n°55 january 2008 researcheu - european...

European Commission

n°55 January 2008

ISSN 1830-7361

researcheuthe magazine of the european research areaInformation society How far has the quantum revolution progressed?

Molecular biologyAsthma and allergies: spotlight on leukotrienes

Meteorology

A near-exact science

edit

oresearch*eu

Editor in chiefMichel Claessens

Language version proofreadersJulia Acevedo (ES), Stephen Gosden (EN),Régine Prunzel (DE)

General coordinationJean-Pierre Geets, Charlotte Lemaitre

Editorial coordinationDidier Buysse, Jean-Pierre Geets

JournalistsDelphine d'Hoop, Stéphane Fay, Carlotta Franzoni, Matthieu Lethé, François Rebufat, Christine Rugemer, Julie Van Rossom, Alexandre Wajnberg

TranslatorsAndrea Broom (EN), Martin Clissold (EN),Silvia Ebert (DE), Michael Lomax (EN),Consuelo Manzano (ES)

Graphic design and layoutGérald Alary (project manager), François Xavier Pihen (layout), Yaël Rouach(production coordination and monitoring),Daniel Wautier (proofreading)

Illustrations and captionsChristine Rugemer

DrawingsGregorie Desmons

Web version Charlotte LemaitreDominique Carlier

Cover© Shutterstock

Printed byEnschedé/Van Muysewinkel, Brussels

General productionPubliResearch

This edition has been printed in 122 000 copies.All editions of research*eu are available on line on the EC’s Research website.http://ec.europa.eu/research/research-eu

Editor in chargeMichel ClaessensTel.: +32 2 295 99 71Fax: +32 2 295 82 20E-mail: [email protected]

© European Communities, 2007Reproduction permitted, provided the source is acknowledged.

Neither the European Commission nor anyperson acting on behalf of the Commissionis responsible for the use that may bemade of the information contained in this publication or any errors that may remainin the texts, despite the care taken in preparing them.

From folklore to chaotic systemsThis issue’s special report deals with a subject that directly influences our daily lives:weather forecasts and the scientific and technical tools they employ. But before it became a science, meteorology was a domain of tradition and culture. Afield of deeply ingrained clichés – “They always get it wrong,” people often say aboutweather forecasters – and of enduring sayings, originating in the lore of those whoworked the land and handed down from generation to generation. Our ancestorsrespected these adages to avoid the wrath of the elements and to determine the periods of sowing andharvesting. Of course they must be taken cum grano salis, but some of them contain elements of truth. Theproverb “Rain before seven, fine before eleven” translates the fact that a belt of rain brought by a front neverlasts more than four hours. Similarly the belief that bees become aggressive and insects bite before a storm hasoften proved to be painfully true! What will the weather be like tomorrow? Should I take an umbrella this morning? Can we take a picnic the dayafter tomorrow? There are no guarantees… but European countries today have a weather forecasting networkwhose scientific and technical sophistication has permitted notable progress over recent years. This is largelydue to the progress made in the models used. Major weather events such as the famous storm that hit theNetherlands and England by surprise in 1953 would now be announced several days in advance! From folklore to the science of chaotic systems: this special report reminds us that multidisciplinary approachesare able to penetrate even the most complex mysteries.

Michel ClaessensEditor-in-chief

research*eu is the European Union’s research magazine, written by independent professional journalists, which aims to broaden the democratic debate between science and society. It presents and analyses projects,results and initiatives through which women and men are making a contribution towards reinforcing and uniting scientific and technological excellence in Europe. Published in English, French, German and Spanishwith ten issues per year, research*eu is edited by the Communication Unit of the European Commission’sDirectorate-General for Research.

You can subscribe to the magazine free of chargethrough the websitehttp://ec.europa.eu/research/research-eu

You can also fill in this coupon in blockcapitals and return it to the following address:research*euML DG1201Boîte postale 2201L-1022 Luxembourg

Name: ..................................................................................................................................................................

Organisation: ........................................................................................................................................

Address: ..........................................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................................................................

Postcode: ............................................ Town/city: ..............................................................

Country: ..........................................................................................................................................................

Language version(s) desired:□ French □ English□ German □ Spanish

If you wish to receive multiple copies of the magazinein the same language, please send us your request,with your full address and a short note outlining your reasons.

• by e-mail [email protected]

• by fax (+32-2-295 82 20)

To obtain one or more copies of back issues, pleasecontact us by e-mail or by fax.

Request for subscription to the printed version of research*eu

The opinions expressed in this editorial and in the articles in thisissue do not necessarily represent the views of the European Commission.

Information society

32 Where is the quantum revolution?At the dawn of a new revolutionary age forthe information society, the creation of supercomputers and communicationnetworks is becoming conceivable thanks toquantum physics. Explanations.

34 Another physics of the universeA talk with the Czech theorist Jozef Gruskawho is particularly interested in the convergence of quantum physics and the information processing sciences.

Astronomy

36 The star stakes“A Science Vision for European Astronomy”, the report produced by the Astronet group,takes stock of European excellence in astronomy.

Portrait38 A physicist in the star system

How to combine a rock attitude and a passion for particle physics? The answer in detail from Brian Cox, researcher at theLHC and “Higgs Hunter”.

40 In briefScience within arm’s reach, Teaching corner,Publications, Young researchers, Opinion.

Image of science44 Nanospiral

Magnetic field lines in FeNi (iron and nickel)nanoparticles.

research*eu No. 55 I JANUARY 2008 3

CONTENTS

4 In briefZeitgeist

SPECIAL REPORT METEOROLOGY

Atmospheric physics8 Where do the rain and shine come from?

Is the weather predictable? A brief review of the thermodynamic principles governingour atmosphere.

Forecasting models11 Reading: the impossible weather equation

A close look at the ECMWF, the nerve centreof global meteorological observation. Its models and forecasts are used by themajority of Europe’s national meteorologicalorganisations.

Weather alarms14 When the skies open

Lightning floods, violent storms, relentlessheatwaves… To improve our forecasting of these natural phenomena with such devastating consequences, research programmes such as Flash or Cops are concentrating their efforts on an essentialmission: sounding the alarm.

European research area17 Realpolitik for mobility

What about national preference in thecross-border career of a scientist? In thisadministrative labyrinth the Commission’sGreen Paper on the ERA opens up newpaths.


An almost exact science A branch of physics, certainly an earth science, meteorology remains no less of a complex discipline. Forecasting what will change, giving order to chaos, resolving unresolvable equations: all this lies within the field of meteorology.Nevertheless, for several years, this discipline has had to adapt to an increasinglydemanding public, which requires super-precise weather forecasts but remainsparticularly sceptical – “they get it wrong every time!” Faced with such challenges, meteorology must constantly find the right balance: speaking of whatis certain, and stopping – at the risk of appearing imprecise – when uncertaintyarises. Added to this is the obligation of announcing extreme weather events as far as possible, without alarming the public at the smallest breeze…The credibility of the profession is always at stake.Nonetheless, meteorology can count on scientific advances. In 50 years, information and the arrival of satellites has enabled meteorology to develop by leaps and bounds. But “murky” areas remain today, a lack of understandingof how the atmospheric system works, theoretical obstacles, logistic gaps needed to make forecasts more precise. In all laboratories across the world, as well as in the field, scientific research is working to move this field towards perfection.

6 research*eu No. 55 I JANUARY 2008

SPECIAL REPORTMETEOROLOGY

© S

cott

ish

Envi

ronm

ent P

rote

ctio

n A

genc

y(S

EPA

)

© M

étéo

-Fra

nce

© R

ob H

ine/

ECM

WF

© R

ob H

ine/

ECM

WF

© E

umet

sat

20 In briefEuropean news

Aeronautics

24 Wings of silenceAir traffic is increasing but aircraft noise isdecreasing. A look at the success of Silence (R), Europe’s biggest ever project on noise pollution from aviation.

Social sciences27 The meaning of work

Intergenerational relations in the world of work provide food for thought. The European SPReW project is taking stockof the values of a working life subject toconstant change.

Molecular biology

29 Asthma and allergies: spotlight on leukotrienesThe two European projects Eicosanox and E-Mep succeeded in producing a portrait ofLTC4 synthase, a key enzyme that couldmake it possible to block the complexmechanism of certain allergies, most notably asthma.


IN BRIEF

Africa’s mathematicalexcellence

Africa is not short of brilliant, highly motivated researchers.However, in the area of science,the African continent is desperatelyshort of resources and, above all,profiles of excellence. A massive90 % of African mathematics doctoral students obtaining theirdoctorate abroad never returnhome. However, new initiativesare gradually being set in placethat herald a brighter future. Fouryears ago saw the inauguration of the African Institute forMathematical Sciences (AIMS) inthe small town of Muizenberg,near Cape Town in South Africa.The result of a partnershipbetween European and SouthAfrican universities, the instituteoffers a unique and highly innovative new concept for mathematics post-graduate studies. At the institute, professorsand students all live under thesame roof throughout the nine-month postgraduate courseand forge strong bonds via theirshared passion. Every year around50 students from all over Africaundergo a rigorous selection procedure for a chance to partici-pate in the course. The October2007 issue of the Nature Materialsmagazine pays tribute to AIMS as a hothouse for African scientifictalent. Don’t miss out on readingabout it...

www.nature.com/nmat/

Short reprieve for glaciers

In issue 53 of research*eu, wereported that global warming wasnot yet causing high-altitude glaciers to melt. The bad news is that new results recently published by the same researchersfrom the CNRS, the French nationalscientific research centre (Centrenational de la research scientifique)have recently put a dampener onthis optimistic conclusion. Aftermeasuring the rate of snow accumulation on the Dôme duGoûter in France, glaciologistshave been studying the data gathered between 1994 and 2005from temperature sensors sitedalong 140-metre boreholes drilledinto the slopes of the glacier. Their research uncovered a temperature rise of between 1°Cand 1.5°C along the first 60 metresof ice. Physical modelling of heatflow shows that this warming is aresult not only of global warmingbut also of the heat produced bythe refreezing at the glacier base

of snow that has melted at the surface. An extrapolation of theseresults to simulate the futurebehaviour of high-altitude glaciers(at a height of between 3 500 and4 250 metres) shows that these“cold” glaciers could gradually

The satellite was placed into orbitso accurately that Chinese expertsclaim to have saved enough fuelto extend the Chang’e-1 expeditionby approximately one more year.The four major goals of China’sfirst mission on the moon are to:undertake a three-dimensionalstudy of the moon’s surface;analyse the quantity and distribution of the elements onthe moon’s surface; investigatethe characteristics of the moon’smantle rock and the powdery layer of soil on the moon’s surface;and explore the area of spacebetween Earth and the moon.

ZEITGEIST

become “warm” glaciers, with a base temperature of 0°C,compared with the current 0°C to –11°C.

research*eu, no. 53, September 2007

China launches its first lunar satellite…

7 November 2007 will go down inthe history of China’s conquest ofspace. At 08.35, its first lunar satellite, Chang’e-1, entered a 127-minute polar circular orbitwithout a hitch. Launched on 24 October from the Xichang satellite launch centre in south-west China, aboard the launchvehicle Long March 3A, Chang’e-1successfully negotiated its 1 580 000 km flight to the moon.

The Mont Blanc and Dôme du Goûter glaciers (FR) are startingto arouse concern among researchersat the CNRS glaciology laboratory.

© C

NRS

Pho

toth

èque

/Chr

istia

n Vi

ncen

t

…and Japanstrides forward

After a perilous journey, theJapanese lunar spacecraftKaguya/Selene, launched on 14 September 2007, successfullycompleted the first part of its mission. The spacecraft comprisesthree units – the main orbitersatellite and two secondary satellites. The two secondary satel-lites were smoothly launched on 9 and 12 October and enteredorbit without a hitch. The mainspacecraft arrived at its destinationas planned on 21 October, muchto the relief of Japanese scientists.Dubbed the most ambitious lunarprogramme since Apollo, the aimof the Kaguya/Selene mission is toincrease understanding of the origin and evolution of the Moon,as well as to gather as much data


IN BRIEF

as possible for use in future explorations. With the planned launch of India’slunar satellite Chandrayaan-1in April 2008, the launches ofKaguya/Selene and Chang’e-1 intoorbit mark the start of Asia’s conquest of space… and will provide scientists of every kindwith a highly promising source of fresh information to study.

www.jaxa.jp

Dolphins reportedmissing

For the past 13 years, researchersfrom the BDRP programme for theconservation of Atlantic marinelife (Biscay Dolphin ResearchProgramme) have been studyingthe Bay of Biscay, which is teemingwith 20 or so species of whale anddolphin, as well as more than 100 000 marine animals. However,researchers affiliated to the Britishorganisation Marinelife haveobserved an 80 % reduction inthree species of dolphin sincesummer 2007: the common dolphin, striped dolphin and bottlenose dolphin. A fall in thenumber of sea birds has also beennoted since spring 2007. These sudden and alarming disappearances could have been

caused by the increasing scarcityof fish stocks as a result of overfishing, depriving dolphinsand birds of necessary food.Another possible cause might betrawl fishing, where dolphins areinadvertently dragged along inthe nets.

www.marine-life.org.uk

Capuchin monkeysgo on strike

Do primates have a concept offairness? When they complete a task but see one of their companions receive a betterreward for the same effort,capuchin monkeys refuse to comply further, even to the pointof throwing their inferior reward(in this case, cucumbers) in theresearchers’ faces!The team of scientists from theYerkes National Primate ResearchCenter in Atlanta (USA) that madethis discovery reported this behaviour in 2003. However, they remained uncertain aboutthe exact reason for the capuchinmonkey rebellion. The monkeys’reaction could have been produced by the knowledge that a more juicy reward was available.However, the latest experimentshave proven that capuchin

monkeys do not rebel if their companions are rewarded inexactly the same way for a similartask. The results could thereforeindicate the evolutionary origin of our human sense of injustice.

www.yerkes.emory.edu

Black holes foundat last!

By examining images of more than 1 000 remote galaxies,astronomers have discovered thenumerous black holes that theorists had been predicting foryears, but which nobody had everactually observed. Situated at thecentre of galaxies, supermassiveblack holes (or quasars for thosewith more energy) are surroundedby a ring of gases and dust. Thiscan absorb the x-rays emitted bythe gas sucked into the black hole,

which can normally be detectedfrom Earth, masking its presence.Emanuelle Daddi’s team of astrophysicists from the Frenchatomic energy agency, CEA (Commissariat à l’EnergieAtomique) superimposed infraredimages from Spitzer over x-rayimages from Chandra (both NASAsatellites). By revealing weak x-rays, they have shown the existence of massive black holes at the core of at least 20 % of thegalaxies situated between 9 and11 billion light years away fromEarth.This discovery furthers our understanding of the formation of remote galaxies: in its infancy,the Universe would have formedhundreds of millions of massiveblack holes. The discovery hasshown that collisions betweengalaxies – formerly considered tobe the mechanism triggering theactive phases of quasars – do notplay any such crucial role in theformation of young galaxies. Infact many galaxies harbour aquasar even though they have not undergone a collision.

www.cea.fr

© S

hutt

erst

ock

Composite colour image of GalaxyNGS 1097, with a bright source inthe centre of the ring and a giganticblack hole.

© E

SO

Primates studied at the YerkesNational Primate Research Center.

