Research and society

Ghent now the coldest place in Belgium

David De Wolf
David De Wolf
Science communicator
Optische bank met BEC-opstelling

Physicists at Ghent University have succeeded in cooling several ten thousand atoms to just above absolute zero (about -273°C). In doing so, they created a so-called Bose–Einstein condensate: a state in which all atoms behave exactly the same, as was once predicted by physicists Einstein and Bose.

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Ghent University developing the climate-adaptive forest of the future

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The last years’ drought has caused stress in trees. Some have stopped growing; others have shed their foliage. Sometimes entire forests have perished. The bioengineers at the Department of Environment (Faculty of Bioscience Engineering) are crossing national borders to try to find out the causes of the problems effecting trees globally and working on a type of forest that can cope with climate change.

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Holiday versus work: how do you disconnect from your job?

Header vakantie

How long should a holiday last in order to completely destress and disconnect from your work? How bad is it for your mental health if you sit on the beach reading your work mails rather than a thriller? Professor Els Clays teaches in the department of Public Health and Primary Care and is investigating the impact of work-related stress on human health.

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Weak, headache, thirsty? How do you prevent sunstroke?

Zomer

“Stay out of the sun, avoid physical activity during the hottest time of day and have plenty to drink: with these three guidelines you will easily survive a hot sunny day and avoid sunstroke – or even worse: heatstroke”, says An De Sutter, head of general medicine (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences).

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