Information Society

Close up of math formulas on a blackboard

Prof. Maryna Viazovska: ‘Science is a dream of the future and a refuge for the soul’

In July 2022, mathematician Prof. Maryna Viazovska received a Fields Medal, a prestigious honour often described as the 'Nobel Prize of Mathematics'. The 37-year-old professor, who works at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, is the second woman to receive this prestigious award in the 86-year history of the prize. We spoke to ...

We see an increase in polarisation of complete trust or no trust at all in scientists

Interview with Dr. Paul Stoneman: ‘We see an increase in polarisation of complete trust or no trust at all in scientists’

Paul Stoneman is a political scientist who specialises in quantitative methods and social and political attitudes. He is currently one of the principal investigators of the World Values Survey, an international research program devoted to the study of social, political, economic, religious and cultural values of people in the world. He also works as the ...

New coronavirus 2019-ncov. 3D illustration

Mike S. Schäfer: ‘Science is a matter of facts, not opinions’

Mike Schäfer from the University of Zurich talks about why the pandemic has amplified science journalists’ fatigue, how accelerated science affects the quality of reporting, and how politics can ease the burden. How has the pandemic affected science journalism? Mike Schäfer: The pandemic has changed science journalism’s standing in society. We are now living at ...

Walter Quattrociocchi interview, The concept of news. Folded stack of Newspapers on laptop

Walter Quattrociocchi on the Infodemic and how disinformation spreads on different social media

Associate Professor Walter Quattrociocchi of the Sapienza University of Rome recently published a study called ‘The COVID-19 social media infodemic’. By analysing massive amounts of data on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit and Gab, Quattrociocchi and his team assessed the global evolution of discourse for each platform and its users. For him understanding the social dynamics ...

acrylic researcher who thinks of scientific experiments

What drives public trust in science-based policies? Ask PEriTiA

A multinational EU research project will review the role of science in policy decision-making using climate change as a proxy with the aim of establishing public trust. We live in complex times. Times when the opinion of uninformed sources in social media seems to have a stronger influence than expert voices. And if this is ...

ESMH selection: sources of information about Corona Virus

ESMH selection: sources of information about Coronavirus

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the need for reliable sources of information on the virus and ensuing crisis is more important than ever. To this end, the European Science-Media Hub has compiled a list of such sources, ranging from recognised official international webpages providing daily updates, to data and maps, as well as a selection ...

e-Governance: the Estonian Case

e-Governance: the Estonian Case

Estonia is one of two countries worldwide to offer an e-Residency, a government-issued status and identity granting access to the EU’s digital business environment. Even Barack Obama is an Estonian e-Resident. Which challenges do e-Residency and e-Governance in general pose for the public sector, and how does scientific research evaluate the digital transformation?

The Growing Threat of internet addiction

The growing threat of internet addiction

Excessive and problematic internet use is increasingly recognised as a potential threat to public health.