14 de Outubro de 2019.
Há já uma rede de investigadores que troca informação sobre a terapia fágica e fornece fagos em caso de necessidade. Imagine que alguém tem uma infecção de uma bactéria resistente a um antibiótico e a única solução é ser tratado através da terapia fágica, uma abordagem terapêutica que usa vírus (bacteriófagos) para matar bactérias específicas. Adelaide Almeida, do Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar da Universidade de Aveiro, alerta que seria útil a criação de um banco de dados com informação sobre todos os bacteriófagos (ou fagos) que cada laboratório do mundo produz. Assim, esse laboratório poderia disponibilizar o fago para tratar a infecções ou para ensaios clínicos, aumentando assim a rapidez desses testes. Neste momento, já existe […]
13 de Outubro de 2019.
The project “Europe” is stumbling. Now more than ever. Opinions tend to differ sharply when it comes to questions concerning refugees, the rise of far right parties and racism against minorities. The European Union seems to fall apart as countries discuss the leaving of this once-so-promising project. So the question arises, what can we – as individuals – do to save this venture? How can we make sure that our grandchildren will have the same privileges that we have now? I think the most basic and most important precondition is to be OPEN. To be open towards new cultures, new people, new habits. To be open towards new norms, new ideas, new point of views. Only when we mutually approach […]
12 de Outubro de 2019.
O primeiro-ministro etíope ganhou o 100.º Nobel da Paz pelos seus esforços para “alcançar a paz e a cooperação internacional” com os acordos de paz com a Eritreia. O vencedor do Prémio Nobel da Paz de 2019 é Abiy Ahmed Ali, primeiro-ministro etíope, anunciaram nesta sexta-feira em Oslo as Academias sueca e norueguesa. O prémio foi atribuído pelos seus esforços para “alcançar a paz e a cooperação internacional” com os acordos de paz com a Eritreia. “A paz não chega das acções de apenas uma parte. Quando o primeiro-ministro estendeu a sua mão, Isaias Afewerki [Presidente da Eritreia] agarrou-a e ajudou a formalizar o processo de paz entre os dois países”, justificou Berit Reiss-Andersen, líder do comité que atribui este […]
11 de Outubro de 2019.
How can we ensure that the European Union operates in the best way to support all future generations? For someone from the United Kingdom, the European Union is incredibly important for us now more than ever. Therefore, I believe that the most important thing I can do for the EU and my country is to show my support for remaining in the EU. The EU brings many benefits to a country, in my opinion, I care mostly about the ease of travel. Without the EU I would not be able to travel as easily or possibly take part in Erasmus at all. It is so important for young people to be able to travel, study and work in new places. […]
9 de Outubro de 2019.
Anúncio foi feito esta quarta-feira de manhã na Real Academia Sueca das Ciências, em Estocolmo. John Goodenough foi informado do prémio pela investigadora portuguesa Helena Braga. O Prémio Nobel da Química de 2019 foi atribuído a John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham e Akira Yoshino “pelo desenvolvimento de baterias de lítio”, anunciou esta quarta-feira o Comité do Nobel na Real Academia Sueca das Ciências, em Estocolmo. O prémio tem um valor de nove milhões de coroas suecas (cerca de 871 mil euros). Os laureados deste ano contribuíram para a possibilidade de “um mundo recarregável”. John B. Goodenough, com 96 anos, é o cientista mais velho a receber o Nobel até agora e recebeu a notícia do prémio através de Helena […]
9 de Outubro de 2019.
In the time when Europe faces many challenges it is important to ask ourselves: what can I do to support EU and projects which it fulfils. The most important thing which we must realize is that our action can make a difference! How do I understand that, and what can be our contribution in the development of European Projects, you can find out reading this article. Firstly, taking the opportunity to vote in European Elections, as this is the only one occasion for the nearest 5 years for citizens of Europe to have an influence on shape of European Parliament as it is the only institution among the EU which is chosen through elections in EU countries. This institution approves […]
8 de Outubro de 2019.
O prémio foi para as descobertas sobre o velhinho cosmos e os novos exoplanetas fora do nosso sistema solar. Vencedores anunciados esta terça-feira de manhã, em Estocolmo, na Suécia. O Prémio Nobel da Física de 2019 vai para James Peebles “por descobertas teóricas em cosmologia física” e a outra metade em conjunto com Michel Mayor e Didier Queloz “pela descoberta de um exoplaneta orbitando uma estrela do tipo solar”, anunciou esta terça-feira de manhã a Real Academia Sueca das Ciências em Estocolmo. O prémio, no valor monetário de nove milhões de coroas suecas, ou 866 mil euros, será dividido em duas partes. No anúncio, o comité resumiu que quis distinguir as investigações que contribuíram para a compreensão da evolução do […]
7 de Outubro de 2019.
A lot is happening in the world right now that can make or break our future and the future of generations yet to come: climate change, wars, natural disasters, overpopulation, starvation. None of these issues can be made undone but we can strive to solve them before they get worse and worse. The European Union plays a big part in this and in shaping the future for not only Europe and its citizens but also the rest of the world. The European Parliament makes a lot of important decisions about issues like the ones listed earlier. To some it may seem like they have no influence on these issues as an individual but that is not true at all. One […]
6 de Outubro de 2019.