© F

rans

de

Waa

l, Ye

rkes

Nat

iona

l Prim

ate

Rese

arch

Cen

ter

An almost exA branch of physics, certainly an earth science, meteorology remains no less of a complex discipline. Forecasting what will change, giving order to chaos, resolving unresolvable equations: all this lies within the field of meteorology.Nevertheless, for several years, this discipline has had to adapt to an increasinglydemanding public, which requires super-precise weather forecasts but remainsparticularly sceptical – “they get it wrong every time!” Faced with such challenges, meteorology must constantly find the right balance: speaking of whatis certain, and stopping – at the risk of appearing imprecise – when uncertaintyarises. Added to this is the obligation of announcing extreme weather events as far as possible, without alarming the public at the smallest breeze…The credibility of the profession is always at stake.Nonetheless, meteorology can count on scientific advances. In 50 years, information and the arrival of satellites has enabled meteorology to develop by leaps and bounds. But “murky” areas remain today, a lack of understandingof how the atmospheric system works, theoretical obstacles, logistic gaps needed to make forecasts more precise. In all laboratories across the world, as well as in the field, scientific research is working to move this field towards perfection.


SPECIAL REPORTMETEOROLOGY

© S

cott

ish

Envi

ronm

ent P

rote

ctio

n A

genc

y(S

EPA

)

© M

étéo

-Fra

nce

© R

ob H

ine/

ECM

WF

© R

ob H

ine/

ECM

WF


act science

© E

umet

sat

We all know that if we open anoutside window in the middleof winter, cold air rushes intothe hot air zones. From this

essential thermodynamic principle meteorolo-gists are able to understand, explain and predictthe present and future weather. Hot air, beinglighter than cold, rises, leaving room for coldair which, being more dense, remains at thesurface and spreads across the vacant space.

At the planetary level, the entire atmos-pheric circulation is governed by this basicprinciple. Large air masses present around theglobe, each characterised by a homogenoustemperature and humidity level, move andcollide with one another owing to their dif-ference of density (and hence of pressure).

The forces in playEurope’s climate is influenced by five major

air masses: arctic, maritime polar, continentalpolar, maritime tropical and continental tropi-cal. These air masses are in constant movement,directed essentially by two forces: the pressuregradient force and the Coriolis force. Thepressure gradient force is the one we havealready mentioned, resulting from differences

in pressure between two points, pushing airmasses to adopt a movement directed fromhigh pressure to low pressure. This force isthe starting point for the movement of airmasses. Without it, the atmosphere wouldprobably be immobile, without one breath ofwind. The Coriolis force, caused by the Earth’srotational movement, pushes moving fluidsrightwards of their initial movement in thenorthern hemisphere and leftwards in thesouthern hemisphere. It is this Coriolis forcewhich gives the whirlwind-like aspect to the

depressions which we can easily make out onsatellite images.

Combining these forces, we get a roughidea of the movement of air masses in thenorthern hemisphere: turning clockwisearound high pressure zones and anticlockwisearound low pressure zones.

Two distinct air masses at the same altitudenecessarily have different pressure levels.When these come into contact, inevitablemovements between them are created by theforces in play. This gives us our weatherfronts. We speak of a “cold” front when amass of cold air moves towards a mass ofwarm air. Following the principles of thermo-dynamics, the cold air slips under the hot air,which rises. Conversely, we speak of a“warm” front when a warm air mass movestowards a cold air mass and sits on top of it.In both cases, weather fronts are at the originof depressions. These frontal depressions areoften synonymous with meteorological distur-bances in the zone in question.

The journey of an air particleIn a depression, the warm air at the Earth’s

surface begins to move upwards, coolingsimultaneously under the effect of adiabatictransformation. This unattractively namedthermal variation process is due solely tochanges in air pressure: just like compressedgas escaping from a cylinder, rising airexpands and cools. Inversely, when the airdescends again, it is compressed under theeffect of atmospheric pressure and heats upagain, just like the air when you pump up atyre. These adiabatic changes, which occurwithout any exchange of heat with the envi-ronment, produce a heat change of around1°C per 100 metres of altitude.

But air that cools as it rises gradually losesits capacity to store water vapour. While any airparticle (1) contains water vapour, the maximummass of water vapour it can hold variesaccording to the temperature. Once this massis reached, the air particle is saturated, and the


Where do the rain and shToday’s TV and Internet weather forecasts arestrewn with evocative pictograms. In a split second,viewers can form a precise idea of what the weather will be like tomorrow or the day after. But have they understood why the weather willchange like this? Very unlikely. Let’s take a brieflook at how our atmosphere functions.

ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICSS

PEC

IAL

REP

OR

TM

ETEO

ROLO

GY

© M

étéo

-Fra

nce

© M

étéo

-Fra

nce

water vapour condenses into minute droplets,around condensation nuclei – that is solid par-ticles in suspension in the air – to form clouds.For a particle of dry air at 25°C, the saturationpoint is 27.4 g of vapour per kilogramme ofair. But at 15 °C, the saturation point falls tojust 14.8 g. We can therefore understand that,as it cools in its ascending phase within adepression, the capacity of the air to storewater vapour reduces, and the excess vapourcondenses to form clouds. Sooner or later, fol-lowing complex microscopic processes, thedroplets contained in the clouds reach a cer-tain size and rain is formed.

If we continue to follow the journey of airparticles after rising in the centre of the depres-sion, we notice that they expand on rising.They spread out horizontally and reach thetops of high pressure zones, known also asanticyclones. Here, these air particles whichhave cooled and densified redescend, and arereheated by adiabatic compression. In thisway, close to the Earth’s surface, the air parti-cles are reheated and decrease in weight.Under the pressure of still cold descending airmasses, they migrate horizontally towards lowpressure zones, and start to ascend againinside the depression.

The weather related to anticyclonic situa-tions is generally dry and fair, as heated aircan contain more and more water vapour.Except under extreme conditions, clouds areunable to form.

The incredible fragility of weatherforecastsWith this knowledge, acquired over almost

a century, meteorologists are able to give moreor less detailed weather forecasts. Once thehumidity, temperature and pressure parametersof numerous contiguous air particles (2) areknown, it is possible to apply the laws of ther-modynamics and fluid mechanics, and calculatewhat the weather will be like at a particularplace once the air particles which have beenanalysed reach this place. Which is precisely

what meteorologists and their computers doon a daily basis.

But things are of course not that simple.Because within an air particle, whatever scalewe take, parameters are never totally uniform.This presents us with a far from negligible andconstantly present source of error, given thephysical impossibility of analysing at everymoment the parameters of every air molecule,right around the planet.

This difficulty takes a totally differentdimension once one realises that the Earth’satmosphere is chaotic, in the mathematicalsense of the term. This means that a tiny vari-ation in the initial conditions of the calculationcan produce very considerable variations inthe final outcome. Biased analysis of a singleair particle can make the whole forecastwrong. It was American meteorologist EdwardLorenz who demonstrated atmospheric chaosin 1963, suggesting that the beating of a butter-fly’s wings in Brazil could, by the displacementof air it provokes, produce a tornado inTexas… In other words, and simplifying to the

extreme, to forecast the tornado in Texas, onewould have needed to observe this wingbeat.

Data gathering, the key to forecastingAll this tells us just how important the stage

of observing initial situations is to forecasters.Biased starting information can produce aforecast which is significantly inaccurate formore distant dates. In this respect, meteorol-ogy has made constant progress. The toolsoriginally used to measure the state of theatmosphere were simplified versions of thosestill used today in around 12 000 land weatherstations: a thermometer for temperature, apluviometer for rain, a weather vane andanemometer for wind speed and direction, abarometer for air pressure, a hygrometer forhumidity, and a luxmeter for the intensity ofthe sun's radiation.

To these 12 000 land stations we shouldadd another 800 or so ocean stations, on fixedor floating buoys. But the disadvantage of thesestations is that they take measurements at mosta few metres above the Earth’s surface.


ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS

SP

ECIA

L R

EPO

RT

MET

EORO

LOG

Y

ine come from?

Atmospheric circulation

Stratosphere

Troposphere (altitude ± 15 km)

HP = High pressure LP= Low Pressure BP BPHPHP HP


ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICSS

PEC

IAL

REP

OR

T M

ETEO

ROLO

GY

To circumvent this problem, meteo -rologists have invented the balloon sensor, asort of weather station suspended from a bal-loon rising into the air and moving with thewind. Fitted with a radio transmitter and aGPS, the station sends out real-time informa-tion every 10 seconds both on its environmentand its location. The balloon itself, generallyinflated with hydrogen, rises at around 5 metresa second, and ending up always bursting, ataround 30 000 metres, owing to the differencebetween internal and external pressure. Thesensor has then finished its work and falls toEarth on a little parachute.

The big weak point of forecasting is rain.Even if there is still a long way to go (seepages 14–16), the introduction of meteorolog-ical radars has permitted attractive advances.At regular intervals, every 5–10 minutes, theysend out electromagnetic waves which, whenthey encounter precipitation, are reflectedwith an intensity which varies proportionallyto the size and intensity of these precipitation.From this return path the forecaster can visu-alise the type of rain, its geographical posi-tion, and its direction.

A huge step forward for meteorologyIt was the advent of satellites in the second

half of the 20th century that allowed meteo -rology to take its largest step forward. Thesesatellites are either stationary with respect toEarth, constantly flying over the same place35 800 km up, or else orbiting the planet,around 1 000 km up, filming strips severalthousand kilometres wide. Together theyenable us to observe the atmospheric systemas a whole. On-board radiometers and inter-ferometers sense, in the same way as radars,the different layers of the atmosphere down tothe Earth’s surface, in the visible spectrum toobserve cloud positions, in the infrared spec-trum to observe temperatures, and in the“water vapour” spectrum to observe air contentand humidity.

The European Union’s Eumetsat agencyplaces it at the forefront of weather satelliteobservation. In 1977 it launched its first satellite,Meteosat1. Today it is working withMeteosat9, which began its mission in 2005,and will complete it in 2014. In 2006, the firstEuropean orbiting satellite, MetOP-A, waslaunched from the Baikonur launch site. Two

© M

étéo

-Fra

nce

Meteo France weather instruments.

further orbiting satellites should follow overthe next eight years. Together, these meteo -rological satellites are contributing to the globalatmospheric observation system set up by theWorld Meteorological Organization.

Given that the atmosphere knows no fron-tiers, this international cooperation at a planetarylevel is proving more necessary than ever inorder to understand meteorological and, moregenerally, climatic issues.

Matthieu Lethé

(1) An air particle is a more or less tiny portion by volume of the atmosphere within which the parameters oftemperature, pressure and humidity are deemed to be homogenous.

(2) Meteorologists view the atmosphere as being parcelled out,in all three dimensions, into a large number of “boxes”.Depending on how fine a forecast is desired, these boxesvary in size from a few to several hundred kilometres in length and from a few metres to several tens of metresin height.

No breaks or weekends for these220 researchers and computerscientists. Like the weather, theirmachines never stop. The European

Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts(ECMWF) is buzzing with very silent activity.Every day 160 million weather observationsarrive from across the world. Twice a daythese are processed in one of Europe’s most

powerful computing centres, producing hun-dreds of weather forecasting maps for the nextfortnight.

Set up in 1975, the ECMWF has not stoppedexpanding ever since. Financed by around 30states, it also cooperates with internationalorganisations like the European Organisationfor the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites(EUMETSAT) and the European Space Agency


FORECASTING MODELS

SP

ECIA

L R

EPO

RT

MET

EORO

LOG

Y

Reading: the impossible weather equationWhat is probably the most important weather centre andthe least known to the general public is to be found to thewest of London, in Reading. Its models and forecasts serveas a basis for most of Europe’s national meteorologicalbodies. This collaboration of excellence acts as a magnetfor Europe’s best scientists and meteorologists.

The metops (meteo operations) room,the ECMWF’s nerve centre, where the new maps according to the probabilistic model are hung up twice a day.

© R

ob H

ine/

ECM

WF

(ESA). The reason this autonomous body is solittle known is that it does not work directlywith end-users, but rather only with nationalweather forecasting centres and private meteo -rological service companies.

Its many missions include research intoclimate and climate change, the generalarchiving of weather data, and medium-rangeforecasting – from two days to two weeks intothe future – on a global scale. ECMWF is todaythe world leader in medium-range weatherforecasting, while national meteorologicaloffices take care of local and short-rangeforecasting.

Medium-range forecasts“The entire Earth’s atmosphere is taken

into account and modelled”, explains

ECMWF’s director, Dominique Marbouty.“The idea is to computer-simulate its evolu-tion. Starting from the weather situation at aparticular point in time, and applying the lawsof mechanics and thermodynamics, we endup with a system of unsolvable simultaneousequations, to which we have to find approximatesolutions. Hence the use of computers andcalculators.”

This global vision is predicated on beingable to access meteorological observations –temperature, atmospheric pressure, windspeed and direction, hygrometry, clouds, rain,snow – from across the planet. These meas-urements are gathered from ground stations,by weather balloons and drifting buoys, shipsand aircraft, and transmitted to Reading bynational centres. Bodies like EUMETSAT,ESA, NASA and others provide satellite data,with precise vertical temperature and humidi-ty profiles, along with cloud positions andtypes. “Our centre was the first to develop adata assimilation system permitting extensiveuse of satellite data”, Dominique Marboutycontinues. “This scientific choice, which wasdifficult to make at the time, given the enor-mous investment, has paid off, and mostnational centres have followed the trend.”

Modelling the atmosphereOf these 160 million daily information items,

six million – considered the most pertinent andbest disseminated across the Earth’s surface –

are selected to describe the state of the atmo -sphere. The idea is to get the most accurate“picture” possible. To this end, the whole ofthe Earth’s surface has been divided into agrid, and observations are attached to thecrossover points. The fact that observationsare taken at 91 altitude levels gives an idea ofthe system’s complexity. The smaller the gridsquares, the finer and more precise thedescription of the current atmospheric situa-tion. Right now the centre works with 25-kmgrid squares. This makes a lot of grid points atplanetary level, but very few for little coun-tries like Belgium or Luxembourg, which aredescribed by a few points only. This situationjustifies the existence of high resolution modelsused by national meteorological institutes: theirgrids are more finely meshed, making theirshort-range national forecasts more precise andreliable. They are better able to simulate, andtherefore forecast, storms and other localimpact weather events.

In this way, in both space and time, theareas covered by the ECMWF and nationalinstitutes are complementary: the forecastsfrom Reading provide the general frameworkof the Earth’s atmosphere and the boundaryconditions, which national institutes then useto frame their own local, small-scale, short-range forecasts.

Two key forecasting toolsTwice a day, the ECMWF publishes both

the current atmospheric condition and itshypothetical evolution up to 15 days ahead.20 years ago it went no further than one week.An important and original feature of theECMWF is that its forecasts come with a relia-bility coefficient. This is made possible by twocomplementary approaches, one based on a“deterministic”, the other on a “probabilistic”model.

The deterministic model is the traditionalone: starting with the filtered data, the com-puters derive the current situation of theatmosphere. This is already valuable news. Justthink of air travel, where a hurricane 300 kmaway will be reached by a passenger aircraftin 25 minutes. But more especially, the currentsituation is a necessary starting point for anyforecasting. Mathematically, the parameters ofthe current situation provide the starting condi-tions for resolving simultaneous equations

describing the evolution of the atmosphere. Inthis way weather forecast maps are producedfor one, two, three and up to 15 days ahead.

The reliability of these forecasts decreaseswith the number of days ahead. But certainforecasts are more reliable than others. Forexample, forecasts during a period of fineweather are more reliable than those madeduring very unstable atmospheric conditions.The probabilities attached to any forecast – thatis, what are the chances of the forecast condi-tions actually occurring? – are determined usingthe probabilistic model.

