Generations of children around the world were weaned on computer games like 'Pac-man', 'Galaga' and 'Donkey Kong', to name just a few. Indeed many of today's first-rate computer programmers, scientists and researchers took their first computer steps on such games. As with many toys, they were put aside and replaced with new ones.

However, the games have not been forgotten: thanks to a partly EU-funded... read more

From the city's mean streets to Facebook, the police are responding to ever-changing developments and have expanded their beat from the streets outside our door to the virtual pathways of social media, and in so doing, making sure that people are kept safe and criminals apprehended. A new report discusses in detail how social media can be used to support police work - from compiling criminal profiles based... read more

The Internet has taken the world by storm. Social networking, online shopping, e-Learning programmes and access to both many and diverse applications are just some examples of how the Internet has revolutionised the way we live. An EU-funded team of researchers led by the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas in Greece is currently studying and developing a concept of the Internet as a societal and... read more

Researchers in Italy have discovered that the flu virus could contribute to the onset of diabetes. This finding could help scientists uncover a way to prevent some forms of this condition. The study was funded in part by the FLUTRAIN ('Training and technology transfer of avian influenza diagnostics and disease management skills') project, which received EUR 1.8 million under the Policies Thematic area of... read more

According to a European research project, cities may be able to reduce their energy consumption by 30 % by leveraging information and communication technologies (ICTs). This breakthrough was made by the ENERSIP project, which is formed by 10 partners from 5 European countries, and has received EUR 3.99 million in funding from the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) under the theme for ICT support to... read more

Rocks dated at 3.4 billion years old, found in Greenland's south-west Isua mountain range, have given up valuable information regarding the structure of Earth during its earliest stages of development. This discovery was made by a French-Danish team led by researchers from the 'Magmas and Volcanoes' Laboratory, a joint research unit of Blaise Pascal University, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique... read more

Two researchers funded by the EU have succeeded in developing and testing a state-of-the-art HIV detection test. The Imperial College London, United Kingdom duo says the test is 10 times more sensitive than other methods used to identify this disease, and it is inexpensive. The potential to bring this innovative technique to market is strong, providing a way to diagnose HIV earlier. The findings were published... read more

Every year approximately 3 billion tonnes of waste are generated in the European Union. But not everything that gets thrown away is necessarily junk; in fact as one European research project is proving, one person's waste could be another's treasure. European researchers from the Technological, Environmental and Logistics Centre (TEC Ltd) in Slovenia have successfully transformed waste from paper mills... read more

Do genes play a role in people being more resistant to toxic substances? A new international study suggests they do. Investigating Argentinian villagers in the Andes, an area in which the water contains high levels of arsenic, researchers discovered the prevalence of a gene variant that produces efficient and less toxic metabolism of arsenic in the bodies of the locals compared to other indigenous groups... read more

Testosterone - it is responsible for a number of the human body's activities, from muscle building to libido to hair growth. Though found in both men and women, it has traditionally been linked with male characteristics. However, it now appears that there is more to testosterone than meets the eye; it may also be responsible for fostering pro-social behaviour. This discovery was made by European researchers... read more