Have you ever scrolled past a viral claim online and thought, ‘That sounds true’? Maybe it was a headline about a miracle cure or a diet hack. Or noticed how quickly new ideas spread online – sometimes before anyone has checked if they’re real? From scientific labs to TikTok feeds, we’re constantly asked to decide: What is true? And more often than not, the answer lies in one underappreciated scientific principle – reproducibility.
Continue readingLife Against Entropy
Most of us move through life with a quiet certainty that being alive is self-evident. We grow, think, love, worry, plan. We distinguish instinctively between what lives and what does not. A person is alive; a stone is not. A dog is alive; a machine is not. The line feels obvious, until someone asks us to explain it.
Continue readingReading Between the Scans: Enhancing Patient Communication and Evidence-Based Radiology
At the European Society of Oncologic Imaging (ESOI) Touchdown 2025 in Malta, radiologists and imaging specialists from around the world gathered to explore not just the science of oncologic imaging, but its soul. In a field defined by technology and precision, last year’s focus turned inward – to the art of communication, empathy, and the enduring humanity that binds medicine together.
Continue readingUnseen Invaders: An Investigation into the Pathogenic Threats Facing Malta’s Cannabis Industry
As Malta’s cannabis sector continues to develop, understanding plant health risks is becoming increasingly important. This study provides the first structured insight into the presence of Hop Latent Viroid (HLVd) in local cultivations, offering practical guidance for growers and contributing to long-term industry sustainability.
Continue readingRadiation in Medicine: Balancing Benefit and Risk
What if an invisible energy could both reveal disease and help cure it? From diagnostic scans to targeted cancer therapy, radiation drives some of medicine’s most powerful tools. Understanding how this force can both benefit and harm patients is key to using it safely, responsibly, and to its greatest clinical advantage.
Continue readingErudite but Light
The annual HUMS Yuletide gathering has become a familiar fixture in the University of Malta’s calendar, but it remains distinctive in bringing together scholars who otherwise rarely share academic spaces, inviting them to think and reflect together. Last year’s event hosted a range of speakers who exemplified the interdisciplinary and playful ethos of the annual event, now linked to the catchphrase ‘erudite but light’.
Continue readingINSPIRING ERA: Valorising Horizon Europe’s Project Results for the ERA Policy Agenda
In 2025, the European Research Area (ERA) initiative is celebrating its 25th anniversary since its launch to advance Europe’s research and innovation vision and ambition to become a global leader in scientific progress.
Continue readingThe Hidden Power of Plants and Fungi: Phytonutrients, Our Everyday Lives and Sustainable Food Systems
Imagine biting into a crisp apple, its flesh bursting with sweetness and tang. You might think of the vitamins, perhaps the fibre, or simply the refreshing taste. But hidden within its colourful skin and juicy flesh are hundreds of tiny compounds quietly working behind the scenes to protect your health. These invisible allies are called phytochemicals, and they are transforming how we think about food, nutrition, and sustainability.
Continue readingScience in the City Promises Science and Arts Throughout September
Looking for a fun and exciting activity fitting for children and grown-ups alike? Science in the City offers inspiring activities throughout the whole month of September. And, between the 26th and 27th, Science in the City hosts the Street Festival and the Performance Festival.
Continue readingThe Company that Cried Wolf – Part 4
De-extinction: The Case of the Dire Wolf? – The ‘de-extinction’ of the dire wolf has been one of the highest-profile scientific achievements of 2025. But the impression cultivated online is misleading – the dire wolf has not returned; it is being imitated. Five professors from the University of Malta have reacted to this complex story. In Part IV, Prof. Louis-F. Cassar considers the moral questions raised by a de-extincted future.
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