The probabilistic modelThe basic idea is as follows: as time equa-

tion systems are sensitive to the initial condi-tions – and the atmosphere is a chaotic system– and as the initial data are relatively imprecise,forecasters vary these data to produce 50 variantsof the initial atmospheric situation, eachslightly different from the next, which theythen introduce into the simultaneous equa-tions. These give 50 different forecasts.Comparing these gives us very valuable infor-mation: when the results overlap (in x days’time in a particular region), the reliability of theforecasts is high. Where the forecasts contradictor vary considerably, their reliability is lower.

This comparison also provides the boundarylimits within which certain forecast parameters(temperatures, winds, pressures, etc.) can beexpected to lie. In this way the probabilisticmodel can serve to exclude certain weatherconditions in x days’ time. For example thespeed of the storm wind will not exceed a par-ticular value limit. This type of information isvery valuable for many applications in thetransport and manufacturing industries, inagriculture, etc. If a boiler needs repairing, it isnot important where between 5°C and 11°C thelowest temperature is going to lie, providingone is certain that it is not going to freeze.

Meteorological researchAs Research Director Philippe Bougeault

explains, “the big uncertainties come from thefact that we do not precisely know the atmos-pheric equations and the physics of the models.We are therefore trying all the time to improveour digital models, in particular with a betterunderstanding of clouds and how they affect


FORECASTING MODELSS

PEC

IAL

REP

OR

T M

ETEO

ROLO

GY

ECMWF ResearchDirector Philippe Bougeault.

ECMWF DirectorDominique Marbouty.

© A

lexa

ndre

Waj

nber

g

© A

lexa

ndre

Waj

nber

g

the weather, and by a better representation ofthe phenomenon of radiation.”

Tightening the grid plays an important rolehere. “Our objective is to increase our spatialresolution by 60% every five years. Betweennow and 2015, the grid will be reduced downto 10-km squares, at 91 different altitudes. Thiswill require faster calculation methods and aconsiderable step-up in computing perform-ance. Optimising the forecast model algo-rithms is something very specific to theECMWF.”

One thing the centre is working on rightnow is a non-hydrostatic project. “This will

involve taking greater account of the variableascension speeds of local hot air masses, inparticular inside large clouds. Until now wehave omitted vertical accelerations in order tosimplify the equation systems.” Finally, andalways in an attempt to come closer to reality,the current tendency is to introduce newparameters into the atmospheric models. Forexample, scientists are increasingly keen toinclude the effects of waves, which act as abrake on displacements of air masses, and ofparticles suspended in the air (aerosols) whichchange the temperature by interacting withthe sun’s radiation. Another such parameter isthe nature of the ground covering: the plantcover has seasonal effects as its colour influ-ences the ground temperature, and thereforethat of the air.”

Satellites – the key to the future“We are investing a lot of energy in obtaining

as much data as possible via the satellites.They offer a continuous stream of measure-ments, of known reliability and which can beautomatically processed. They have becomeessential. Without them, our forecasting rangein the southern hemisphere would be cut backfrom five days to two, with the same level ofreliability.

Right now, over 45 satellite instruments areexamining our atmosphere. We want to meas-ure the temperature of air masses directly byradiation observance. Right now we are using300 wavelengths – 300 different “channels” –and we are aiming to up this to 4 000 in a fewyears’ time. We are also placing a lot of hopeon a new instrument, the Lidar – a laser-basedradar operating from the satellites. By measuringthe Doppler effect caused by the retro-diffusionof light by moving particles, this will give usdirect access to wind speeds at every altitude.This will be a real first.”

Finally, using the ECMWF’s meteorologicalarchives, which are the largest in the world,past data can be taken and run using today'smodels and computers. The “re-analysis”,which serves to validate current models aposteriori, shows that weather events like thefamous storm in 1953 which did so muchdamage in the Netherlands and England –and which was not forecast at the time –would have been forecast several days aheadtoday.

Marrying weather and climateThe state of the oceans and their interaction

with the atmosphere also need to be takeninto account, as water temperatures influencethose of the air. This makes it possible to antic-ipate certain phenomena seasonally or evenannually, rather than daily, like the famous ElNiño. Here we are moving away from the areaof weather fluctuation and towards that ofclimate and its long-term variations.

The incidence of major weather events likehurricanes or heatwaves is statistically rising.Meteorological models will need to be able toforecast them, and the resolution of climatemodels will need to improve to reflect theexpected increase in these events. In otherwords, meteorological and climatologicalapproaches are increasingly converging. Weare on the verge of a conceptual revolution,that of the unified meteo-climate system. Thiswill present an extraordinary scientific andtechnical challenge.

Alexandre Wajnberg


FORECASTING MODELS

SP

ECIA

L R

EPO

RT

MET

EORO

LOG

YSpecial projects

Specific regional needs are covered byad hoc cooperations. Two examples are:Arpège, Action de Recherche Petite

Échelle Grande Échelle (small-scale, large-scale research action) Five-day forecastsaround the globe, by Météo France. Samemodel and same equations as at the ECMWF,developed jointly but used differently: thegrids vary in size and are focused on France.In the short range, the weather in the mid-Pacific does not call for the same precision.

Cosmo, COnsortium for Small-scale MOdel -ling. This is the application of Germany’s LokalModell in cooperation with Switzerland, Italy,Greece, Poland and Romania. Grid squares ofjust 7 km and 45 levels above the Alps finelymodel Alpine meteorology, taking accountof the effects of this particular relief.

The metops (meteo operations) room, theECMWF’s nerve centre where the new mapscreated using the probabilistic model arehung up twice a day.

www.ecmwf.int/

Forecasts for the Reading region, published on 3 December 2007, giving the brackets within whichcloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and temperature are expected to develop, in six-hoursteps, over the next 10 days. Each bar is the resultof a probabilistic modelling of 50 forecasts, each diverging slightly from the initial conditions.The longer the time range, the longer the bars asthe forecasting uncertainty increases.

© E

CM

WF


When the skies openShould we put this all downto climate change? Maybeyes, maybe no. What is certain is that during thepast few years, Europe hasbeen regularly struck byvarious meteorologicalcatastrophes: violent storms,unprecedented flooding,prolonged heatwaves andhuge forest fires. The list of victims is growing andcompensation claims arescaring insurance companies. During thistime, research has beenadvancing, with the objective of improving forecasting accuracy.

WEATHER ALARMSS

PEC

IAL

REP

OR

TM

ETEO

ROLO

GY

Professor VolkerWulfmeyer wishesgood luck to the Copsproject at the first balloon launch. ©

Uni

vers

ität H

ohen

heim

/Mur

at

© S

hutt

erst

ock

The Mediterranean coastal regionsare particularly vulnerable to heavyrains. The soil, left dry and imper-meable by long periods of hot

weather, is no longer able to absorb suddenand intense rainfall. The water rushes down tothe bottom of the valleys, swelling rivers intotorrents which carry away everything in theirpath. The human and material damage canbe substantial. Between 1950 and 2000, some2 200 people died in Spain as a result of thisphenomenon, 815 of them trapped by risingwater and dead within 3 hours. More recently,in 2002, floods in the French département ofGard cost the lives of 23 people while the billfor the material damage reached €1.2 billion.

To limit the impact of these flash floods, theFlash research programme, part of the 6thEuropean Framework Programme, and withfunding of €1.2 million from the Commission,has set itself the objective of improving fore-casting of the sudden, intense downfallswhich cause such damage, both in the shortrange – 1-2 days – and in the very short range– 2-3 hours. “We know that a correlation existsbetween heavy rainfall in thunderstorm zonesand electrical activity within these same zones”,explains Colin Price, who coordinates the Flashprogramme at the University of Tel-Aviv (IL).“Several studies have demonstrated that, in athunderstorm, increased electrical activityfrequently corresponds to an increase in rain

intensity.” The mechanisms of the relation-ship, however, remain unclear.

Twenty three floods as witnessesUnlike rain clouds, which radars can pick

up only up to a few hundred kilometres away,thunderstorms can be easily observed at muchgreater distances. This is because the lightningdischarges emit very low frequency electricalelectromagnetic waves (micro-waves), whichtravel several thousand kilometres and cantherefore be picked up a long way off, in par-ticular by satellites. Forecasting the formationof a storm zone is therefore possible, butknowing where and with what intensity therain is going to fall is quite a different matter.It is here that the Flash researchers come in.

“We began our research”, Colin Price con-tinues, “by analysing a posteriori a series of23 flash floods following sudden cloudburstsin the Mediterranean basin, and for which wehave full rainfall and electrical activity data.These data come from weather satellites andradars, but also from ground-level observa-tions by weather stations. We then integratedthese data into computer models that enableus to forecast heavy rainfall in the short andvery short term. By taking each of the 23 flashfloods and comparing the predictions givenby these models with what in fact happened,we can assess the reliability of the algorithmsused. The algorithms that work best withthese past examples can then be tested andused in real time. In this way, people can infuture be warned of imminent heavy rainfall.”

Once these models are up and running theFlash researchers will not simply pack theirbags and go home. It is also important to havereliable models that can forecast how the rain-water will be distributed in the hydrologicalbasins of each affected region. Depending onthe geology, relief, level of urbanisation,impermeability of the soil and many otherparameters, a heavy downfall can become tor-rential or not, devastating or not. “This isFlash's main challenge”, Colin Price is keen tostress. “Combining observation data in differ-ent formats and space-time scales, then inte-grating them into just as varied models is amajor difficulty that we shall have to surmountin order to achieve the public utility goalwhich has been set for us, of being able toforewarn local populations of imminent flash

flooding and avoiding as much damage aspossible.”

Cops, a hyper-precise modelChange of scene. In June 2007, a scientific

armada code-named Cops (Convective andOrographically-induced Precipitation Study)was deployed over a three-month period in azone between the Vosges (FR) and the BlackForest (DE). Its task was to observe how thun-derstorms form. Why here and why at thistime of year? “Because the summer season ispropitious for the formation of thunder-storms”, explains Evelyne Richard, researchdirector at the Centre national de la recherchescientifique – CNRS (FR) and coordinator ofthe French part of Cops. “This tendency isreinforced by the semi-mountainous relief ofthe zone we studied. By choosing this regionwe were certain to have a sufficiently largenumber of case studies.”

But Cops is also part of a much broaderproject to introduce new digital local weatherforecasting models, supplementing those ofthe ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting) (1) at Reading (UK),and replacing existing secondary models inGermany and France. “Over many years, themodels have improved considerably in termsof forecasting temperature, cloud cover, wind,etc. But rain forecasting has advanced very lit-tle. We need to be able to correct this bias forthe next models”, Evelyne Richard continues.“One perspective is to considerably improvethe model’s precision by tightening the grid.We need to end up with 2.5-km grid squaresand altitude layers of around 10 metres forthose layers closest to the earth’s surface. Evenif it is still too early to draw precise conclusions,we can already say that we have madeprogress, since certain models we are experi-menting with have been able to forecast stormswhich were not predicted by the operatingmodels.”

Ground-air operationThe high expectations placed on the project

were certainly matched by the scale of resourcesdeployed. Five advanced observation postswere laid out on an east–west axis, from theVosges to the edge of the Black Forest, passingthrough the Rhine valley. All were fitted withthe same cutting-edge equipment for


WEATHER ALARMS

SP

ECIA

L R

EPO

RT

MET

EORO

LOG

Y

scrutinising the sky and picking upall the potential components – temperature,wind, water vapour, particles – of “summerconvective precipitations”, more commonlyknown as thunderstorms. Researchers wereable to track the evolution of storm cloudsfrom their formation, generally on the heightsof the Vosges, through to their dissolutiondownstream from the Black Forest.

Radars and lidars (laser radars) incorporatedinto these ephemeral weather stations werebacked by a network of 80 GPS stations acrossthe study zone. Why GPSs? Because satellitesignals beamed to these locating devices areslightly delayed when the atmospheric humiditylevel is high. This particularity can be used tocalculate the amount of water vapour betweenthe satellite and the GPS base.

To supplement these observations, Copsalso used two mobile radars to compensatethe gaps between the 80 GPS stations andthe five weather stations. In the same spirit,teams criss-crossed the region releasingweather balloons. Finally, a fleet of no lessthan eight super-equipped aircraft flewover the study, each carrying radars andlidars for examining the atmosphere underthe aircraft’s belly, each releasing largenumbers of dropsondes.

“In three months, thanks to this hardware”,concludes Evelyne Richard, “Cops was able togather a large quantity of data. These wereintroduced into test models which wereadjusted as time went on. In the longer term weshould have a reliable model, at least for oursubject area, which is forecasting thunder storm

precipitations in zones with very hilly reliefpatterns.”

Matthieu Lethé

(1) See article on page 11


WEATHER ALARMS

Flash

9 partners – 5 countries (IL, GR, CY, ES, IT)

flash-eu.tau.ac.il

Cops

18 partners – 8 countries (DE, FR, UK, IT, NL,

AU, US, CH)

www.cops2007.de/

Meteoalarm

20 participating countries

www.meteoalarm.eu/

Alert in four colours

Thursday 8 November 2007. Panic stations at the KNMI – KoninklijkNederlands Meteorologisch Instituut, the Dutch national meteo -rological institute. Very high tides are expected that evening

and the next day which could endanger the country's infrastructuresand populations. The authorities are immediately warned to enablethem to take appropriate measures. At the same time, the KNMI sendsout a signal to Meteoalarm to put the country on maximum red alert.

The www.meteoalarm.eu Internet site, launched on 23 March 2007 atthe initiative of Eumetnet – a consortium of public weather forecastingservices – is tasked with alerting web users to weather-related risks likefloods, storms, heatwaves, fog, snowfall, high winds and forest fires. Forthis it uses a four-colour code – green, yellow, orange and red dependingon the level of alert – enabling users to evaluate the situation at a glance,in each region of each participating country. “Our strength”, says technicaldirector Michael Staudinger, “lies in having put together a harmonisedEuropean alert system on a single platform. Meteoalarm allows manypeople travelling abroad to find a single weather alert system in eachcountry visited.”

With 280 million clicks since the site was opened, and with peaks of12 million clicks a day during alerts, Meteoalarm serves both the generalpublic and emergency services. Managed by the Austrian meteorologicalinstitute with funding of € 2 million, it receives regular information fromnational weather services – “some send their files every five minutes, othersfour times a day”, Michael Staudinger tells us. Future developmentsinclude “opening the system to other European countries or setting up anintranet service though which civil protection services can prepare foralerts up to five days ahead.”

SP

ECIA

L R

EPO

RT

MET

EORO

LOG

Y

The Perth–Invernessline (Scotland) duringthe December 2006floods

© S

cott

ish

Envi

ronm

ent P

rote

ctio

n A

genc

y (S

EPA

)

Dieter Kaufman is a chemist andresearcher in a German privateinstitute. He has just won a oneyear research contract in

Stockholm. This will involve him workingalternately one month in Sweden and onemonth in Germany with his existing employer.Dieter will continue to receive his regularsalary from his institute, whilst the city ofStockholm will grant him € 3 000 a month tocover various expenses. Does this make Dietera full-time employee? Will the additional expe-rience he gains in Sweden be recognized inGermany? Is he working two half-time jobs?What tax system does he come under? Fromthe viewpoint of social legislation, any num-ber of interpretations seem possible. He couldbe considered as having two simultaneousactivities in two Member States, beingemployed in Germany and part-time inSweden, being employed in Germany anddetached to Sweden, working in Germanybetween two missions in Sweden… Caught inthe labyrinth of the practical application ofregulation 1408/71, it will cost him quite sometime to sort out his status and find the infor-mation that applies to his specific situation.

