Science for Maltese Wine

Wine borders on obsession for some, while others call it research. Some drink it, while others burn it. Creative solutions are turning wine and its waste into algae, pharmaceutical products, and electricity.

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Can humans live on other planets?

Alexanderhili

Well this is a vast question, yes they can. However, it is not all that simple. Start off with the fact that we don’t have the technology to access Earth-like planets we could live on. Over forty planets that could be habitable have already been found. 

Reaching the exoplanet might only be half the problem. Will the planet already be suitable for life? Or, will we need to terraform it, manipulate its environment, so we can mould it into our Mother Earth? Will we be wiped out by some unknown disease we have no resistance to—as happened to the aliens in War of the Worlds. Will we be able to adapt to the environment? What about building a colony outside our planet which will be completely independent of Earth? Eventually yes, on a planet with the right conditions, but let’s get there first.  

Send your questions to think@um.edu.mt and we’ll find out if it’s the truth or just a fib!

Oceans Re-energised

AngieBartolo

The world’s oceans support the lives, economies, and health of societies. When the ocean is in decline, a society will also be in decline. Take the Aral Sea Crisis—destroyed by Soviet-era irrigation projects—where a prosperous society used the sea in an unsustainable manner, degrading this resource and their livelihoods. This cycle of decline needs to be turned into a cycle of recovery.Continue reading

The Death of the Temple People

Edward-Duca-300x124

Welcome to Malta’s largest archaeological attraction: the Temple Period. We have Maltese and British archaeologists to thank for this heritage that has been dug up since the early 20th century. Yet there are still unanswered questions why these people survived for so long then suddenly vanished. The FRAGSUS project—the largest international archaeological collaboration in Malta and Gozo—is trying to answer why.

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I’m sorry I forgot: Is dementia Malta’s next national crisis?

cassi-camilleri

In 2010, the total number of individuals with dementia in Malta stood at about 5,000. By 2030 that figure will double to 10,000. The evolution of healthcare technology has bestowed a longer life upon the human race. But this extended lifespan comes at a price. The prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases normally associated with old age, such as the many forms of dementia, is on the rise. With no cure in sight, the future depends on the development of effective prevention and care methods. This is the mission of Dr Charles Scerri, Anthony Scerri, and their team as they join forces to battle dementiaContinue reading