Sven Krüger

E-Learning 3.0 is a breakthrough next-generation open online course that points the way to the future of open online learning. There is no single course platform; all course elements are organized as a distributed graph (or network) of linked data. Thus there are no barriers to participation. Content-based addressing allows…

I study the development of scientific knowledge–particularly in the earth and environmental sciences–as well as the political, social, and cultural obstacles to the development and dissemination of scientific knowledge. I am interested in both how knowledge is produced and how ignorance is sustained. It’s a “core idea” because it we…

The nominating institution University of Calgary on the breakthrough: Compared to airplanes, helicopters provide improved maneuverability. But one limitation of rotorcraft is that take-off and landing on non-horizontal surfaces is problematic. Ramirez-Serrano’s innovative design allows flying in impenetrable environments, and performing acrobatic maneuvers at zero speed. Tags: Artificial Intelligence, Engineering,…

Lucie Ries is addressing the high energy consumption in water desalination processes, making them expensive, by introducing RealEase patented technology to lower the energy consumption for industrial desalination. The goal is to drive the next generation of equipment and make water purification more accessible and sustainable for a broader population.

As a species, we have a remarkable history of scaling up and distributing new technologies among the world’s population. For centuries, books and letters were precious and limited to a small elite, today the printed word is ubiquitous and production costs are negligible. The most recent democratisation of technology took…

Our transport system needs to be transformed due to its devastating effects on the environment and the climate. But this change needs to be discussed also within its wider social repercussions. Fiscal instruments and targeted policies can contribute to a mobility transformation that not only addresses the ecological challenges but…

How Artificial Leaves Can Solve the Global Energy Crisis In 2011, Daniel Nocera conquered global media attention when he presented a cheap coated-silicon sheet which, when placed in a glass of tap water and exposed to sunlight, is able to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Both gases can be…

AgriBox is an AgriTech hardware and software solution using best practices and promising technologies (IoT, AI, satellite imagery) which allow smallholder farmers to access cheap precision agriculture.

The nominating institution Chinese Academy of Sciences on the breakthrough: Exploitation of heterosis is one of the most important applications of genetics in agriculture. Dr. Bin Han used an integrated genomic and forward genetic approach to construct a genome map for elite hybrid rice varieties and revealed the genomic architecture…

How Sociology Can Mediate Between Islam and Western Modernity The world’s biggest refugee crisis since the second world war is bringing ten thousands of migrants to Central Europe – former citizens of Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan or Somalia fleeing from war, dictatorship or religious extremism. The fact that most of the…