Europe road blocksDieter is just one example of the difficulties

that lie in wait for nomadic scientists. “Attractivecareers and seamless mobility are essential for

researchers… but far from being a reality”, saysthe Green Paper “The European Research Area:New Perspectives”, published recently by theCommission (1), which has given rise to wide-ranging consultation (see box). The answershave been analysed by a Group of Experts,which has already submitted an initial interimreport, with a more detailed final report tofollow. This first report observes that“researchers continue to see their careerprospects held back by a host of legal and

practical obstacles which block their mobilitybetween institutions, sectors and countries”.

Mobility runs up against various specificallyEuropean obstacles. University posts are inmost cases reserved for nationals. Governmentsgenerally require research funding to be spentin the beneficiary country. A battery of admin-istrative constraints lies in wait for those whohave succeeded in getting recruited beyondtheir home borders. Social systems (pensions,family allowances, healthcare, etc.),


EUROPEAN RESEARCH AREA

Realpolitik for mobility “National preference”, the complex puzzle of differing social security systems and administrativeproblems are just some of the pitfalls lying in waitfor scientists wanting to have international careers.The Commission’s Green Paper on the EuropeanResearch Area is opening new avenues for facilitating this type of career, with a broad-basedconsultation of those most concerned.

legislation and regulations (education,qualifications, access to the profession, workpermits), family policy and salaries differwidely from one country to another. Everyoneends up confused.

Another example is Miguel Herrada. Afterfinishing a PhD in biology in Belgium, he wasemployed there by a pharmaceutical laboratory,where for two years he worked on a post-doctorate. After this he returned to Spain,married and went looking for a job. On applyingfor unemployment benefit, article 67 (3) of law1408/71 was waved in his face. He had notpaid sufficient contributions in Spain. Hewould have been entitled to unemploymentpay in respect of his time in Belgium (wherehe had paid tax and social security) for aperiod of… three months. Unfortunately, heomitted to fill in the special forms before leavingthe country.

A single labour marketThese complications and ambiguities

would be removed if the harmonisation ofresearcher status, which the Union is propos-ing, were to be achieved via a single labourmarket, “involving notably the absence offinancial or administrative obstacles to trans-national mobility” (2). Ideally, one would endup with “full opening of academic researchpositions and national research programmesacross Europe, with a strong drive to recruitresearchers internationally, and easy movementbetween disciplines and between the publicand private sectors – such mobility becoming astandard feature of a successful research career.”

For this do we need a “binding” Europeanframework, aimed at improving trans-nationalrecruitment conditions, the European dimen-sion of careers, and the harmonisation ofsocial security? How do we apply the princi-ples of “flexisecurity” (combining work flexi-bility with job security) to the research world?How do we meet researchers’ need for life-long education and training? These are someof the questions, relating more specifically tothe topic of mobility, raised by the responsesto the huge Commission consultation.

Opening up the field Right now, researcher recruitment differs

considerably between the private sector(where personality and motivation are factors

in the selection procedure) and the publicsector (based on scientific competence).Statuses vary, and careers advance differently,from one country to the next - most scientistsbeing civil servants in certain countries.

How can one unblock this situation? True,the Commission has launched its EuropeanResearchers’ Mobility Portal containing joboffers, but this site is far from centralising allopportunities on offer – and certainly not thetop jobs. To counter this “protectionist” ten-dency, experts are interested in the possibilityof an initial selection procedure based on acandidate file, without interviews or writtenexaminations. Not requiring applicants to travelsimply for a first interview could increase thenumber of nationalities applying for jobs andby extension the overall number of applicants.The problem of eligibility applies also tofemale researchers, who are under-represented,in particular in positions of responsibility.One idea the Green Paper launches is reducingdiscriminatory factors in the hiring process byasking candidates to list just five to ten publi-cations, which would put greater emphasis onquality than on quantity.

Widening the catchment area is not enough,however, to overcome the question of youngpeople’s lack of interest in science. One answercould be to transform researchers’ conditions ofexistence, allowing them a better balancebetween professional and private life (which



The effects of theCharter & Code

T he European Charter for Researchers andthe Code of Conduct for their Recruitment(also known as the Charter and Code or

more simply C&C), was published by theCommission in 2005. It is not a regulation but aframework proposed to Member States. Thecharter's objective is to incite public and privateplayers to take proper account of the Europeandimension of research careers. This approachincludes in particular trans-national job offersand providing support opportunities toresearchers.

Almost 60 % of respondents to the GreenPaper questionnaire welcomed these measuresintended to improve recognition of the profes-sion and salary conditions. But whilst most ofthese find the intention worthy, three-fifths ofthem believe that the non-binding nature of theC&C has prevented it from having a largeenough influence.

Differences in researcher status also compli-cate the application of the C&C. ETUCE (EuropeanTrade Union Committee for Education) proposeslinking the granting of funding by Europeanresearch programmes to the recognition of thisstatus and the application of certain of its prin-ciples. Others, like Inra – Institut national de larecherche agronomique (FR) – would prefercertification of institutions which apply thecharter. This would be “an excellent way ofimplementing it, with no need for coercive reg-ulations”. A large majority (75%) of respondentsalso believe that a C&C label would encourageemployers and funders to apply these principles.

The private sector, on the other hand, fightsshy of any principle of obligation, preferring avoluntary basis, for example, when it comes topublication of job offers. As the manager of asmall high tech company puts it: “it is difficult toimagine an SME being required to publish all itsR&D offers on the European Researchers' Mobilityportal and to use selection committees com-posed in the manner prescribed by the Code”.

ec.europa.eu/eracareers/pdf/eur_21620_en-fr.pdf

69.4% of respondents would welcome), withgenuine career planning, competitive pay andpossibilities for creativity. All too often, inEurope, researchers find themselves workingon their mentors’ topics. Scientific autonomy isdiscouraged. But at doctoral or post-doctorallevel, researchers prefer to be seen as profes-sionals rather than as eternal students.

And at the end of it all…And then, in research as elsewhere, today’s

young people are thinking of... their retire-ment. This question is considered as one ofthe main social problems militating againstresearcher mobility (27.8% of respondents).More than half those answering on Internetwould like to see a common European legalsystem adapted to mobile workers. From theyoungest to the oldest of them, many areafraid that their pension rights will vanish intothin air if they decide to return to their homecountries at the end of their careers. “Theinstruments to resolve this question need tobe prepared now, otherwise the most mobileresearchers will also be the poorest when theyreach retirement age...”

Senior economics researcher AdrianaPopescu from Romania is a veritable incarna-tion of mobility, having worked twenty yearsin Romania, five in the UK, four in Belgiumand eleven in Italy. She has decided to retireto Rome, after completing her final post at an



Italian university. She now has to have herpension rights validated in every country shehas worked, mentioning the international sideof her career. She is battling with an impressivenumber of forms and paperwork in an attemptto have information on her case. Patient waitingis needed.

Several solutions have been explored bythe Group of Experts to facilitate mobileresearchers’ pension rights. In the short term,a Pension Support Centre (PSC) could be setup in each Member State. This system wouldprovide qualified managers with a betterunderstanding of the problem. It would helpanchor the “portability” of supplementarypension rights directive, once adopted, innational regulations, and would enableinterested parties to obtain consistentadvice. Other intermediate solutions, like apan-European pension fund for researchers,are also envisaged.

In other words it is from A to Z, from thebeginning to the end of professional life, thatthe very special mobility of scientists, which isbecoming an increasing necessity with theglobalisation of knowledge, needs to berethought.

Christine Rugemer(1) “The European Research Space: new prospects”, Green

paper 04.04.2007. ISBN 978-92-79-05535-5. This workassesses the outcomes of initiatives launched since thecreation of the ERA and avenues to be pursued to give itmore concrete form. A special sub-chapter is devoted toachieving a single labour market for researchers.

(2) All unspecified quotations are from the Green Paper.

Green paper and consultation

The Green Paper The European ResearchArea: new perspectives, published bythe Commission in April 2007, was

followed by a traditional consultation pro-cedure. Questionnaires were sent to theinstitutions and research players. At the sametime these same questions were placed online and available to everyone. 685 surfersresponded. 130 position papers were sub-mitted by institutions.

Most respondents felt that mobilityshould not be seen simply as a response toemployment market needs, but also as provid-ing additional qualifications and experiencefor researchers working in different environ-ments. In this perspective they emphasisethe need for common social legislation.Among the ideas advanced, we find also thedesire for a closer alignment of Europeanresearch and education policies.

ec.europa.eu/research/era/


IN BRIEF

Moving towards aEuropean researchministry

The Commission should quit itsrole of a research project financinginstitution and become a decision-making body in which tomorrow’sscience policies are forged,according to Janez Potočnik,European Commissioner forScience and Research, speaking at a political debate organised bythe European Policy Centre (EPC) on 11 October 2007. Creating an external agency tomanage Commission-sponsoredresearch projects would free upthe Directorate-General forScience and Research to refocuson developing policies for managing and promoting theEuropean Research Area (ERA). DG Research would then graduallydevelop into a real, decision-mak-

ing European research ministry ofsorts. The Commissioner envisagesthis reorganisation taking place by2013, even if it is going to be difficult to outsource certainsuperprojects like Galileo.

When powdersturn into crystals

Microcrystal structures will soonbe giving up their secrets. Earlylast October, researchers at theInstitut Lavoisier (FR), using a newdevice from the ESRF (EuropeanSynchrotron Radiation Facility), succeeded in determining thecrystalline structure of a compositeof the order of one cubic micronfor the first time anywhere in theworld. Until now composites havehad to be bigger than 1 000 cubicmicrons (i.e. 10 times larger ineach direction) for X-ray diffractionanalysis. Below this, grains wereviewed as a powder, the propertiesof which could be characterised,and then only with great difficulty,by the “powder diffractionmethod”. Using the new ESRF device, thatcombines a light beam focusingsystem with a goniometer, it isnow possible to characterisegrains a thousand times smaller.This opens up a myriad of newprospects for chemists, physiciansand biologists, as characterisingthe crystalline structure of a molecule effectively lifts the veilon its properties.

www.esrf.eu

Belgium: one point

US magazine The Scientistpublished last November theresults of its Best Places to Work,2007 survey. And to everyone’ssurprise, little Belgium has beatenthe United States and Canada totop place as the best country for doing research. This is a big first for this littleEuropean state, which haddropped from 4th to 6th placebetween 2004 and 2006. The surveyhas been organised every yearsince 1993, and this year’s resultreflects the responses receivedfrom more than 2 000 American,Canadian and European scientists.These results come as a shot in thearm to Belgium, which wentthrough a serious political crisis in 2007.

Emotions laboratory

Research is continuing into thesensitive area of human emotions.The FeelEurope platform, initiatedunder the 6th FrameworkProgramme, brings together 30 experts from 10 EU countries to discuss the many ways of measuring emotions. Their workwill provide a basis for newresearch, technologies, cooperativeventures and innovations aimed atdeveloping specific technicalapplications and various cognitivesystems like human-computer

EUROPEAN NEWS Oceans are becoming CO2

saturated

The North Atlantic’s CO2 absorptioncapacity appears to have fallen by50 % over a 10-year period. Atleast this is what researchers fromthe European CarboOcean projecthave recently concluded from ananalysis of data gathered between1995 and 2005 by commercial car-go vessels. Scientists, who are blaming globalwarming for the slowing of theoceans’ “carbon pump”, are concerned at how these new datawill affect the models used untilnow to predict climate evolution.If the seas were to soak up less carbon dioxide, the concentrationof this greenhouse gas in theatmosphere would increase muchmore and faster than expected.This news sends shivers down ourspines, in particular as experts arepredicting that CO2 saturation inthe oceans could be followed bythe massive liberation of the CO2

already imprisoned in it. Anotherstudy in May 2007 warned of similar saturation of theSouthern Ocean which encirclesthe Antarctic.

www.carboocean.org

© E

urop

ean

Com

mis

sion

Janez Potočnik.

© C

arb

oOce

an

Plankton net on CarboOcean scientific vessels.

© S

hutt

erst

ock


IN BRIEF

interfaces, emotional training systems and robots that are ableto express emotions. The physiological impact ofhuman emotions is undeniable. Inaddition to simple analysis meth-ods like voice recognition,FeelEurope aims to develop newmethods using innovative signalrecognition algorithms. The cur-rent inventory of knowledge inthis area will make it possible todefine new research avenues forprojects in the 7th FrameworkProgramme.

www.feeleurope.org

Forest site

The European Forest Institute andthe University of Joensuu (FI) haverecently joined forces to launchEuroforest, a free portal forEuropean forestry experts. Thiseasily accessible and particularlyexhaustive portal offers a widerange of data – organisations, webpages, information networks, and a selection of particularly valuable reports – by subject orgeographical area. Specific sectionson key themes like ecosystems,biodiversity, climate change andgreenhouse gas emissions makethe portal particularly valuable for

forestry research. With informationpotentially available in everyCommunity language, Euroforestwill be a valuable resource for better understanding these plantand animal communities that are among the most complex on our planet.

forestportal.efi.int

analysis, the hole had moved further away from the South Pole,mixing in with warmer air, which placed a break on itsgrowth (ozone disappears at temperatures below –78 °C). These data come from an ozonelayer monitoring and forecastingdepartment of the ESA, whichbrings together over 30 partnersfrom 11 countries in the Promote(PROtocol MOniToring for the global monitoring for Environmentand security service element) consortium.

www.esa.int

Cheated cockroaches

Cockroaches believe in consultativedecision-making. Scientists hadsuspected this for a very long time,but had not come up with anyexperiment with which to test thistheory. Now they have, thanks to the researchers of Leurre(the French word for a “lure” or“decoy”), a European project withthe global objective of analysinganimals’ social behaviour. To demonstrate this collectivedecision-making process, scientists used mini-robots, christened Insbots, each the size of a cockroach and covered withpheromones. Not only were thesemini-robots accepted by the cockroach colony in the Leurreproject, but they also succeeded ininteracting with the group, evenas far at times as influencing thegroup’s decision-making. These results offer hope of developing ways of influencingthe behaviour of animal groups or obtaining precision informationfor developing autonomous mini-robot systems.

leurre.ulb.ac.be

Hips linked tobreast cancer

Hips, which are traditional indicators of fertility, can also belinked with breast cancer. A US–European research teamexamined over 6 000 Finnishwomen for this type of cancer.Comparison of the hip sizes ofpatients' mothers showed a strongcorrelation between a mother’ship size and her daughters’propensity for breast cancer. The larger and rounder the mother’s hips, the greater thechances of her daughters developing breast cancer. For the researchers, this link canbe explained by the mothers’ hormonal profiles. Large, roundhips indicate high levels of sexualhormone production. During itsgestation, the foetus is in directcontact with the maternal hormones, inducing a greater danger of breast cancer.

Ozone in bettershape

The European Space Agency (ESA)’sEnvisat satellite has recentlyshown a 30 % contraction of thehole in the ozone layer comparedwith the record year of 2006. But this does not necessarily mean that the ozone layer isreconstituting. At the time of the

© K

NM

I/ES

A

© S

hutt

erst

ock

© S

hutt

erst

ock

Forecasts for 2005


IN BRIEF

Arctic passage

The melting of the Arctic ice capreached a record this year. Its sur-face area was just 4.24 million km²in September 2007, comparedwith 8 million km² in 2005. Parallelwith this, sea traffic in this part ofthe globe has increased signifi-cantly, both for mineral exploita-tion – gas, oil, etc. – and fortourism. This is due in particular tothe improved accessibility of theArctic Sea with the retreat of thepack ice. But experts from the InternationalIce Charting Working Group(IICWG), meeting at the end ofOctober in Italy at ESRIN, the ESA’sEarth observation centre, warnagainst increasing this traffic. Packice and icebergs are a far fromnegligible source of accidents –hence the importance of the newGMES (Global Monitoring forEnvironment and Security) sentrysatellites developed by the ESA formaintaining an effective ice moni-toring service.

nsidc.org/noaa/iicwg/

Evolution: safetylies not in flight

A team of Finnish, Swedish andGerman researchers has recentlydiscovered a new evolution mechanism of the symphyta, common known as the sawflyeven though it is a hymenoptera.This herbivorous insect reproducesby laying its larvae on plants,forming botanical galls, a verycommon type of excrescence inthe plant world. But symphytahave enemies. Parasitoids colonisethe galls, feeding on the larvae orevicting them.The genetic diversity of symphytaand parasitoids is impressive. Untilnow this diversity was believed tobe linked essentially to theappearance of new plant specieswhich allow symphyta to evolveby adapting to new hosts and soescaping the parasitoids – that isuntil these adapt in turn.But an 18-year study of galls fromwillow trees has shown that it isonly as a last recourse thatsawflies, in their evolution, takeflight to other plant species.

