This month SciLux sits down with Dr. Sophie Nuber, a Luxembourgish climate and marine scientist at the University of Washington and keynote speaker at the Young Women's Conference Luxembourg. Sophie specialises in using natural archives, including corals and foraminifera, to reconstruct historical climate data and better understand modern climate change.

What you'll hear about:

Marine archives and paleoclimate research – How coral skeletons and foraminifera shells preserve centuries of climate data, and why scientists rely on them to contextualise today's environmental changes.

Understanding climate change through history – Sophie explains why historical climate perspective is essential: without knowing where we've been, we can't fully grasp how far we've deviated from natural norms.

Climate communication and public emotion – Sophie addresses why climate science provokes fear, confusion, and denial – and how scientists can present evidence in ways that inform rather than overwhelm.

A call to action – Sophie encourages listeners to engage with climate science critically and empathetically, seek credible sources, and understand that informed citizens are the foundation of effective climate policy.

USEFUL LINKS

Sophie Nuber's profile: https://www.ocean.washington.edu/home/Sophie_Nuber

Young Women's Conference Luxembourg: https://www.ywc.lu/

More about La Benida Hui: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2025/05/24/2003837408

An Inconvenient Truth, film written by Al Gore: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Inconvenient_Truth

jingle track (get it) provided by mobygratis.

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In this episode, we sit down with Professor David Fernández Rivas from the University of Twente to talk about what engineering actually means – and why you don't need a formal qualification to think like one.

Professor Rivas then takes us through microfluidics and the science of bubbles – and how both are opening doors in medicine, from needle-free injections to medical tattoos.

We also talk about what it looks like when researchers take their work beyond the lab, and why Professor Rivas thinks there's a real responsibility to make sure discoveries actually reach the people who need them.

Key themes:

• What engineering really means, and who gets to call themselves one
• Why modern science needs people who can work across fields
• Microfluidics and its role in biomedical technology
• The science of bubbles and where it leads
• Needle-free injection systems – the challenges and the breakthroughs
• When scientists become entrepreneurs

USEFUL LINKS

David's website: https://david-fernandez-rivas.com/

University of Twente: https://www.utwente.nl/en/

David Fernández Rivas's Book: Empathic Entrepreneurial Engineering: https://empathic-engineering.com/

Bubble Gun, EU-NWO funded projects: https://bubble-gun.eu/

FlowBeams: https://flowbeams.com/

Events: https://futureunderourskin.com/

https://david-fernandez-rivas.com/initiatives-projects-fuos/

Frozen Bubbles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-3Iy76DsDE

jingle track (get it) provided by mobygratis.

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Ever wondered why scientists keep talking about biodiversity? In this episode, Professor Ainhoa Magrach from Spain's BC3 Basque Centre for Climate Change reveals why diverse ecosystems are the foundation of everything.

Think of biodiversity as nature's shock absorber. Professor Magrach uses a brilliant analogy: diversifying your ecosystem is like diversifying your investment portfolio – it protects against crashes. When heatwaves hit or droughts strike, diverse ecosystems bounce back while simplified ones collapse. That's not just good for nature; it's essential for human survival.

You'll discover surprising facts about the hidden world of pollinators (did you know hummingbirds are crucial pollinators too?), learn why monoculture farming is biodiversity's enemy, and find out what practical steps farmers and citizens can take right now to make a difference.

Key themes:

• The biodiversity-stability connection explained simply
• Why native species matter for your local ecosystem
• The fascinating world of pollinators beyond honeybees
• Agricultural practices that harm vs. help biodiversity
• What REDD+ means for forest conservation
• How citizen science empowers everyday people
• Your power to influence environmental policy

USEFUL LINKS

Basque Centre for Climate Change: https://www.bc3research.org/en/

Ainhoa's website: https://www.ainhoamagrach.com/

iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/

eBird: https://ebird.org/home

jingle track (get it) provided by mobygratis.

Support the show