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Insomnia is a common problem that also increases the risk of depression. Unfortunately, we do not yet sufficiently understand the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Research by neuroscientist Tom Bresser shows that the white matter in the brain, which connects different brain areas, differs in people with insomnia compared to people without sleep problems.

Researchers at QuTech have found a way to make Majorana particles in a two-dimensional plane. This was achieved by creating devices that exploit the combined material properties of superconductors and semiconductors. The inherent flexibility of this new 2D platform should allow one to perform experiments with Majoranas that were previously inaccessible.

Applying physics to better understand complicated biological processes: that is what Meike Bos did during her PhD. She used computer models to investigate how ciliated cells in the airways move to ensure that mucus can be transported. Her research, culminating in a successful dissertation defense on 29 May, highlights the power of computational modeling in addressing complex biological phenomena.

On the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, children until recently only learned to read in a language foreign to them: Dutch. It was not until 2001 that their native language, Papiamentu, was also introduced as a language of instruction in primary schools. Sociologist and educational expert Melissa van der Elst-Koeiman studied the bilingual reading development of children in the senior years of primary school on the islands.

Increasing ethnic and racial diversity in Western societies often accompanies feelings of threat among the ethnic majorities of a country. New research from Tilburg University shows that an inclusive integration policy can reduce the perception of diversity as a threat. The research suggests that policies that give immigrants more equal rights are particularly effective in promoting social cohesion and reducing tensions in Western societies.

According to the United Nations (UN) population projections, the population of Africa will continue to grow strongly in the course of this century, while on other continents population growth will decline in the near future. New research by Jeroen Smits from Radboud University and Lamar Crombach from ETH Zurich suggests that population growth in Africa might slow down faster than predicted by these projections.

A 3D model of imitation blood vessels will make it possible to see exactly how snake venom attacks blood vessels, without having to use laboratory animals. This new research model, called an organ-on-a-chip, was developed by a research team from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, MIMETAS and Naturalis Biodiversity Center.

With hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic produced and used on a yearly basis, it's no surprise that people are looking for alternatives. Yet so-called 'sustainable plastics' are not a silver bullet, warn researchers Sara Gonella and Vincent de Gooyert from Radboud University. When looking at the full impact of these plastics, they are often not nearly as sustainable as they pretend to be, they argue.

When people face an acute threat, they tend to react in one of three ways: fight, flight or freeze. A doctoral research project conducted at Radboud University by Felix Klaassen and defended on the 5th of June shows that the freeze response can be really helpful in dealing with a situation in a well-considered way.

The thaw of permafrost is not a global climate 'tipping point'. That is the conclusion of an international group of scientists, including earth scientist Moritz Langer. Rather, permafrost soils are thawing along with global warming. "There is no safe margin within which the Earth can warm up, as a tipping point suggests." Permafrost soils store large amounts of organic carbon in the form of dead plant material.

The assumption that the numbers of smaller predators will decline when large predator populations rise, is not necessarily valid. For mammals in Europe, this relationship appears to exist only in specific cases. Utrecht biologists Thomas van Schaik, Marijke van Kuijk , and Liesbeth Sterck conclude this based on a literature review they conducted, which was recently published in the scientific journal Mammal Review.

Recently, a team of chemists, mathematicians, physicists and nano-engineers at the University of Twente in the Netherlands developed the ultimate device to control the emission of photons with unprecedented precision. This technology could lead to more efficient miniature light sources, sensitive sensors, and stable quantum bits for quantum computing.

With the rise and increasing use of digital technologies and online platforms worldwide, the debate about their potential impact on our psychological well-being is growing. New research from Tilburg University and the University of Oxford shows that active (mobile) internet users are more satisfied with their lives and assess their social and physical well-being more positively than non-users.

Climate change can accelerate due to feedback mechanisms: complex phenomena caused by climate change that in turn can further drive climate change. An example is the extra CO2 emissions from thawing permafrost. Research into the influence of feedback mechanisms in the long term has been ongoing, and modern climate change research is obviously happening as well, but the connection between the two has so far been underemphasized.

New findings from a spaceborne monitoring team of University of Houston, TU Delft and DLR indicates the collapse of the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine may have been already ongoing before the war with Russia, with deformations in the dam pre-dating the actual collapse. The results were published in the journal Nature Communications Earth and Environment this month.

A groundbreaking study by an international team of researchers has revealed seaweed forests to be significant contributors to oceanic carbon storage. Their research estimates that the world's seaweed forests transport 56 million tonnes of carbon (between 10 to 170 million tonnes) to deep ocean sinks each year.

How TU/e researchers push further the performance of computer chips while at the same time making them more efficient. Nowadays, it's hard to envision the world without computers. But the ever better performing chips in smartphones, cars, and almost every modern device are consuming more and more power.

Researchers from TU Delft and Brown University have engineered string-like resonators capable of vibrating longer at ambient temperature than any previously known solid-state object - approaching what is currently only achievable near absolute zero temperatures. Their study, published in Nature Communications , pushes the edge of nanotechnology and machine learning to make some of the world's most sensitive mechanical sensors.

In a novel study , researchers of the University of Twente have made significant strides in understanding the behaviour of microand nanobubbles on electrodes during water electrolysis. This process is crucial for (green) hydrogen production. These tiny bubbles form on the electrodes, blocking the flow of electricity and reducing the efficiency of the reaction.

In a warmer climate, summers warm much faster than winters in northwestern Europe. That is the conclusion of research into fossil shells by an international team of earth scientists. With this knowledge we can better map the consequences of current global warming in the North Sea area. The researchers measured the chemical composition of fossil shells.