Rather they first develop newtypes of gall, which disrupt theparasitoids’ plans. Of course, thelatter diversify as a result, and therespite is provisional… no morethan several million years!

www.biomedcentral.com

Biofilm research isgetting organised

Mention biofilms and the firstimages that spring to mind are ofbiofouling, biocorrosion andresistance to antibiotics. But thesemicro-organism communities,with their particularity of adheringto one another thanks to a protective matrix, may also offermany positive perspectives, in particular for producing greenenergy or purifying water. At the end of September, the European Science Foundation(ESF) brought biotechnology, bioengineering and biomedicineexperts together to exchangeexperience in this field. How do the various organisms of which certain biofilms are made up interact? How can wetake advantage of them while neutralising their noxious effects? All these questions are waiting for

a scientific explanation. Researchneeds to be organised, and it wastherefore agreed to create a newbody, the European Biofilm Net(EBN), to coordinate scientificresearch on this topic at aEuropean level.

www.esf.org

Galileo fully fundedat last!

Galileo, the European satellitepositioning programme, was going nowhere very fast. The break-up in May 2007 of the

industrial consortium tasked withmanufacturing and launching thesatellites had left the projectentangled in a political imbroglioand short of €2.4 billion, followingthe withdrawal of private funding.But the European Council andParliament finally reached anagreement in late November 2007.€1.6 billion will be redirected fromthe EU’s Common AgriculturalPolicy (CAP), with the remaining€0.8 billion coming from the 7thFramework Programme, more©

Shu

tter

stoc

k

Unlike wasps, symphyta are hymenoptera thatare characterised by their lack of“waist”, as their abdomen is linked to the thorax across its full width.

© U

nive

rsité

Bre

tagn

e Su

d


IN BRIEF

specifically from the budget fortransport research projects. This is an historic step for theEuropean Union. For the first timeever, the 2008 budget will be making more money available toemployment, growth and competition than to agriculture.

www.gsa.europa.eu

Atomic-scale whirlwinds

Four researchers from the universities of Bonn, Berlin and

Geneva have observed the existence of magnetic whirlwindsformed by atoms and their direction of rotation – clockwise or anticlockwise. This discoveryshould lead to a new data storagedevice. With the help of opticallaser technology, the teamunveiled the direction of thesewhirlwinds in lithium-cobalt phosphate, naming the phenomenon “ferrotoroidicity”.To get a picture of these whirlwinds of magnetised atoms,imagine a succession of tinystraight magnets placed onebehind another around a centralcore. In this circle, the magnetsthemselves do not move, butthere is a direction: if their northpoles are directed clockwise, the magnetic whirlwind is dextrorotating, otherwise it is laevorotating.The team’s work is limited to fundamental research on the basisof the phenomenon and nature of magnetism. However, the nextstage of exploiting this discoverywill be to write targeted data onthis minuscule scale and to findmaterials for constructing memoryspaces. Such technology wouldimprove not only the capacity

of hard disks, but also their speedand safety, as the magnetic fieldserves only to record data, not read them.

www.uni-bonn.de/en/News/

96_2007.html

Europeans aregreen… but stingy

Do Europeans have a green conscience? The Lifestyles of Healthand Sustainability (LOHAS) study,published by Porter Novelli (FR)and the Natural Marketing Institute– NMI (USA), would suggest so.Consumers were consulted ineight European countries:Belgium, Germany, Spain, France,Italy, the Netherlands, Portugaland the United Kingdom. This study tells us that the inhabitants of Europe are 50 %more inclined to purchase ecologically produced goods thanAmericans. The same study alsotells us that Europeans are 32 %more ready than Americans to opt for products carrying a bio or ecological label. On the otherhand, European consumers are 25% less ready than theirtransatlantic cousins to pay morefor these “sustainable” goods.

www.lohas.com

Erratum

An error slipped into our special June 2007 issue on “Getting toGrips with Science”. The graphs from the Rose Study (p. 9) were notthe most recent and the titles were positioned incorrectly. The newgraphs can be found on the website:ec.europa.eu/research/research-eu/

ProfessorManfred Fiebig, of the University of Bonn.

© E

SA

© F

rank

Lue

rweg

/ U

ni B

onn

© S

hutt

erst

ock

There is a ceaseless flurry of activitybehind the window. The steel con-dors await their turn on the taxiway.Before they take off for Beijing, pas-

sengers watch a long-haul aircraft belonging toa Latin American airline land on the runway. In2006, Heathrow Airport, lying 25 km west ofLondon, saw more than 1 300 take-offs andlandings per day.


Wings of silenceAir traffic at LondonHeathrow airport in the UK(an economic powerhousefor the country andEurope’s biggest airport interms of passenger numbers)grew by more than 65%between 1980 and 2003.Fortunately aircraft havealso been getting quieter.Over the same period, the number of noise pollutionvictims (those living in anarea exposed to more than57 decibels) has beenreduced by a factor ofalmost four. And the battleagainst the decibels looks setto continue. We take a closelook at the successfulSilence(R) technology validation project in La Baule (France), which came to an end on 27 June 2007.

The fan of the Trent 900engine manufactured by Roll Royce, whichequips the Airbus A380,considerably reducesengine noise.©

Rol

ls-R

oyce

plc

200

6

AERONAUTICS

Paying the price in noiseIn recent decades, air transport has brought

the regions of the world closer together. Everyyear, two billion passengers take to the skiesvia a web of air routes linking peoples, coun-tries and cultures. Economic exchanges arealso undertaken, and market globalisation hasfollowed the air corridors. Indeed, aviationcreates opportunities by facilitating meetingsbetween people and transporting productsand services quickly over long distances. Somuch so that greater air traffic is one of theprerequisites for the development of Europe’sregions, as well as for maintaining the com-petitiveness of its aerospace industry.

However, the flip side of the coin is firstand foremost noise pollution, with repetitivenoise peaks around airports. The seriousimpact of noise pollution on residents’ healthranges from hearing impairment to psycho-logical, pathological and physiological effectsfrom sleep disturbance, such as high bloodpressure.

Battle against the decibelsThe problem is not new. High-bypass-ratio

turbofan engines emerged in the 1970s andreduced noise levels by 20 decibels (dB),effectively diminishing perceived noise to aquarter of its original level. Indeed, the deci-bel scale has followed an exponential down-ward curve, as has the impact on human ears.In bypass engines, hot gases from the primaryairflow are surrounded by a secondary (orbypass) airflow, thereby reducing the speed ofexhaust gases and the resulting noise whenthese gases mix with the ambient air.

However, such advances are not sufficientin this day and age. Economically speaking,noise pollution imposes an estimated financialtoll on Europe of €24 billion per year (1).Furthermore, ICAO (the International CivilAviation Organization) has enacted the“Chapter 4” standard for a new category ofquieter aircraft, which came into applicationin 2006. This forces public and private stake-holders to continue the fight against decibels.

This fight has been fought for more than sixyears, notably by means of Silence(R), thelargest ever European project to focus on avi-ation noise pollution, with a total budget ofmore than €110 million, 50% of which isfinanced by the European Union. Eugène

Kors, Silence(R) coordinator at Snecma (amajor French engine manufacturer for com-mercial and military aircraft and space vehi-cles) tells us all about the project: “Silence(R)has validated technologies for reducing noiseat source. The project has been a resoundingsuccess: after conducting research into opera-tional procedures, it has achieved a 5 dB noisereduction, meeting the medium-term goals ofVision 2020.”

Of aerodynamics…Aircraft noise arises from turbulent airflow.

This causes pressure variations, in turn gener-ating sound waves of varying frequencies.“The main sources of aircraft noise are com-

ponents in both the airframe and theengine.” (2) Noise levels increase during thelanding and take-off phases when the leading-edge wing slats, high-lift flaps and landinggear are out.”

“In the aerodynamics field, Silence(R) hasbrought improvements to landing gear, chieflyby means of fairings to reduce drag.” Althoughresearchers have focused on fairings since1998, the problem remains to be resolvedentirely: while they do provide a more aero-dynamically streamlined shape, fairings makelanding systems heavier and more complex.

This has caused engineers to shift theirfocus onto placing ducts along landing-gearlegs and on wheel and axle shapes, in orderto limit the whistling sound they produce.This research is essential because landinggear is responsible for a massive 50% of aerodynamic noise. “In the approach phase, thenoise from landing gear is equivalent to thenoise from the engines.”

… and enginesAlthough it is true that, during the approach

phase, the engine emits only half the totalnoise because it is running at 55% efficiency,the engine is still the main noise pollution fac-tor during the flight phase. Most of theresearch validated by Silence(R) focuses onpropulsion-system acoustics, in particular thenoise output from the engine pod or nacelle(fairings on the engine), a highly critical com-ponent in terms of safety because it absorbsmost of the propulsion force.

To trap some of the sound frequencies gen-erated in the combustor and turbines, Silence(R)researchers have developed an acoustic


AERONAUTICS

During the approach phase, the airframe is justas noisy as the engine. The sound sources presentedon the image of a Fokker 70 are the landing gear(A), flaps (B), and jet engine (C).

©N

LR

Source of engine noise Fan

Primary airflow

Noise from revolving parts Jet exhaust noise

Compressors Combustionchamber

Turbine

Secondary airflow

Air intake

A

B

A

C

© D

GA

C 2

004

treatment for air inlets called NegativelyScarfed Intake (NSI). This geometric shape hasa 10° angle of curvature that modifies thedirectional model of noise radiation, anglingmore noise upwards. This air intake device,mounted on an Airbus A320 equipped withCFM56 engines, underwent flight tests as partof the Silence(R) project where it achieved sig-nificant noise reductions on both approachand take-off.

“Zero Splice”, an all-in-one successHowever, the most immediate success story

has been the development of “Zero Splice” tech-nology. When conducting tests, researchersobserved a dispersion of sound waves via themanufacturing joints in the acoustic panelslining the internal walls of the engine airinlets. The panels channel the complex aero-

dynamic phenomena produced in this area,especially around the blades.

These acoustic barriers are usually formedfrom two or three parts and the assemblyjoints (or splices) reducing acoustic perform-ance. Apart from failing to completely shroudthe internal wall, the splices themselves transmitsound waves. These sources of noise resonancelead to sound dispersion, which shifts fromcircumferential mode to other modes, signifi-cantly increasing perceived noise levels on theground.

The “Zero Splice” principle is simple: it is aninternal lining made in a single piece withoutsplices or joins. To produce it, engineers hadto overcome a number of design and manu-facturing challenges, including creating aretractable mould. During real-scale tests on aRolls-Royce fan, the “Zero Splice” panels

achieved genuinely conclusive results, withsignificant noise reduction. Developed byAirbus, the “Zero Splice” panels will incorpo-rate the ducts for the new-generation enginesto be used in the Airbus A380.

Already in industrial applicationOne of the advantages of the new lining is

that most of the noise reduction is achieved atfrequencies where the noise levels are great-est. Furthermore, as weight and drag remainunchanged, fuel burn does not increase. TheAirbus A380 could carry an extra payload of10 tonnes without producing more noise. Thistechnology could extend beyond the Airbusfleet to become a world standard.

The Airbus zero-splice technology carried offthe prestigious 13th Decibel d’Or aeronauticsaward in December 2006 in recognition of the0.4 dB reduction it has achieved on take-off byreducing sound pressure from the fan by 7 dB.“Further applications should follow close onthe heels of this first Silence(R) industrialapplication success. They should provide ahost of business opportunities and potentialbenefits for producers and customers.”

Silence revolutionIn spite of these short- and medium-term

efforts and their rewards, noise abatementtechniques are reaching their limits in modern-day civil aircraft. However, building quieterengines almost always involves a compromisethat reduces engine performance. To raise oursights to more ambitious goals, it will thereforebe necessary to completely rethink aircraftdesign.

Delphine d’Hoop

(1) According to the 2007 update of the CALM strategic paperResearch for a Quieter Europe in 2020, October 2004:www.calm-network.com/SP_2020_update07.pdf

(2) All quotes are from Eugène Kors.


AERONAUTICS

Silence(R)

51 partners – 16 countries (AT, BE, CH, DE,

DK, EL, ES, FI, FR, IT, IR, NL, PT, RO, SE, UK)

www.snecma.com.

Silent Aircraft Initiative

www.silentaircraft.org

Silent Aircraft

The silent aircraft of the future are perhaps not so far off. Aware of the need for large-scalenew developments for air carriers, a number of major stakeholders in the sector have setthemselves the task of producing a completely new design. During the three-year period

from 2003 to 2006, the University of Cambridge in the UK and the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology (MIT) in the USA headed up the Silent Aircraft Initiative (SAI) to seek new advances andintegrate them into a futuristic aircraft design.

With its delta wing shape, the aircraft of the future will, according to its designers, be able tocarry 250 passengers, and be “almost imperceptible” outside the airport perimeter.Furthermore, it is expected to consume significantly less fuel than modern-day aircraft becauseits aerodynamic properties will give it much greater lift.

The innovations mainly take the form of a new shape, a curved wing with a wide body and notail (to reduce induced drag and air turbulence behind the aircraft). Smooth curves delineate theregular surfaces of a lightweight composite structure designed to increase energy efficiency dur-ing cruise flight. Presented in December 2006, the engines of the silent aircraft are incorporated

into the curved sweep of the wings, with theair inlets situated on top of the airframe. Themajor manufacturing firms that participatedin the project – including Rolls Royce andBoeing – expect this revolutionary new aircraftto come into operation around 2030.©

200

6 C

amb

ridge

-MIT

Inst

itute

The design of the silent and morefuel-efficient bird of the future.

Research teams from six countries(Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary,Italy and Portugal), comprisingmainly sociologists, are analysing

changes in the relations that unite or dividethe generations in their working lives. Theobjective is to examine how socioculturalchanges and institutional factors have con-tributed to greater solidarity or the emergenceof new tensions in the workplace. With thisaim, the researchers undertook a generalstudy of intergenerational relations, familystructures and lifestyles, and social cohesion,where both negative and positive intergenera-tional relations have emerged. “We examinedthe evolving relationship with work amongthe various generations. Is the generation towhich people belong a key factor in definingrelations between age groups, or do other fac-tors also contribute to dividing or uniting thegenerations?” asks Patricia Vendramin, coordi-nator of the SPReW project.

As is so often the case, the countries ofEurope appear to be both similar and differ-

ent. The principal attribute most countriesshare in terms of work is… its scarcity. Theyoungest and oldest members of society are inthe same boat in this regard. It is the interme-diate age group of 30-50 year olds who reapthe greatest rewards from working life. Byadapting more readily to the new demands forjob flexibility imposed on employees, they areable to remain in the labour market. It is onlywhen work is outsourced or production ismoved overseas that this intermediate genera-tion is left high and dry. In addition, manyincreasingly highly qualified young womenstruggle in silence day after day in pursuit ofthat elusive work/life balance.

