Category: Science

Insect protein – our best bet to sustainably feed the earth | Ilga Gedrovica

Protein and its amino acids are a vital source to our human existence. But our reliance on animal proteins has strained their earth. In short – it isn’t sustainable in the long run. But how far are you willing to...

The shadow economy: it’s not all black and white | Arnis Sauka

Arnis Sauka has spent years researching the shadow economy and determining its impact. Having developed a methodology, fostered relationships with both business leaders and government officials and measured the impact over time, Arnis may be the first to tell you...

See the forest for the trees (and birds) | Indriķis Krams

Living in the comforts of modern civilization, most of us are far removed from the natural world and take for granted its existence. But biologist Indriķis Krams, who spends most of his time studying birds in old growth forests, has...

What brain development teaches us about the future of our societies | Ņikita Bezborodovs

The biological development of the brain shows that children’s brains are much more malleable and open to change earlier on in life. This phenomenon of brain plasticity makes children able to adapt to the challenges of the environment they grow...

The microscopic order that defines our macroscopic world: Karlis Agris Gross at TEDxRiga

The microscopic order that defines our macroscopic world

The make-up of any object reveals only one part of its secret. The rest – depends on the arrangement at the macro, micro and nano level. Prof. Gross shows us how arrangement is essential for optimal performance – whether it’s...

Transcending instincts: crowdsourced data can fix your motivation | Agnis Stibe at TEDxRiga

Transcending instincts: crowdsourced data can fix your motivation

We often don’t have problems with defining our goals, but we have problems with getting there. Agnis shows us how socially influencing systems can help in transforming our lives. Improving our health and well-being, preferring eco-friendly choices will be so...

Mārtiņš Otikovs: Decrypting the Puzzle of Spider Silk

Decrypting the Puzzle of Spider Silk

Don’t judge the book from the cover, so the saying goes. That’s definitely the case with spiders, whose webs are made of spider silk, a material with amazing mechanical properties. So common in nature, and, as it turns out, so...

When looking for certainty, beware of experts

When looking for certainty, beware of experts

As a professor of psychology, Ivars Austers knows well how biased is our thinking. He wants to raise our awareness to the fact that when we crave for certainty, an expert will often show up to provide it. But not...

What we can learn from birds about ourselves

What we can learn from birds about ourselves

[translation_languages]no languages[/translation_languages] [translation_text language=”en”]Why do we cheat? Why do we forgive? Why do we get stressed? When difficult questions like these cannot be answered using humans, we turn to other organisms. It turns out that birds have the answer…[/translation_text]  ...

Teaching science: we're doing it wrong

Teaching science: we’re doing it wrong

The world needs scientists and engineers more than ever, but our approach to raising them is backwards and ineffective. Drawing on his research and experience, high school physics teacher Danny Doucette challenges us to reimagine school science. As a physics...