalist and gave us a glimpse into what he'll be exploring during his five-month residency at CSH: the concept of fairness in #ArtificialIntelligence. He’ll be collaborating with Fariba Karimi’s group to investigate how algorithmic #bias emerges and persists in complex networks. Our researchers were also keen to learn more about how data journalists work—and how scientists and journalists can collaborate to make complex research more accessible and impactful. We’re excited to have Will on board, and we look forward to connecting, sharing expertise, and learning from one another! #FRONTIERS #FrontiersERC #ScienceJournalism #DataJournalism #JournalistInResidence #AI

🐜 Out in the latest NZZ am Sonntag: my article on how ants could contribute to a more sustainable agriculture by replacing chemical pesticides. It’s one of the stories I developed during my FRONTIERS Fellowship at Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (AIAS) - Aarhus University in Denmark — and the findings are as fascinating as the ants themselves. Here’s a glimpse: 👉 Between 20–40% of global crop yields are lost to pests and diseases every year — a staggering figure with serious implications for food security. As ecological and health concerns about synthetic pesticides grow, scientists are turning to nature’s own pest controllers: ants. 📊 A 2022 global meta-study analysing 52 studies on 17 crops confirmed that where ants thrive, crops do better. 🌳 Danish ecologist Joachim Offenberg and his team have been studying how ants can naturally protect crops, not only by hunting pests, but also by suppressing fungal diseases. Field trials in Danish apple orchards showed impressive results: fewer aphids, less fungal damage, and higher yields — all thanks to well-managed ant colonies and a simple trick involving sugar. 💡 His former PhD student, Ida Cecilie Jensen, is now scaling up the research through her start-up company AgroAnt (https://www.agroant.dk), bringing ant-based pest control to European farms. 🌺 The potential? A low-impact alternative to chemical pesticides for organic and agroecological farming. 👉 Read the full story (in German): “ Bio-Bodyguards – wie Ameisen unsere Ernten sichern könnten” (https://lnkd.in/eSRJRnch) #Agroecology #Biocontrol #Sustainability #OrganicFarming #NatureBasedSolutions #Innovation #JoachimOffenberg #AgroAnt #FRONTIERSFellowship

Vedere la luce sotto una nuova luce Poeticamente, come trama di #emozioni e scoperte, fuori e dentro di sé. Accendendo la luce, chiudendo gli occhi e diventando noi luce. Cinematograficamente. Passando dalle poche alle troppe immagini che fanno luce su ciò che accade nel mondo, concludendo che sì, ne siamo inondati, ma possiamo scegliere quali guardare, e imparare a saper scegliere. Il corto di #inarritu sull’11/9 insegna. Artisticamente. Ammirando la luce sprigionata dalla materia, #pietre e metalli preziosi incastonati nel tesoro della regina che a sua volta ha fatto e ancora può far luce nella società. La meravigliosa #Teodolinda, leader dei Longobardi. Astronomicamente. Seguendo nello spazio la luce come messaggera di corpi lontani, ricordandoci la #relatività del #tempo e chiedendoci la #pazienza di aspettare anni per capire cosa ci vogliono dire e dare le stelle e le galassie. Biologicamente. Riscoprendo l’#attesa e l’ascolto, le piante e il loro danzare al suono dei raggi di luce, a partire da quelli blu del mattino. Emily Palm del NBFC - National Biodiversity Future Center li ha mimati con noi trasformandoci tutti in alberi desiderosi di raggi rossi in una fitta #foresta. (Si, io sono foresta) E poi fotograficamente, sperimentando come nello scatto non si cerchi la luce, ma l’ombra che mette in luce ciò che desideriamo. Giocando con i #filtri per cambiare prospettiva e si torna al concetto di #scelta. Cosa fotografare e come? Fare e togliere luce è scegliere. Scegliere richiede un’illuminazione interna preziosa che trasversalmente accomuna tutti, arte e scienza. La passione. Quella che mi guida nel percorso con FRONTIERS nel mondo della #Biodiversità come giornalista-ponte tra ricerca scientifica e chi pensa non lo riguardi In questo tour monzese di #storiadellaluce di e con Giulia Fabriani ne ho incontrata molta e spero non tramonti mai. Nei relatori, ma soprattutto nei partecipanti, che hanno regalato alla luce la loro #curiosità, amplificandone gli effetti, moltiplicandone i raggi. Un grazie potente alle bibliotecarie, 5 #donne speciali che con i loro umani sorrisi hanno saputo ammorbire le durezze cieche e insensate di burocrati aridi e di rappresentanti istituzionali che scalpitano per essere messi in luce. La loro è stata ed è una presenza anch’essa decisamente illuminante e che troppo spesso resta nel buio.

🎉 My article on the decaying ecosystem of the Danish fjords has been translated and republished in the Green European Journal (👉 read it here: https://lnkd.in/eQ5Afv_T).   👉 During my FRONTIERS fellowship in Denmark and through many discussions with my colleagues at Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (AIAS) - Aarhus University, I learned that although the country is generally seen as a climate champion when it comes to energy and mobility, this is not the case for its agriculture. Intensive pig farming is a major contributor to Denmark's carbon footprint and has left the country's fjords in an alarming state. 👉 Decades of pollution have depleted the waters of oxygen and marine life is in steep decline. This worrying situation is largely due to the government's slow response to unsustainable farming practices. Some experts say the ecosystem is now collapsing under the weight of excessive nitrogen run-off and climate change.   👉 Meanwhile, industry lobbies have been influencing policy decisions. A striking example came in 2016, when then Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen struck a deal with the agricultural lobby to relax fertiliser restrictions. The result: falsified pollution figures that falsely signalled compliance with EU standards.   🙂 But there is hope. Local activists and fishermen are rallying to demand action. "For the first time, we have a strong civil society in Denmark campaigning to protect the fjords," says Kaare Manniche Ebert, a leading voice in the movement.   🙏 Special thanks to Kaare Manniche Ebert from the Danish Sport Fishing Association for sharing his experience as a fisherman and biologist, to ecologist Stiig Markager for his expertise and commitment to protecting fjord ecosystems, and to Lotte Skade for her openness in discussing the challenges of running a pig farm in a cost-driven, neo-liberal environment. #EnvironmentalJournalism #ClimateChange #FjordConservation #Denmark #Sustainability #Farming #FRONTIERSFellowship Picture: Michael Drost-Hansen

🚀 The next FRONTIERS Info Day will take place on 31 March 2025, at 14:00 CEST. This online session will provide information about the third call for applications for the FRONTIERS Science Journalism Residency Programme. 🎙️The session will begin with an introduction to the FRONTIERS project and residency programme, followed by an overview of key FAQs. Participants will then have the opportunity to ask their questions to the FRONTIERS team. ✍️ While Call 3 is exclusively aimed at early-career science journalists, this Info Day session is open to anyone interested in learning more about the programme. 📌 Register here: https://lnkd.in/deDEruYA #ScienceJournalism #frontierresearch #FRONTIERSFellowships #FRONTIERSresidencies #InfoDay #earlycareer 🌐 European Research Council (ERC), CESJ Center for Ethics in Science and Journalism, Enspire Science Ltd., ITQB NOVA, ICNOVA NOVA - FCSH, Studies Centre on Science, Communication and Society (SCS_UPF)