Videos

Since we chose coal en masse at the end of the 18th century, we have never moved away from fossil energy. Why did we ever take that step? To find out, Wout Saelens (UAntwerpen - VUB) dives into the past. Via inventories, he studies the contents - think hearths, stoves, and cookers - of 18th-century houses.

One in 100 people suffer from a chronic heart condition. For example, their heart beats too fast even at rest, leaving these patients completely exhausted. Fortunately, surgery can help, but the procedure is risky and can lead to damage to the heart. To eliminate this risk, Rani Kronenberger (VUB) and her colleagues turn to 3D printing ...

Every 3 minutes, a woman dies of ovarian cancer somewhere in the world. "Ovarian cancer is very sneaky. Most of the patients respond positively to the therapies initially provided to them, but eventually, the cancer comes back and is much more aggressive. As a result one in two ovarian cancer patients die within 5 years after diagnosis." But what if we were able to treat ovarian cancer with a new therapy using our cells?

Once in a while, a meteorite hits Earth, which then becomes world news. But did you know that there is a constant rain of micrometeorites falling on Earth? These are meteorites smaller than 2 mm, some of which, if you look closely, you can find on your flat roof. What makes micrometeorites so interesting that VUB researcher Flore Van Maldeghem even travels to remote Antarctica to find them? She tells us in this video.

Your next job or loan application might well be assessed by AI. But what if this AI is biased, and wrongly reasons that women are not fit for the job or singles should not get a loan? Carmen Mazijn (VUB) created a technique to detect discriminatory AI models.

Imagine a world where planes aren't just checked, but they can actually tell us how they're doing! VUB researcher Zoé Jardon wants to turn this dream into reality by developing smart metal parts. Such smart components can tell by themselves if they are in good condition or not, and inform us about a problem and where it is occurring.

What if there might be a way to tackle the side effects of cancer treatments, such as fatigue, chronic pain and anxiety, even before the treatment begins? Kenza Mostaqim (VUB) introduces you to 'prehabilitation'.

Did you know that every two minutes, enough ice melts on Earth to fill around 400 Olympic swimming pools with its meltwater? "The urgency is real – glaciers worldwide are disappearing at an alarming rate. In various corners of the globe, millions rely on these majestic glaciers for their drinking water and agricultural needs." Dive into the eye-opening short trip with glaciologist Lander Van Tricht as he takes you on a glacier expedition in Kyrgyzstan.

Why do people get cancer, arthritis, or Alzheimer's? Essentially because a protein key in our body does not fit in its respective lock. This is why Alvaro Martin is looking at removing defective keys and designing new protein keys. Keys that fit and can open the necessary locks, so that for example, our immune cells target and kill cancerous cells. "Protein design can be the key to unlocking a future without diseases."

Sujith Reddy is working on perovskites, a promising new solar cell technology that captures more sunlight and costs less than conventional solar cells. Sounds great, right! But there's a catch: these perovskite solar cells ironically tend to break down when exposed to ... light. Sujith wants to uncover the mechanisms behind this degradation in order to improve perovskites and to use them on a larger scale.

What if we could predict whether a person with dementia is about to become agitated? That would help caregivers intervene in time and direct their attention to this person, so as to prevent agitation onset. That's what Hannah Davidoff (KU Leuven - Imec) hopes to achieve. Using wearables and other sensors, she builds algorithms to detect agitation.

Do you own an electric car? Then you know how difficult it can be to find available charging spots. But what if we cover electric cars with solar panels so that they can charge themselves with the power of the sun? Well, that's not easy because conventional solar panels used on roofs can't be integrated into our cars. Electrical engineer Bin Luo is looking at new solar panels suitable for our cars.