ESMH Media Review – April 4, 2022
DSA, AI and disinformation: check out the ESMH selection of 40 science & tech news published in the last weeks on the web.
on May 4, 2022
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In the spotlight
Elon, Twitter is not the town square – it’s just a private shop. The square belongs to us all
guardian, 01.05.2022
Musk’s acquisition of the media platform will be a boon for free speech, he says. Governments are the ones to judge that.
Everything you need to know about the EU’s plan to clean up Big Tech
politico-eu, 29.04.2022
In a first-of-its-kind move, the European Parliament and EU countries made a sweeping change to the Digital Services Act — the bloc's new online content rulebook — entrusting the bloc's executive body in Brussels with the supervision of the largest digital firms.
An anything-goes Twitter? Elon Musk’s fantasy can never come true
irishtimes, 28.04.2022
Net Results: Law must step up and protect against data power grabs by billionaires.
https://twitter.com/Europarl_EN/status/1518569917154578434
Digital transition
Is artificial intelligence a friend or foe? Or is that a question for Siri?
theage, 29.04.2022
AI already goes beyond just Siri or Alexa. Every time you get directions from Google Maps, it’s AI that’s working out the shortest path from A to B. When you get a film recommendation on Netflix, it’s AI that knows about people’s preferences and a little too much about you.
An algorithm that screens for child neglect raises concerns
TorontoStar, 29.04.2022
Around the country, as child welfare agencies use or consider algorithmic tools like in Allegheny County, an Associated Press review has identified a number of concerns about the technology, including questions about its reliability and its potential to harden racial disparities in the child welfare system.
https://twitter.com/UniofOxford/status/1519338329145167872
Environmental sustainability
'Relentless' destruction of rainforest continuing despite Cop26 pledge
guardian, 28.04.2022
Pristine rainforests were once again destroyed at a relentless rate in 2021, according to new figures.
We created the 'Pandemicene'
theatlantic, 28.04.2022
By completely rewiring the network of animal viruses, climate change is creating a new age of infectious dangers.
How to make plastic disappear
forbes, 22.04.2022
Most of human history has been plastic free, but it’s now become hard to imagine a world without it. Luckily, several entrepreneurs are working on it, and this Earth Day issue of Current Climate highlights innovations that aim to make plastic disappear. A few key words dominating those conversations: scale, pricing and integration into existing value chains.
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1519852967658397697
https://twitter.com/euronewsgreen/status/1519013554971627521
Mobility & Energy
Germany top buyer of Russian energy since Ukraine invasion began: report
deutschewelle-ro, 28.04.2022
Russian fossil fuel exports are undermining sanctions imposed on the Kremlin over its invasion of Ukraine, a study says. Germany and the EU remain the biggest buyers of Russian energy.
BSC study lays out methodology to mitigate Europe’s energy crisis through climate predictions
sciencebusiness, 26.04.2022
Researchers propose a method capable of predicting variations in renewable energy generation months in advance through climate predictions.
https://twitter.com/EU_Commission/status/1519976868681859072
https://twitter.com/EU_MARE/status/1520022219291770882
Agriculture & Food
Nano state: tiny and now everywhere, how big a problem are nanoparticles?
guardian, 25.04.2022
In 2019, Ikea announced it had developed curtains that it claimed could “ break down common indoor air pollutants ”. The secret, it said, was the fabric’s special coating. “What if we could use textiles to clean the air?” asked Ikea’s product developer, Mauricio Affonso, in a for the “Gunrid” curtains.
How a Minnesota ag firm is helping Ukrainian farmers plant in war-scarred fields
startribune, 23.04.2022
EarthDaily Agro, a Maple Grove-based precision agriculture company, is providing Ukrainian farmers vital mapping data in order to sow fields and stave off food insecurity.
https://twitter.com/EU_Commission/status/1519994140972535809
https://twitter.com/TimmermansEU/status/1519982991245815814
Health
How stress can damage your brain and body
WashingtonPost, 26.04.2022
We all know what stress feels like physically — though the symptoms vary by person. Some people experience shakiness or a racing heart, while others develop muscle tension, headaches or stomach aches.
What causes asthma?
idw-online, 20.04.2022
Universitätsklinikum Erlangen is investigating the air in classrooms as part of a new EU project. The researchers hope to identify pollutants that may lead to asthma in children.
https://twitter.com/WHO_Europe/status/1519988364556087296
https://twitter.com/UniofOxford/status/1519952637617127424
https://twitter.com/TheEconomist/status/1519933266341605377
https://twitter.com/wef/status/1519843911396642820
Science policy & Communication
‘Troll factory’ spreading Russian pro-war lies online, says UK
guardian, 01.05.2022
Russian internet trolls based in an old arms factory in St Petersburg are targeting word leaders online and spreading support for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the British government has said, citing research.
Are the social media platforms doing enough - or anything - to deal with misinformation?
thejournal, 30.04.2022
Last week US president Barack Obama gave a speech at Stanford University, California, where he outlined what he believed were the biggest threats to democracy. about the need to address income inequality, the negative effects brought about by globalisation, and the rising power of autocratic regimes across the world.
EU Innovative Health Initiative gets innovative: publishing all its draft research plans early
sciencebusiness, 28.04.2022
The EU’s biggest health research partnership set plans for new research projects in cancer, health data, medical devices, cardiovascular and neurogenerative diseases – and offered something of an administrative innovation by publishing its draft plans early so that would-be applicants can have plenty of time to start preparing.
Health en Debunking myths about COVID-19 diagnostic tests
euagenda, 07.04.2022
The EU project CORONADX has published a leaflet with a collection of common misconceptions on COVID-19 diagnostic tests to help citizens navigate between truth and falsehoods.
https://twitter.com/risj_oxford/status/1519965327676870656
https://twitter.com/EDMO_EUI/status/1519953462229934081
https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1519910654655840257
EU initiatives
EC invites member states to prepare for next phase of Covid-19 pandemic
bnn-news-en, 28.04.2022
This week the European Commission (EC) initiated multiple measures intended to control the ongoing phase of the Covid-19 pandemic and prepare for the next one. EC invites member states to execute measures to increase vigilance and coordination in the healthcare sector.
Green Deal Going Local
Cor-EN, 19.04.2022
Green Deal Going Local is a flagship initiative of the European Committee of the Regions that aims at placing cities and regions at the heart of the EU's transition towards climate neutrality.
https://twitter.com/EUintheUAE/status/1519976582982602752
Curious news
Swiping right on climate love: Dating apps and environmental advocacy
deutschewelle-en, 28.04.2022
Dating platforms have noticed their users are hot for climate issues and are incorporating features to help them connect with each other. But how useful are additions like OkCupid's climate advocate badge?
We have even more evidence life's building blocks came to earth from space
sciencealert, 27.04.2022
We still don't know just how the first life emerged on Earth. One suggestion is that the building blocks arrived here from space; now, a new study of several carbon-rich meteorites has added weight to this idea.
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1519943742379393024