A investigadora Salomé Pinho, do Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) da Universidade do Porto, vai analisar os dados de 600 militares e procurar biomarcadores para a doença de Crohn e para a colite ulcerosa. Aproveitando o rigoroso acompanhamento que é feito aos militares norte-americanos, a equipa de investigadores liderada pela portuguesa Salomé Pinho vai estudar o desenvolvimento da doença inflamatória intestinal (DII). A cientista do Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S) da Universidade do Porto conseguiu um apoio de um milhão de euros do Departamento de Defesa dos EUA e vai procurar nos dados recolhidos nos seis anos anteriores ao diagnóstico da doença os primeiros sinais do problema em indivíduos (todos militares da Marinha) que […]
5 de Outubro de 2019.
The question we are going to ask ourselves today is: how can we contribute to create a bright European future for our grandchildren? In order to answer that question we have to look at the current state of affairs. Every generation has historically dealt with its own challenges. In a couple thousand years we’ve moved from hunting-and gathering tribes to a high functioning society with all kinds of ingenious systems (i.e. agriculture) which supports our lifestyle. Especially in the last couple of centuries our species made enormous leaps in all kinds of fields, in a staggering and accelerating pace. Thanks to technology we’re more globally connected than ever. We’ve gained so many insights and knowledge. But, all that will just […]
17 de Abril de 2018.
The life and work of Geoffrey Chaucer, and understanding the contradictory nature of his writing. Before there was Shakespeare, Geoffrey Chaucer was considered the father of English literature. Born in 1343, Chaucer was a prominent member of the royal courts of both Edward III and Richard II, however, he was most well known for his writing, with his most celebrated work being The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer began writing fiction in the late 1360s and pioneered in a new literary style. He introduced a new poetic structure, more similar to the European style than his Anglo-Saxon predecessors. This was presumably inspired by his time in France, where he was a prisoner of war, and this style went on to inspire Shakespeare’s […]
22 de Março de 2018.
The military successes (and failures) of Dom João I of Portugal. João I reigned as the 10th king of Portugal, succeeding Fernando I in 1385. As the naturalized son of Pedro I and a Galician noblewomen, his ascension to the throne represented the beginning of the Aviz dynasty. His coronation came during a time of conflict with the Castilian crown, who had sought authority over Portugal during a period of anarchy following the death of Fernando. It could be said that turbulent relations with Portugal’s Iberian neighbours defined João’s reign. João is commonly referred to as ‘the good’ or ‘the great’ by the Portuguese, due primarily to his victories over the Moroccan Marinid Empire in Ceuta as part of the […]
20 de Janeiro de 2018.
The strange case of the Principality of Pontinha. Due to their isolated nature, island nations tend to exhibit a heightened sense of the bizarre. I am well aware of this from my home country, with its Byzantine cultural norms and eccentric Monarchy. Madeira is no different, a notable example being the existence of the Principality of Pontinha. Founded by the now Dom Renato Barros I, a former art teacher, Pontinha is a micronation based around an islet on Funchal’s harbour. It was purchased for just shy of £20,000 from the Blandy family, who had themselves purchased the land from the city of Funchal in order to fund a redevelopment of the port in 1903. Barros himself has speculated that if […]
17 de Janeiro de 2018.
How Indian cuisine found its way to Madeira (en route from England and South Africa). Paradoxically, Indian food is the national dish of the United Kingdom. For many British people a curry is a frequent treat, so my surprise was palpable when I found several Indian restaurants in Funchal serving British-Indian fusion classics such as Tikka Masala. Perhaps this is a consequence of the myriad British tourists who holiday in Madeira every year. But there is usually a deeper justification. My initial assumption was that one of the many British expatriates of Madeira’s history had popularised the cuisine here. This notion was substantiated by the presence of an Indian Infantry Division at the Jesuits’ College in 1941. The company was […]
5 de Setembro de 2017.
A brief exploration of the hidden history of Jewish people on the island of Madeira. For as long as Madeira has existed as a territory under Portuguese control there has been a notable, if hidden, Jewish population living on the island. During the time following the island’s discovery this primarily comprised of Crypto-Jews, who hid their faith publicly due to the ongoing Spanish Inquisition. The city of Funchal was established in 1508, less than 20 years after the Alhambra Decree which ordered all practicing Jews to be expelled from Spain. In this context it is interesting that many Portuguese historians speculate that Zarco, the official discoverer of the island and first captain of Funchal, was himself of Crypto-Jewish ancestry. In […]
10 de Agosto de 2017.
Comparing my first experiences of Iberian life to the British soldiers who arrived in 1807. Upon arriving in Madeira I read The British Soldier in the Peninsular War (G. Daly, Hobart, 2013) in order to learn more about the history of the island. I have compared my experiences to the soldiers who occupied Madeira from 1807. The first thing that struck me upon arrival was the temperate weather and dramatic terrain. Lieutenant Sherer of the Cumberland Regiment was similarly taken, describing the wooded mountains of Portugal as ‘enchanting’. However upon entering the cities the initial optimism of the soldiers turned to revulsion; John Douglas wrote home complaining of poor hygiene and disease in Lisbon. While I have not been to […]