Philosophy is one of the oldest academic disciplines, its origins dating back more than two thousand years. In the 15th episode of the series Arqus Knowledge Pills “Is philosophy relevant nowadays?”, Sebastian Rödl, Professor for Practical Philosophy at Leipzig University, talks about the relevance it still has today and why we should not look for its “usefulness”.

Sebastian shares his experience working in this field, describing it as a rollercoaster ride between moments of pure joy as well as deep frustration. And he explains what it takes to study philosophy – the most important prerequisite being an unquenchable thirst for complete understanding.

In this episode, Alberto Fernández, from the University of Granada, explains how to foster creativity in Artificial Intelligence, what amazing things they are already capable of and how we should deal with the enormous possibilities that Artificial Intelligence offers today, and in the near future. In the podcast, Alberto also talks about his interests in reading a novel or listening to a song that was not devised by a human being, and whether his research work has made him more creative in his everyday life.

Olfaction is of great importance for our psychological well-being. Psychologist Anna Oleszkiewicz from the University of Wrocław explains in this episode how our sense of smell and our state of mind are connected. Anna investigates how olfactory input influences our ability to function socially and psychologically. Also, she works on improving the so-called “Sniffin’ Sticks” tests, which are an essential tool in the field of olfactory training: approximately 5 % of the general population has a dysfunctional sense of smell and a further 20 % has a severe olfactory impairment. Anna’s goal is to bring medical knowledge on human olfactory processing and psychological science closer together.

Joana Azeredo is an Associate Professor at the University of Minho Department of Biological Engineering (Portugal). In this podcast episode, Joana explains how and why she researches a special kind of virus that can kill potentially dangerous bacteria. These viruses are of great therapeutic interest and can be used to control infectious diseases. Joana Azeredo's team recently also stood out by creating a “virus bank” to treat diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, one of the biggest health problems worldwide.

Teaching and learning are two fundamental concepts for those who do research and work at the university. But how is it possible to improve them, taking into account the differences in the fields of study? One of the tools available is the "Challenge-based learning program", a working method that allows you to analyze a subject from different perspectives, thanks to different expertise. Klaudijus Melys, from the University of Vilnius, tells us about it.

For nineteen months, Norwegian tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl will sail over 55 000 nautical miles and visit 36 ports worldwide. The aim of the “One Ocean Expedition” is to share and spread knowledge about the crucial role of the ocean for sustainable development from a global perspective. Katja Enberg, professor at the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Bergen, will be part of the crew. Shortly before her departure, she explains how students benefit from this unique teaching environment and how she personally expects to grow and change during this journey.

In this episode we chat with Francesco Bettella, a researcher at the University of Padua and a Paralympic swimmer who already won several medals. He tells us how he prepares for a swimming race, what feelings he experiences during the tournament and how all of his know-how pours into his research about exoskeletons. Also, he reveals to us his next objectives both in sports and in academia, and describes how both fields are sometimes quite similar.

Migrants are often more active as entrepreneurs than the natives of their host countries – even though they undoubtedly face several challenges during and after their move. What inspires them to become self-employed in spite of all the hardships that come along, how can we collaboratively facilitate their entrepreneurial process and why is this actually boosting host and home economies? In this episode of “Arqus Knowledge Pills”, we talk with Eunice Cascant of iae School of Management at Magellan Laboratory (Université Jean Moulin, Lyon) about these questions.

A PhD degree offers a broader variety of career opportunities than just the classic academic path. But how can young researchers succeed in the private business sector? How can they find their own start-up based on their scientific findings? Students from all Arqus universities recently came to Graz to dive deeper into this topic. Listen to the participants of the “Arqus PhD Week for Careers outside Academia” and find out more.

The young generation is hungry for science!”, says Dominik Becher. He is in charge of the Children’s University at the University of Leipzig – a very important way to introduce children to the world of research and academia. He describes how he goes about planning the programme, why this kind of work is particularly rewarding and how researchers should prepare themselves for an audience that always asks the right questions. 

This will be the last episode of Arqus Knowledge Pills before the summer break. Stay tuned, we’ll catch up with you in autumn.