A few years of certaintyWork is no longer like the long, peaceful

river that emerged in the heyday following theSecond World War (1945-1975). In those days,older people were respected because of theirexperience. They played a strategic role in thesocial integration and education of the youngergeneration, who unquestioningly followed in

their footsteps. The workers of yesteryear(today’s older generation) felt (and indeedfeel) a sense of belonging to a community andidentified with their particular group, which hadinfluence – whether through symbolic opposi-tion to the powers that be or in its ability to bar-gain via trade unions. “This sense of solidaritywas often more important to them than anyindividual recognition that their employersmight give them. Their personal and profes-sional careers were mapped out in advance andthere was little pressure for subjective commit-ment to work or self-fulfilment.” (2)

However, this idyllic picture was not to last.In the 1970s, a series of imbalances andabrupt changes disrupted growth, investmentand employment. The 1980s marked a periodof insecurity and social change, with techno-logical innovation perhaps being only themost symbolic manifestation of growing“modernity”. The first to be affected were theyounger and older generations, while the leastqualified were the most vulnerable. In France,37% of unskilled young people


SOCIAL SCIENCES

The meanings of work

How do young people per-ceive working life and whatvalue do they place on it?What was the attitude oftheir predecessors? Howabout the “intermediate”age group of 30–50 yearolds? Can we really speak of intergenerational conflictin the field of work?Researchers from theEuropean SPReW (1) projectlook at our social relations.

remain unemployed for five years afterleaving compulsory education, comparedwith 18% of those completing secondary edu-cation and 8% of those with post-secondaryqualifications.

Individualism versus solidarity?In stark contrast to their predecessors,

young people recruited in recent years areexperiencing increasing individualisation withrespect to employer–employee relations, indi-vidually tailored employment contracts and, inthe optimal scenario, personal opportunitiesfor improving their prospects. Why wouldthey identify with their peers when they findthemselves in such a competitive environ-ment? In 2002, the German survey ShellJugendstudie, conducted every two years,showed that boys and girls in reunifiedGermany were entering the new millenniumwith ‘performance’ as their watchword. Mostof these young people had switched theirmain concerns from the environment to theeconomy, with self-fulfilment and practicalproblems being more important than socialreform.

“However, such individualism is not thesole province of young people and, despitethe pessimism that often accompanies it, thisdoes not necessarily mean that the youngreject solidarity or cooperation in (and outside)the workplace. According to researchers,solidarity is often assessed according to out-dated criteria that fail to take into accountcontemporary forms of shared commitmentand solidarity.”

Past and presentHow are intergenerational relationships in

the workplace today? Young people may viewexperienced workers as embodying hard-to-achieve success or, conversely, as an “anti-model”. In the eyes of the older generation,new recruits represent a threat to their jobs –especially in cases of restructuring. Some ana-lysts point to an intergenerational powerstruggle, whilst others see the generations asengaged in a forced companionship that islikely to end in failure. Many analysts alsounderestimate the influence and role of theintermediate generation of 30-50 year olds.For the most part, however, the life of a firmis determined by its management, human

resource policy and organisation. Harmony inthe workplace is a question of managementstrategy.

Irrespective of which generation a personbelongs to, their relationship with work alsodepends on their path in life, social environ-ment, personal experiences, choices – whetherconscious or unconscious – and the historicalcontext in which they grew up. Hungary is agood example of this mix, where a team ofworkers might include people who grew upunder hard-line socialism, others under themore lax “Goulash Communism” regime andyet others who have only known “freedom”.Older Hungarians have never experiencedunemployment and their knowledge is lessvaluable. In fact, the youngest generation ofHungarians, who have grown up with no tradi-tions or benchmarks, (together with the formerEast Germans) could well be the most indi-vidualistic young people in Europe.

Ethics of authenticityWhen analysing today’s youth – often con-

sidered to be egocentric and negative –Charles Taylor, Professor Emeritus of PoliticalScience and Philosophy at Montreal’s McGillUniversity (Canada), spoke of ethics ofauthenticity. “These special ethics can explainyoung people’s meagre involvement, or eventheir risk of social disengagement, when theyfeel forced to carry out a task without beingrecognised for their work, or when they haveno interest in it. However, young people canbecome motivated when their sense of initiativeis acknowledged and when their work allowsthem to express their potential and their needto find a meaning to life.”

The danger, here, is underinvestment inwork, especially among management personnel.Researchers also point to underinvestment in the

new forms of organisation currently found inIT firms and in multimedia, communicationand consultancy firms.

The haven of the familyAlthough intergenerational solidarity is little

in evidence in the workplace, it is stronger inthe family, for more material than emotionalreasons, according to SPReW researchers.Young people live with their parents forlonger because they are students or unem-ployed. Italy beats all the records in thisrespect, with 60.2% of its 18–34 year olds liv-ing at home (2005 figures). However, this alsomeans that they lose their independence, areunable to get married and start a home, andare financially dependent. All these psycho-logical factors contribute in no small measureto people’s attitude to the world of work.Taking a short-termist view of life, limited to asmall, safe social circle (friends, family andassociations) and only committing to projectsone day at a time in no way resembles the sortof long-term, shared commitment that was socommon in the 1980s.

“Another disconcerting feature of youngpeople’s paths in life is the growing de stan-dardisation and individualisation of theircareers, although this should not be viewed asentirely negative.”

C.R.

(1) Social Patterns of Relation to Work, a project mainlyinvolving researchers, with the participation of officialsfrom the French Ministry of Labour and the SocialDevelopment Agency of the European Trade UnionConfederation.

(2) All quotes are from Patricia Vendramin.


SOCIAL SCIENCES

SPReW

8 partners – 6 countries (BE-DE-FR-HU-IT-PT)

www.ftu-namur.org

Analysis, comparison, suggestions

Atwo-year research project (2006–2008), SPReW analyses changes in the relationships withwork of different generations in six countries. This has resulted in a vast collection ofempirical data, selection and evaluation of good policy practices, and a transnational

comparative analysis of these issues. Approximately 30 individual and group interviews, conductedin all six countries, have supplemented this work. The final phase will be to formulate guidelines andrecommendations to improve the way in which the different age groups and intergenerationalrelations are managed. The recommendations will be discussed by public policy-makers, socialstakeholders and researchers at seminars held in each of the partner countries and at Europeanlevel. Several documents are already available for downloading from the SPReW website.


MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Asthma and allergies: spotlight on leukotrienesIn July 2007, European researchers resolved thestructure of leukotriene C4 synthase (LTC4 synthase)with unprecedented accuracy. This enzyme is of particular interest to scientists because it plays a keyrole in the complex process governing certain allergies, notably asthma. This promising new discovery was the result of collaboration betweentwo European research projects.

What does leukotriene C4 syn-thase (or LTC4 synthase) looklike? It has taken researchersworking on the two European

projects – Eicosanox and E-MeP – more thaneight years to ascertain with optimal accuracythe three-dimensional profile of this membraneprotein. Determining the protein’s structure at aresolution never before achieved, of 2 Å (1),represents a major step forward in the devel-opment of new therapies against such allergiesas allergic rhinitis (hayfever) and certain forms ofasthma. LTC4 synthase is an enzyme essential tothe synthesis of leukotriene C4 (LTC4) – a neu-rotransmitter that acts as a bronchoconstrictoragent which patients with such allergies pro-duce to excess. Controlling the production ofLTC4 would make it possible to foil the com-plex inflammation mechanisms triggeringasthma and allergic rhinitis, as this hormone isresponsible for constricting the bronchialtubes and causing excess mucus production.

Attacking the disease at sourceJesper Z. Haeggström, Professor of Bio -

chemistry at Karolinska Institutet (SE) andchief coordinator of Eicosanox, explains thatthis new image of LTC4 synthase reveals amolecule formed of three identical sub-units,each comprising five spiral-shaped structures.

cation of our results in the journal Nature,nearly two years before the main projectends”, said Jesper Z. Haeggström proudly.

On the molecular frontTwo ambitious research projects were

behind this exceptional European scientificachievement. Eicosanox aims to improve ourunderstanding of how two types of neuro-transmitter function in the human body:eicosanoids and nitric oxide (NO). These mol-ecules play an important role in numerousphysiological mechanisms such as inflamma-tion, pain and fever regulators. They are alsosignificantly responsible for certain cardiovas-cular, brain and even tumorous dysfunctions,which explains the keen interest of Eicosanoxresearchers and, indirectly, the EuropeanCommission, which has allocated a massive€10 million to the project.

The European Membrane Protein Consor -tium, E-MeP, is a vast research platform thatseeks to overcome the current technologicalobstacles to resolving the structure of mem-brane proteins. Indeed, some 40% of all pro-teins of pharmaceutical interest are membraneproteins and one-quarter of the humangenome is devoted to synthesising them.These molecules, which are found in themembranes of all human cells, fulfil a variety


MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

“This has allowed us to determine the exactposition and characteristics of the enzyme’sactive sites. Having located these sites towhich the activatory or inhibitory moleculesattach themselves, it is now possible to syn-thesise new proteins specifically designed toblock the action of LTC4 synthase, and hencethe synthesis of LTC4 which is responsible forhayfever and asthma.”

Most of the drugs currently prescribed forthese pathologies target the symptoms causedby the overproduction of leukotrienes. Althoughanti-leukotriene agents like Montelukast haverecently come onto the market, their efficacyis limited because they do not target the pro-duction mechanism with any great accuracy.Discovering more about LTC4 synthase there-fore makes it possible to develop compoundstailored specifically to a disease.

“We have been working on LTC4 synthasesince 1999, well before the Eicosanox andE-MeP projects were launched. We integratedthe LTC4 synthase subprogramme intoEicosanox in response to the 6th FrameworkProgramme’s new guidelines advocating theinclusion of basic research objectives with ahigher failure risk. This subprogramme is oneof the Eicosanox programme’s boldest aspira-tions, and the crowning achievement of thislong-drawn-out research effort was the publi-

© D

anie

l Mar

tinez

Mol

ina

© D

anie

l Mar

tinez

Mol

ina

Left: frontal view of LTC4 synthase inside the cell membrane. The grey, green and purple sections represent the three protomers (sub-units) comprising this homotrimer (protein comprising three sub-units). Right: cytosolic view of LTC4 synthase. The active sites are represented by dots.


MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Producing the portraitof a protein: no easymatter

Resolving the structure of a protein can bean extremely painstaking task, as in thecase of LTC4 synthase. The whole process

starts with isolating the portion of DNA respon-sible for synthesising the molecule and thencloning this fragment to make a large numberof copies. Then, a means must be found toinduce the clones to produce the protein in aproper expression system. To do this, the fragmentis inserted into a host cell (usually a bacterium oryeast), which allows it to be expressed in exactlythe same way as under natural conditions. Oncethe protein has been produced and extracted, itmust be stabilised using detergents to preventit from breaking up.The next stage is to crystallise (or solidify) themolecule that has now been encapsulated in adrop of water. Researchers use the vapour-phase crystal growth technique, where the dropof water containing the protein crystal is placedin a vessel containing a moisture-absorbinghygroscopic substance. To complete the puzzle,an X-ray image is taken of the crystal. In the case ofLTC4 synthase, E-MeP and Eicosanox researcherswere able to obtain their excellent 2 Å resolutionby using the European Synchrotron RadiationFacility based in Grenoble (FR), the most powerfulsynchrotron light source in Europe, consisting ofvery bright X-rays.

Representation of the surface of LTC4 synthase.Each colour symbolises a different type of molecule.

Eicosanox

12 partners – 7 countries (SE, DE, IT,

UK, IE, ES, CA)

www.eicosanox.org

E-Mep

18 partners – 6 countries (UK, FR, DE,

SE, CH, NL)

www.e-mep.org

of functions, notably in intra- and extracellularexchanges. As membrane proteins are involvedin the development of many diseases, findingout more about them is likely to lead to newtreatments, particularly for incurable diseaseslike cystic fibrosis or Alzheimer’s disease.

With a little help from our friendsNone of this explains how the Eicosanox

and E-MeP projects actually came to cooperatein the first place. “The answer is simple”, saysJesper Z. Haeggström. “Pär Nordlund, Professorof Biochemistry and Biophysics at theUniversity of Stockholm (SE) and E-MeP projectresearcher is an old friend of mine. When werealised how much our research objectives forLTC4 synthase overlapped, we soon decidedto pool our efforts.” So it seems as thoughthere’s nothing like friendly relations toencourage interproject collaboration. DespiteEuropean Union efforts to promote a degreeof cross-disciplinarity in scientific research,such collaboration is all too rare in theEuropean Research Area. According to JesperZ. Haeggström, despite the EU’s reputation forcomplex administrative procedures, no specialauthorisation was required for their collabora-tion venture, which should be very welcomenews to European researchers.

Julie Van Rossom

(1) 1 Å = 1 ångström = 10-10 metre (or 0.1 nanometre).

© D

anie

l Mar

tinez

Mol

ina

William D. Phillips, 1997 NobelLaureate in Physics, believesthat quantum informationprocessing “represents an

even more radical break than that betweentoday’s computers and the abacus”. DavidDeutsch, professor of physics at OxfordUniversity and a pioneer of quantum data pro-cessing, believes that “the computer age hasnot yet really begun”. What these researchersforesee is a sea change: a move to the quan-tum world as the use of the unique propertiesof this science opens up new avenues that areinconceivable for conventional technologies.

Although Europe is investing only €8 mil-lion a year in this research (compared with€75 million by the United States), it has man-aged to create a genuine research communitywithin which a multitude of research projectscovering all areas of quantum informationprocessing are coordinated. For example, withfunding of €38 million under the 6th Frame -work Programme, the Quantum InformationProcessing and Communication (QIPC) clusterbrings together three integrated projects(SCALA, EuroSQIP, QAP) relating to quantumdata processing, eight smaller projects com-bining information processing, communication

and information sciences, and a vast integratedproject (SECOQC) seeking to develop a secureglobal communication network based onquantum cryptography.

The strength and weakness of quantum data processingThe quantum computer represents primary

information in a radically different way to aconventional computer. While the informationunit of the latter is the “bit’ with a value of “0”or “1”, expressed by the blocking or the passingof a microelectronic current, the quantum com-puter is based on “quantum bits” or “qubits” ofa value of both “0” and “1”. Whether transferredon a photon, an ion, an atom or any otherobject governed by the laws of quantummechanics, the qubit “superposes” this dualityof state throughout the calculation.

The calculating power of such a computeris therefore exponential depending on thenumber of qubits: the process takes place forthe two possible values and for all the qubits.This dissociates memory and power. The livememory of an office computer is counted inbillions of bits, while a quantum computer ofseveral hundred qubits would in theory be


INFORMATION SOCIETY

Is the marriage of information sciences and quantumphysics in the design of supercomputers and inviolablecommunication networks just a dream or a fast-approaching reality? Albeit promising, the progressmade working in the laboratory and on a small scale has not removed the technological obstacles that remainbefore we will see the dawning of this new “revolutionary”age of the information and communication society.

Grey matter in actionat the RudolphGrimms researchgroup at theInstitute for QuantumOptics & Information(IQOQI – AT). The groupis a pioneer in researchon Bose-Einstein condensates.

© C

.Lac

kner

/IQ

OQ Where is

the quantum revolution?

able to encode a quantity of information equalto the number of atoms in the universe.

However, this superposition – the key tothe power of these computers – is also theirAchilles’ heel. If a qubit comes into contactwith an external element or an uncontrolledinteraction takes place between two qubits,the superposition disappears. This phenome-non is known to physicists as decoherence.The superposition must be maintained for thecalculation to take place in parallel for all thepossible combinations of states offered by thequbits as a whole.

