Twenty teenage "space ambassadors" will help to promote fighter pilot Ales Svoboda’s journey into space as an astronaut of the European Space Agency (ESA) within the next five years. The newly-launched Zero-G project aims to popularize science among the young.

The GLOBSEC 2024 Forum, held in Prague over the weekend under the patronage of Czech President Petr Pavel, centered around the theme “Taming the Storm,” with an emphasis on central and eastern Europe’s crucial role in maintaining global stability. It attracted more than 2,300 participants from more than 80 countries including heads of state and businesses, diplomats, journalists, and more.

September 1st saw the culmination of a 10-year-long government program aimed at helping households to replace old heating appliances with more modern ones. As of Sept 1, there is a ban on using first and second-class emission boilers, with heavy fines for non-compliance.

The Czech Paralympic team has already secured five medals at the Games in Paris. So far the most successful Czech athlete is the blind teenage swimmer David Kratochvíl, who clinched the country’s first gold in the 400m breaststroke and added silver in the 100 mark.

Czech scientists have developed a unique “invisible stamp” that could help identify the owners of rare documents or works of art that got lost or stolen. The stamp is not detectable to the human eye and can only be deciphered by an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer.

With ten prime ministers and presidents attending, and speeches by political and business heavyweights, Globsec is undoubtedly a high-profile event.

The World Road Motorcycle Championship will return to Brno’s Masaryk Circuit next year after a five-year break, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced. The state will support the event financially through the National Sports Agency.

Czech scientist Tomáš Čižmár has won the European Microscopy Society award for contributing to the development of a new, hair-thin endo-microscope, which allows detailed investigation of hard to access brain areas. The revolutionary instrument could help neuroscientists develop new tools for fighting severe neurological conditions, such as dementia or Alzhemier’s disease. I asked Professor Čimžár to tell me more about it:

Although Czechia is a landlocked country, a replica of an 18th century privateer ship, named La Grace, is sailing the seas under the Czech flag. La Grace was constructed by Captain Josef Dvorský and a group of enthusiasts as a tribute to a famous Bohemian explorer, merchant, pirate and cartographer.

Czechia is one of the world's biggest producers, exporters, and consumers of poppies. Poppy seeds are known for their positive health benefits, distinct nutty flavor and in Czechia they are among the most basic and popular ingredients for traditional Czech pastries.