Rudolphina Experts

25. April 2024

Rudolphina Experts: AI Policies

Regulating AI: Are we on the right track?

The regulation of artificial intelligence comes with both challenges and opportunities at the interface between technological progress and social values. A perspective by legal scholar Iris Eisenberger.

18. January 2024

Guest article by

Robert Woodward

Rudolphina Experts: Drinking water supply

Clean and reliable water: Looking to the sky for answers

Airborne treasure: The atmosphere is an often overlooked reservoir of fresh water. Materials chemist Robert Woodward and his team developed a novel approach to tap into this precious resource in even the driest locations on Earth.

11. January 2024

Guest article by

Sofia Kantorovich

Rudolphina Experts: New materials in medicine

Nanomagnets to fight cancer

Most drugs work best when directly brought to the place in the body where they are needed. Physicist Sofia Kantorovich explains how nanoscale magnets could lead to better therapies for conditions such as cancer.

29. November 2023

Guest article by

Anne Sophie Meincke

Rudolphina Experts: The problem of free will

Free by Nature: The Biological Roots of Free Will

Whether our will is free is a question over which generations of philosophers have racked their brains. In this article, philosopher Anne Sophie Meincke explains the puzzling dilemma of free will and argues how biology can contribute to a solution.

7. November 2023

Guest article by

Jia Min Chin

Rudolphina Experts: Materials inspired by nature

Where nature shows science new ways

When looking for inspiration for the development of new materials, it is worth taking a look at nature. In her guest article, materials chemist Jia Min Chin reveals the tricks that flora and fauna have in store for the materials of the future.

24. October 2023

Guest article by

Linda Erker

Rudolphina Experts: History of the University

The University of Vienna in the period of Austrofascism

Historian Linda Erker is a researcher at the Department of Contemporary History of the University of Vienna. Her academic work focuses on the period of Austrofascism. In this guest article, she elaborates on the latest insights into the role of the University of Vienna in this significant stage of Austrian history.

4. October 2023

Guest article by

Christiane Wendehorst

Rudolphina Experts: Digitalisation

Protect Democracy, Regulate the Internet! But How?

Digital technologies have become integral to everyday life. But what threats does digitalisation pose to democracy? Digital law expert Christiane Wendehorst explains.

25. September 2023

Guest article by

Thilo Hofmann

Rudolphina Experts: Sustainable Agriculture

Can we feed the world population of 2050 without plastic in agriculture?

In this article, environmental geoscientist Thilo Hofmann from the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science explores the role of plastic in modern agriculture and its potential ramifications on our planet.

14. September 2023

Guest article by

Bernd Lenzner

Rudolphina Experts: Insights from the World Biodiversity Report

Battling biological invasion

Invasive alien species are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. In this article, ecologist Bernd Lenzner explains the whys and hows, and shares his insights into the making of a milestone global report on invasive alien species.

23. May 2023

Guest article by

Blaž Gasparini

Solar Geoengineering

A planetary sunscreen can probably cool the climate, but not solve the climate crisis

In this guest post, climate physicist Blaž Gasparini explains recent attempts to counteract global warming by giving the planet "sun protection" – via injecting the gas sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere – and why the scientific community broadly criticizes the approach.

23. May 2023

Society and History

Who deserves what? Making sense of inequalities during times of crisis

Do we deserve our gains and losses in the aftermath of social crises? In this guest post, University of Vienna social scientist Till Hilmar, author of "Deserved," draws important lessons from the lived experiences of post-1989 transformations.

7. October 2022

Guest article by

Tom Higham

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2022

Svante Pääbo: The power of ancient genomics and archaeology

University of Vienna archaeologist Tom Higham congratulates his colleague with whom he has been working together on many projects over the years. He explains Svante Pääbo's key achievements and what the Nobel Prize means for the people working in the field.

9. March 2022

Guest article by

Lisa Schipper

IPCC Climate Report

Adaptation on climate change and its limits

The new chapter of the IPCC climate report is clear: Climate change affects the planet, biodiversity, our lives in a severe way. Lisa Schipper in her guest article about adaption on climate change.