For a few qubits moreThe more qubits there are, the more they

are in danger of interacting, and the more dif-

Securing communications At the heart of quantum computer tech-

nology, superposition is also central toentanglement, the basis for applying quantumphysics to the field of communication. Bycausing two particles to interact, a quantumrelation is created that renders their statesinterdependent, regardless of the distance thatseparates them. This dependency is used byresearchers to secure a communication as theentanglement relation is, theoretically, totallyinviolable. All it takes is for a wandering eyeto observe one of the two particles and thesuperposition of the quantum states of the twoparticles vanishes!

As these entangled quantum states are thekey to encoding, if you lose them you lose the


INFORMATION SOCIETY

A networked quantumcomputer

Researchers working on the SECOQCproject want to use entanglement todevelop a distributed network archi-

tecture that would spread the calculatingload between several computers. Each qubitwould transmit its state to the others by meansof a shared entanglement, independently ofthe computer on which it is found. While con-ventional distributed network architectures(Grids) make it necessary to continuallyrethink various computer structures, the net-working of quantum computers is coherentwith the functioning of these computers. As aquantum calculation is the controlled inter-action of a set of qubits, it matters littlewhether these qubits are present in the samecomputer or distributed within a networklinked by the entanglement of qubits. Thenetwork then acts as one giant computer.

ficult it is to implement the technologies tocontrol these interactions and retain the super-positioning. Between 1998 and 2006 a numberof US teams produced experimental comput-ers of 2, 7 and finally 12 qubits, controlled bynuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and usingliquid crystals. “It is probably impossible toexceed around 20 qubits with this approach,”believes Göran Wendin, coordinator ofEuroSQIP. It is not therefore the approachadopted by the QIPC community that is focus-ing, among other things, on qubits provided bysupraconductor circuits or impurities trappedin solid-state semi-conductors. Producing amachine based on these principles wouldalready be major progress, even if the numberof qubits remains limited. EuroSQIP antici-pates between five and eight qubits in themedium term, with the hope of extending thisto 128 in the future. Other avenues pursuedby the SCALA and QAP projects plan to trapions and atoms for transferring qubits. Thereare many potential technological solutionsand the challenge for QIPC is to explore themost promising.

key. The securing method consists of sharinga couple of previously entangled particlesbetween the emitter and the receiver. The emit-ter then uses the quantum state of the particle toencode the message sent through a classicalchannel. This state is instantly teleported to thatof the receiver who simply uses the transmittedkey to decrypt the message.

Long distances are impossibleThe first challenge facing quantum commu-

nication lies in the difficulty of transmitting theparticles and their quantum states – that is,entangled particles – over long distances.Photons transported by optical fibres cannot,on the basis of current knowledge, travelmore than 100 km, with laboratory experi-ments having failed to produce results beyond50 km. One possibility currently being studiedenvisages introducing quantum relays as ameans of segmenting the communicationchannels and limiting distances to a fewdozen kilometres.

Other studies are looking at transmittingphotons using optical beams in the

Vision of the future

“Current experiments are concernedwith processors of between twoand four qubits which use solid

supraconductors. The hope is to give birth to 3- or 4-qubit processors within the next fiveyears, expanding to 10 qubits within the nextdecade. Other teams are working on semiconductor-based supports, a rival technology that offers interesting prospects.There is no telling what stage this research willhave reached within the next 20 years. It is possible that computers of between 20 and 50 qubits will be available by then or that quantum information processing will have been abandoned…” “Whatever the case, research on quantumtechnologies still has much to look forward to.Instruments such as quantum coprocessors,communication relays, detectors or quantumsensors are opening the door to new possibilities for developing tools to supplement or improve conventional devices.” (Göran Wendin, coordinator of the EuroSQIPproject)

Close-up of the first ion trapper atthe IQOQI (AT) that succeeded, in 2005, in experimenting with andphysically defining the quantum bit information vector, marking majorprogress in evolving quantum information processing.

© C

.Lac

kner

There has been much talkof quantum data processingover recent decades. Whatexactly is the situation today?

When the first theoretical con-cepts of quantum computersappeared in 1985, no more thanabout a dozen experts showedany real interest in them. It wasnot until between 1993 and 1996that this discipline received spe-cial attention with the discovery,among other things, of quantum


INFORMATION SOCIETY

Another physA pioneer of the information sciences, JozefGruska is above all a theorist who is seekingto break down barriers, both geographicaland in the realms of ideas. His work as professor at Masaryk University in Brno (CZ)brings him into contact with researchersfrom all over the world and is causing himto step outside traditional paradigms todevelop an information science thatembraces all the major scientific fields. The convergence of quantum physics and the information processing sciences is central to this approach.

atmosphere (or in space). The successof a European team, in 2007, in transferring anentangled photon over a distance of 144 kmand using this quantum link to generate anencoding key opens up promising prospects.The aim is to achieve feasibility at the level of asatellite link, although the step to an exploitabletechnology has not yet been taken.

The techniques involved are many andcomplex, requiring extreme precision andwith as yet incomplete theoretical bases.Experimentation also remains complex andcostly. Yet all over the world scientists want tobelieve in this field of research and are investinghundreds of millions of euros every year. Is itthe formidable technological potential alone thatmotivates this funding or is it also a scientificfascination with the keys to the gate betweentwo major sciences of the 20th century: quantumphysics and information technology? A marriagewhich, according to Jozef Gruska, professor atMasaryk University in Brno (CZ) and a pioneerof information processing in Europe, “promisesconsiderable progress in the informationsciences and in our understanding of thequantum nature of our universe.”

François Rebufat

QIPC

cordis.europa.eu/ist/fet/qipc-eu.htm

SCALA

27 partners – 9 countries (AT-DK-FR-DE-

IT-IL-PL-UK-ES)

www.scala-ip.org

EuroSQIP

16 partners – 7 countries (FR-NL-DE-IT-

CH-AT-RU)

mina4-49.mc2.chalmers.se/~eurosqip/

QAP

35 partners – 16 countries (AU-AT-BE-CA-

DK-FR-DE-IT-IL-NK-PL-SK-CH-UK-ES-SE)

www.qubitapplications.com

SECOQC

40 partners – 11 countries (AT-BE-CZ-

DK-FR-DE-IT-RU-CH-SE-UK)

www.secoqc.net

Micrometric view ofa 2-qubit circuit basedon supraconducting circuits exhibiting theJosephson effect (see rectangle). Storedin internal loops in theform of quantum electrical currents associated with a magnetic flow, the information is collected by the circuits shown in white that “read” themagnetic content.

Ion-trapping devicedeveloped by theSCALA project. One of the paths ofquantum informationprocessing involvesusing electromagneticfields that act as ionattractors and succeeding in gettingthem to “jump” fromone trapping zone to another.

1

2

© Io

n Tr

ap G

roup

, Im

per

ial C

olle

ge –

Lond

on/D

an C

rick

© H

ans

Moo

ij, T

U D

elft

(NL)

Jozef Gruska – “The science of quantum data processing is the marriage of the two most importantscientific fields of the 20th century:data processing and quantumphysics. It would be very surprising if this marriage did not have major consequences.”

1

2

tion. More generally, entanglement makes itpossible to achieve what is not possible in theconventional world. Combined with the prin-ciple of superposition, it also brings surprisingideas. For example, a ‘quantum calculation’ isin fact a series of measurements. One meas-urement positions the processor to initiate thepossible entry values. Another initiates aquantum circuit that ‘makes the calculation’,and a third retrieves the result. Calculating isthus a matter of measuring – an unthinkableidea in the classical world

Quantum data processing overturns the theo -ries on which today’s information sciences arebased. Functions, regarded by conventionaltheories as difficult if not impossible to calculate,could become easy to calculate for quantumdata processing. Current research in this fieldis making many more discoveries possible andnobody really knows where they will lead. Thiswas already the case with the conventionalinformation sciences, the impact of whichnobody could estimate, and the progressmade 50 years ago. The science of quantumdata processing is the marriage of the twomost important scientific fields of the 20thcentury: data processing and quantumphysics. It would be very surprising if thismarriage did not have major consequences.

Will quantum physics replace its conventional big brother?

Without doubt nobody today regardsquantum data processing as an alternative totraditional data processing that will open thedoor to a radically new generation of computers.It is rather a question of improving current com-puters by using hybrid machines. An interestingtheoretical result mentions that adding a singlequbit to a finished automaton model (the theo -retical model of a computer) would produce ahybrid automaton much more powerful thanits traditional equivalent. A quantum versionof Moore’s Law, which foresees a doubling ofcomputing power every 18 months, could bethat the number of qubits would increase byone over the same period. In this case, thepower would be effectively doubled.

Is this marriage of quantum mechanics and the information scienceshaving an impact on the way physicistsregard their science and nature?

Physics and the information sciences aretwo windows to trying to understand our uni-verse. The former is interested in the organisa-tion of matter, the second in processing theinformation it can convey. The relations betweenthese two worlds are neither simple nor evi-dent. For many years philosophers debated atlength the duality of “mind and matter”. Its mod-ern form would be “information and matter”. J.A.Wheeler, one of Einstein’s collaborators, did nothesitate to say that his life as a physicist wasdivided into three periods. During the first peri-od, it was all particles. During the second, it wasall fields. The third period brought a new visionof physics in which everything becomes infor-mation. Perhaps the nature of information is thekey to a unified vision of the physical world, forthe description of which quantum physicswould be a pertinent means. Quantum infor-mation sciences offer physics new concepts,models, tools, images and paradigms to arrive ata better understanding of the quantum worldand its physics.

Another more technical goal involveslearning to isolate, handle and transmit parti-cles. Many fields of science could benefit fromthis in their attempts to understand nature atits very deepest level, at the quantum level.

What is the position of Europeanresearch in this field?

Globally, the work is good. I would evensay very good compared with what is beingdone in conventional physics. Nevertheless,the emphasis is placed principally on the‘quantum’ side and less on the ‘informationprocessing’ side. Research in this field is carriedout in the same way as European research ingeneral: with a broad prospective and produc-ing abundant knowledge. But it lacks steeringstructures of the kind the Americans are sogood at putting into place…and also the meansto attract the world’s best researchers.

F.R.


INFORMATION SOCIETY

teleportation and the concept of error correc-tion codes to fight against its number one ene-my: decoherence.

Today, the progress made goes far beyondwhat the pioneers of the 1990s could haveimagined, even if reality does fall far short ofthe hopes held by some. While there havebeen many discoveries, the difficulties remainconsiderable. Today’s experimental processorsare limited to a dozen qubits but it is likely thatwe will soon see significant progress. Thetechnologies able to support them have notyet been identified although attention is nowturning towards solid-state supports: semi-conductors or supraconductors.

There have been significant results in thefield of quantum cryptography. Quantumcryptography systems are already commerciallyavailable and offer what is described asunconditional security. This means that thelevel of security is not dependent on the cal-culating power of the computer trying tobreak the code, which is not the case withpresent conventional systems. However, com-puting security is a very complex field that isevolving all the time. I am tempted to repeatthe opinion expressed by the cryptographerAdi Shamir a few years ago when speaking ofsecurity: “We have won many battles, but weare losing the war.” The role that quantumcryptography will play in this war remains alargely open question…

Does introducing the concepts ofquantum mechanics to the informationsciences amount to a revolution?

These concepts, such as quantum entangle-ment, already sit uneasily with our vision ofthe world that originates from conventionalphysics. Einstein was unable to accept theprinciples of entanglement or non-localaction. The quantum information sciences aretrying to exploit these principles and we areonly now starting to unravel the mysteriousproperties of the quantum world.

The use of entanglement marks impressiveprogress in the field of communications, asshown by the concept of quantum teleporta-

ics of the universe

Europe today is a world leader inastronomy. This success is built onthe pooling of previously scatteredEU resources, including the founding

of the European Southern Observatory (ESO)for ground-based astronomy and theEuropean Space Agency (ESA) for spaceastronomy. Supported by the Commission, theAstronet group is seeking to harness all ofEurope’s space exploration strengths in a jointeffort across the complete astronomy chain.This ranges from subjects of research in astro-physics – from the solar system to the universe –to the many current or planned “ground/space”observation resources, as well as selectingfrom the vast range of possible observations(from light to gravitational waves).


ASTRONOMY

The star stakes

How can Europe retain itsranking for excellence inastronomy? This question –together with the resultingstrategies – is posed by theAstronet study group in itsrecent report ‘A ScienceVision for EuropeanAstronomy’.

The small telescopes ofthe ESO Observatory, in La Silla (Chile), beneath the Milky Way.©

ESO

Given the technical and financial resourcesrequired, realising the desire to push back thefrontiers of our knowledge in astronomy canno longer be left to isolated teams. It requiresan international mobilisation of scientists, as isalready the case in particle physics with Cernfor example. “It is now accepted that futuremajor investments in astronomy will only bemade in the framework of cooperation betweenthe Union countries. The way in which thistrend develops will depend on political andeconomic events,” stresses Johannes Andersen,chairman of the Astronet Board and director ofthe Nordic Optical Telescope on the island ofLa Palma in the Canaries (ES).

The results of pure scienceWhen it is suggested that astronomy can

appear to be a particularly costly science thatis not very ‘profitable’, Johannes Andersen’sreply is that such a view is too simplistic. “Ourresearch is not costly when compared withfields such as high energy physics. Astronomyalso brings practical benefits – in predictingsolar eruptions for example – and employsvery high tech companies in meeting itsequipment needs. When it enables us torealise that just 5% of the universe is made upof ordinary matter, its work can be seen asmaking a vital contribution to fundamentalphysics. It is also one of the sciences that,right from the start, has had a unique ability tofascinate.”

Questions for the next 20 yearsAstronet has recently identified “the key

astronomical questions to which the answerscan be provided over the next 20 years bycombining observations, simulations, experi-ments, interpretations and theories”. Forexample, the extreme universe and the obser-vation of black holes – the monsters with agravitational pull so strong that not even lightcan escape them. Or gamma ray bursts, themost luminous event in the universe. Also onthe programme is the nature of dark energy ordark matter, two entities that make up morethan 95% of the content of the universe. Yetnobody really knows what they are.

Another subject for exploration is the for-mation and development of galaxies. How didthe first concentrations of matter appear thatserved as the ‘grains’ of galaxies? How did they

then evolve to form, among other things, theMilky Way? The same applies to the formationof the stars and planets. At the heart of stars,the heavy elements (carbon, oxygen, iron,etc.) were formed – and are still being formed– that constitute the basis of planets such asEarth. Although 253 exoplanets have alreadybeen discovered over the past decade, encoun-tering a planetary system with conditionsfavourable to the development of life stillseems very much a long shot. Understandingthe formation of these objects is also a way ofunderstanding the path that leads to life.

Last but not least is the need to furtherexpand our knowledge of the solar system. Asthe Earth’s ‘backyard’, its exploration is vital tocomprehending how our planet was createdand has evolved.

The importance of computing Mobilising European astronomy in the way

proposed to decision-makers – both Europeanand national – requires the resources to matchthe stakes. The Astronet report stresses that“several needs seem to be common to mostthemes […] and investments in these fields aretherefore priorities for astronomy.”

One of the most important needs is for acomputing infrastructure able to respond tosuch questions. The theories developed byastronomers are increasingly complex, takinginto account a growing number of physicalphenomena and their mutual interactions. Totest these theories and make predictions,extremely complex numerical simulationsmust be carried out. Marenostrum is a goodexample of such research, bringing togetherSpanish, French, German, American andIsraeli researchers in simulating the formationof galaxies. Using 800 processors simultane-ously, its calculation time would be more than126 years if only one computer were used.

