ESMH regularly publishes articles on topics related to science and new technologies that provoke a lot of media attention and that are important in the European context. Most importantly, the articles are written with the help of science writers in journalistic style and always provide the opinion of one or more scientists on the topic. The publications are accompanied by a selection of links to related information and with a focus on European research and knowledge in the field.
Articles
Dexamethasone : the first life-saving drug for COVID-19 patients
Clinical trials make it possible to evaluate whether a treatment improves outcomes. Developing a hypothesis, for example if treatment A is better than standard treatment B, clinical trials enable understanding of the role of an intervention in improving patient care. In the current search for a successful treatment against COVID-19, ongoing multiple clinical trials have started to make a difference, such as the Recovery clinical trial on dexamethasone, which has given a definitive verdict on the use of corticosteroids during COVID-19.
COVID-19 : tracking clusters to keep ahead of fresh surges
With many countries around the world beginning to see or anticipating a resurgence of COVID-19, attention has been turning to how to avoid an economically punishing second round of lockdowns while keeping transmission down. One method is by examining the types of hotspots where clusters of cases emerge.
Michael Hameleers : “The most effective way to combat mis- or disinformation seems to be a combination of media literacy programmes and fact-checking”
Michael Hameleers (PhD, University of Amsterdam) is Assistant Professor in Political Communication at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR), Amsterdam, Netherlands. His research interests include populism, framing, (affective) polarization, and disinformation. Recently, most of his research is focused on the effects of misinformation and the effectiveness of corrective information. Michael Hameleers recently released a ...
Citizen science meets science communication
An ambitious new project aims to develop new ways of communicating about science through the growing army of people volunteering their time to take part in research.
Zarine Kharazian from Digital Forensic Research Lab about the research on Covid-19 disinformation
Zarine Kharazian is Assistant Editor with the Digital Forensic Research Lab, a start-up within the Atlantic Council that focuses on researching and combating disinformation and protecting democratic institutions and norms from those who would seek to undermine them in the digital engagement space. At the DFRLab, she has covered disinformation trends in the United States ...
Nahema Marchal: “People who seek junk content, because they find it entertaining or are simply curious, will always find it”
Nahema Marchal is a doctoral candidate at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, and a researcher for the Computational Propaganda Project. Her research examines the relationship between social media and polarization and the manipulation of digital platforms in the context of mis- and disinformation campaigns. She is also an experienced media spokesperson and regularly ...
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.
Digital education in times of lockdown – A massive real-life experiment
Worldwide lockdowns forced education to move online all of a sudden. Despite the great potential of digital education, the everyday practice proved to be unruly. While existing inequalities continued to grow, on the positive side students, teachers and parents became more confident in using digital tools.
Smart urban planning starts with interdisciplinary thinking and action
While the concept of smart cities has been around for three decades, a growing criticism has shaken the grounds of 21st century urban planning worldwide. Experts and researchers of various fields have recognized that the future of smart city planning is multidisciplinary, and the search for common grounds between technological innovation, social justice and environmental protection, made all the more vital by the Covid-19 crisis.
Renée DiResta: “The effectiveness of countering Covid-19 disinformation depends on the degree of trust your government enjoys”
Renée DiResta is the Technical Research Manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory. She investigates the spread of malign narratives across social and other media networks. Renee’s areas of research include disinformation and propaganda by state-sponsored actors, and health misinformation and conspiracy theories. Renee has advised Congress, the State Department, and other academic, civic, and business ...