These simulations generate staggeringamounts of data, running into dozens of ter-abytes (1012). These must then be comparedwith observations. This again requires majorcomputing muscle as multiplying all theseobservations for all the wavelengths of theelectromagnetic spectrum means a secondproliferation of data. One could imagine thatit would be sufficient to store them, but howto use such a vast library without any classifi-cation system? How to find a way around such

a labyrinth? Vast computing capacities aretherefore necessary for the storage, analysisand comparison of data from many sourcesand in many formats.

Reinventing chemistryA first step in this direction was accom-

plished with the creation of the EuropeanVirtual Observatory. Its mission is to permitelectronic – thus virtual – access to all avail-able observational data and to make availableto scientists the best possible tools foranalysing them.

Finally, Astronet stresses the need for anefficient astrophysics laboratory. As instrumentsbecome more sensitive, so more chemicals insolid or gaseous states are being detected,including in the interstellar environment.When synthesised in the laboratory for thepurposes of detailed study, these assume par-ticular importance if, for example, we want tounderstand the processes at work in formingcertain amino acids, the building blocks of lifethat are found in space.

What will be next? “We are going to describethe tools needed to realise the projects featuredin the Science Vision report and see how theycan be developed within a reasonable time-frame,” explains Johannes Andersen. “Incooperation with funding agencies to ensurethat everything will be financially realistic, thescientific community will project the budgetaryaspects and necessary human resources. Weare also drawing up a review of all the pro-grammes and procedures for granting fundsby the various European countries, with theidea of proposing better coordination andcooperation between their observatories.”

Stéphane Fay


ASTRONOMY

Astronet

21 partners – 13 countries (FR-DE-IT-ES-NL-

UK-LT-SE-GR-HU-EE-AT-SK),

two non-EU countries (Switzerland, Israel)

A Science Vision for European Astronomy

www.astronet-eu.org

When Brian Cox was nine yearsold, the world of science fic-tion, in particular the film StarWars, inspired his vocation as

a physicist. Ten years later, when he was astudent at the University of Manchester, hecombined the laws of matter with rockrhythms, playing keyboard with the rock bandD:REAM. “Many students work in shops orrestaurants to fund their studies. I did it byplaying rock.” His band was a success. In 1997,the hit song Things Can Only Get Betterbecame the anthem for Tony Blair’s electoralcampaign. Election night at the Royal Festival

Hall was also Brian’s final concert, as that waswhen he received his doctorate.

The researcher’s base camp is still atManchester University campus on Oxford Road,an interesting blend of Victorian architectureand modern glass, where he is a member of theHigher Energy Physics Group. A UniversityResearch Fellow of the UK’s Royal Society ofLondon for the Improvement of NaturalKnowledge (known simply as the RoyalSociety), he lives his dream by participating in“the most important scientific experimentsince Apollo” – namely research at the LargeHadron Collider (LHC).


PORTRAIT

As a student, Brian Cox played keyboard in a rock band.Nowadays his place is firmly centre stage, this time toshare his passion and knowledge about the way theUniverse is organised. His charismatic personality and scientific precision have led him to become involved in science programmes for radio and television, where hepresents to the public fascinating advances in natureresearch and the interactions of elementary matter.

Brian Cox, Kevin Eldon and SimonMunnery during the Atlas experimentconducted in connection with theLarge Hadron Collider (LHC) project.Planned for 2008, the LHC shouldenable scientists to delve deeperthan ever before into the structure ofmatter and to recreate the conditionsthat existed in the Universe less thana millionth of a millionth of a secondafter the Big Bang (10-12 seconds).

A physicist in the

© C

ERN

Brian Cox –“Disseminating sciencehelps to remind me whyI became a scientist inthe first place.”

©C

ERN

In pursuit of HiggsThe LHC is the world’s most powerful

particle accelerator. CERN (1) is building thismagnetised ring of 27 km in diameter, frozento minus 271°C, on a site straddling the Frenchand Swiss borders. It will provide energy of7 TeV (1 TeV = 1 tera-electronvolt = 1012 eV= 1.6x10-7 joules) for each of the two counterrotating beams of particles. The particles willtherefore collide with a combined energy of14 TeV. As soon as the LHC comes into oper-ation (planned in May 2008), Brian Cox andhis colleagues will analyse the disintegration ofthe collided particles in search of Higgs particle,also known as “the God particle”.

This discovery should prove the origin ofthe mass of particles in the Standard Model(the current theory describing the elementaryconstituents of matter and their interactions).In spite of this advance, however, many otherquestions remain open – such as the lack ofgravity in the model. And the theories thatattempt to explain this issue are not all compat-ible with the existence of the Higgs particle…

Most important of all, the LHC is a leap intothe unknown, into a hitherto unexploredrealm. It inaugurates the search for experi-mental clues to guide the direction of futureresearch. For Brian, this spirit of exploration isthe most significant element. While he believesthat it is important to prove the existence of theHiggs particle to validate the theory, he is mostinterested in getting his hands on elements thatwill raise new questions, “like the reason forthe supremacy of matter over antimatter in theUniverse, or the discovery of extra dimensions.”

“The supersymmetric model of theUniverse will also be an interesting avenue ofenquiry”, says Brian, “because it allows for theexistence of the Higgs particle. But instead ofa single particle, there would be five (in thesimplest version of the model). If I had to takea bet on it, this would be my chosen direction.Basic science has no agenda”, he adds with asmile. “Nobody knows what we are going tofind beyond the frontiers, but we have to pushforward in order to discover other sources of

energy, to ensure our security and to travel toother planets to protect and expand thehuman civilisation. The great discoveries arealways unexpected. For example, researchconducted at the LHC has unexpectedly pro-duced results that will be used in the ITER (2)

nuclear fusion programme. Our only way for-ward is to explore.”

So it’s a non-stop race for knowledge.Hanging on Brian’s office wall are the plansfor the FP 420 R&D project module (to becompleted in 2010) to assess the feasibility ofinstalling forward proton tagging detectors420 metres away from the interaction points ofthe CMS and ATLAS experiments at the LHC.And as if this weren’t enough, this explorer ofreality has extended his adventures intoanother universe – that of the media and art.

A scientist in the media spotlightEven though his musical career is over,

Brian still loves to be in the spotlight, wherehe transmits his insatiable scientific curiosity to awider audience. On route between Manchesterand Geneva, he stops over in London to appearon a radio programme and film a few episodesof Horizon, a BBC science documentary withits latest feature being What on Earth is WrongWith Gravity?

His very special blend of talents also findsother forms of expression. The physicist hasrecently finished working with Danny Boyle,director of such films as Trainspotting, wherehe acted as science expert on Boyle’s latestscience-fiction film, Sunshine, to help make itmore realistic.

The researcher is a keen fan of cinema. “I havelearned a lot from working with people whoare passionate and perfectionist. Puttingtogether a film takes time, but it allows you togo into greater depth than in television.”However, Brian considers direct exchanges tobe the best method for disseminating science.

He finds it invaluable to keep in contactwith the public, claiming that it improves hiswork. “It reminds me why I chose to becomea scientist in the first place. The public helps

me to go beyond a narrow research focus andgain more of an overview.” And it fuels hisconviction that science is a vital issue.

Science at any price“Basic research is a necessity and not a

luxury for our civilisation. Progress is com-pulsory, not optional, if we want to survive – andsurvive we must!” says Cox. Our radio telescopeshave scanned considerable expanses of theUniverse and have never revealed evidence oflife on other planets, still less intelligent life.“In my view, the human brain is nature’s mostcomplex and precious creation. We mustsafeguard this good fortune.”

At present, it would take only one comet toannihilate the Earth. The physicist maintainsthat, to ensure the survival of the human race,we need to take a longer-term view. “TheUniverse is teeming with resources and dan-gers. We must learn to use the resources andavoid the dangers. To explore – then exploit –space will require great energy resources. Thisis why I think that energy savings are immoral.We must open up our minds beyond the narrowconfines of our planet.”

For these reasons, science is in great needof creativity, even if the scientific professionsdo not exactly convey this image. Creativitywas at the origin of all the major scientificadvances. “Unlike with the theory of specialrelativity E = mc2 (someone apparently discov-ered it before he did), Einstein had no particularreason for developing the theory of generalrelativity. All he wanted was a beautifulUniverse that functioned in the way he saw fit.And his theory was a great solution because itis still valid today.”

Delphine d’Hoop(1) CERN: European Organisation for Nuclear Research, with

its headquarters in Geneva.(2) ITER: International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor,

an experimental nuclear fusion reactor project.


PORTRAIT

LHC

lhc.web.cern.ch/lhc/

See also the special issue of RDT info,

entitled A Matter of Life…, February 2007

To be published

Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw,

Why does E = mc2 ?

star system


IN BRIEF

Polar Foundation (IPF). In 2008, this research facility will host scientists from various continentswho will examine the impact of climatic disturbances in situ. The research base needed to beenvironmentally friendly. In spiteof the arctic cold, the base will useonly renewable energy for its ownoperation (windmills, solar panels,water recycling system, a passivesolar heating and cogeneration ofenergy) and will recycle all its waste.You can find out all about thefacility and follow progress on theIPF website. The site providesnumerous other links of interest to scientists (SciencePoles –www.sciencepoles.org), to schoolsand children (Educapoles –www.educapoles.org) and moregenerally to anyone involved withthe environment (ExploraPoles –(www.explorapoles.org), whereyou can learn all the ins and outsof some scientifically oriented arc-tic expeditions.One of the key missions enshrinedin the IPF charter is: “To communi-cate and educate on the reality ofclimate change through the find-ings of polar sciences and therebyconvince society to act responsiblynow to ensure a sustainable worldfor future generations.”

www.polarfoundation.org

Earth’s fury

A trilingual exhibition currentlybeing staged in Paris (in English,French and Italian) takes a dualapproach to natural disasters.Firstly, impressive simulation techniques are used to plunge visitors deep into a world of volcanoes and earthquakes. A spectacular circuit shows theEarth’s internal movements, as well as an explosive volcaniceruption and the movement of the tectonic plates causing it. An earthquake simulation platform enables visitors to experience the shaking of theEarth at first hand. The exhibitionalso includes mock-ups, modellingand hands-on simulation for visitors to reproduce the movement of the plates, understand the impact of waves,feel vibrations, and learn aboutlaboratory experiments. A tactile

SCIENCE AT YOUR FINGERTIPSHands-on chemistry lessons

Is there anything in commonbetween penicillin and a post-it?Why does our hair stand on endwhen we take off certain items ofclothing? How can solar energy beused to transform salt water intofresh water, and how can theresistance of different materials beeasily tested? These are a few ofthe experiments proposed by theXperimania website. Accessible in22 languages, the website is targeted at primary and secondaryschool teachers and providesteaching packs for each experiment,together with a range of teachingaids (texts, photos and videos). In addition, it enables teachers toparticipate in online chats withexperts. Pupils can include theirown work on the site and partici-pate in a competition where theycould win a visit to a chemicalcompany laboratory in 2008. An initiative of the APPE(Association of PetrochemicalsProducers in Europe), the website is coordinated by EuropeanSchoolnet, a network of 28 European education ministries.

One of the aims of Xperimaniais to further exchanges betweenschools in different countries. The website’s proposed activitiesfocus mainly on concrete outcomesand the field of materials. The aimis to help European teachers andpupils to understand some of theprocesses involved in creatingmaterials used in everyday objectslike sport shoes or MP3 players,and to explore their ever moresophisticated properties. It is a funway to get the younger generationinterested in experimentation,observation, materials handling…and science.

www.xperimania.net

It’s all happening at the poles and concernseveryone…

A few humans and some windmillsand high tech architecture amid a glaring expanse of white. This isthe future Princess Elisabeth polarstation currently being built inAntarctica by the International

Scale model of the PrincessElisabeth research station, the firstzero-emission base to be built inAntarctica.

Eruption of the Krakatoa volcano(Indonesia), April 1999.

© IP

F©

Pas

cal B

lond

é


IN BRIEF

and sound circuit allows partiallysighted, and to a lesser extenthearing-impaired, visitors to experience these phenomena too. As its title would imply, the secondapproach, Living with Risk, showsvisitors the importance of awareness in preventing risk.Victims, experts and rescuersrecount their own experiences of earthquakes and tsunamis.Films and modelling show howthey develop. Architects presentearthquake-proof buildings andscientists unveil their earth scienceresearch. Simulations of rescueoperations are staged from time to time (with fire-fighters anddogs rescuing fake victims buriedunder fake rubble).For Internet users, clear explanations of these phenomena(via downloadable documents,podcasts and MP3 files) provide a virtual visit that is just as convincing as the real thing.Until 11 May 2008.

www.palais-decouverte.fr

selected for the final of the 19thedition of the European UnionContest for Young Scientists, held in Valencia (Spain) in 2007.And young scientists they certainlyare, as they range from only 14 to20 years of age. “If one had tochoose two essential elements forEurope’s future, they would be ouryoung fellow citizens and ourresearch capacity”, said JanezPotočnik, European Commissionerfor Science and Research. “I trustthat the success which they haveachieved in this contest willencourage the prize-winners tocontinue on the path of inventionand discovery.”The contest covers a variety of disciplines. A German duo, Florian Ostermaier (aged 19) andHenrike Wilms (aged 20) took jointfirst prize for physics. When visitinga cave with stalactites, they hadobserved that, every time a dropfell, it seemed to flash at a certainheight. Having found no explanation for this phenomenon,they tried to reproduce it using a tap and came to the conclusionthat the effect was produced solely when a source of light wasplaced in a very special position (in relation to both the observerand the drop of water). They succeeded in describing thisphenomenon from a mathematicalstandpoint – something that hadnever been done before.The first prize for chemistry wasawarded to Márton Spohn, an 18-year-old Hungarian. A student of the self-defencemechanisms used by certainplants to ward off pests, notablyby releasing odours that attracttheir predators, he focused on the development of more environmentally friendly pesticides.The youngest prize-winner was a 16-year-old Irish mathematicsenthusiast, Abdusalam Abubakar,who proposed an extension of

Wiener’s attack on RSA encryptionby seeking to render the encryptionkeys "unattackable".The 20th edition of the YoungScientists Contest will be held inDenmark in September 2008.

www.eurocontest.dk

ec.europa.eu/research/

youngscientists/

Whales in the desert

Once upon a time, the Piscoregion, situated 200 km from Lima(Peru), lay at the bottom of thePacific Ocean. The movements ofthe Earth’s crust raised the regionto 100 metres above sea level,turning it into an exceptionaltreasure trove of marine fossils.Experts from Lima’s San MarcosUniversity have appealed toyoung European researchers tohelp them to study the skeletonsof dolphins and whales lyingbeneath the sand. Some of thespecies discovered include strangebeaked whales, characterised bysignificantly fewer teeth than present-day species. Only one ortwo pairs of teeth remain, but in

Young scientists,2007 vintage

14 of the 81 projects pre-selectedby a Spanish panel of nationaljudges, then whittled down by 15 international experts, were

From left to right, the first-prize winners are: Abdusalam Abubakar,Florian Ostermaier, Márton Spohnand Henrike Wilms.

fully grown males these are all the more spectacular. Thesebeaked whales fed mainly onsquid, which they would suck upand swallow whole.“The collected fossils will be stud-ied in the laboratory in Lima whenwe return there in a few months”,explained expedition participant,Olivier Lambert. “They includehundreds of the oldest and bestpreserved beaked whales theworld has ever known. Studyingthem will provide us with crucialinformation on the early stages oftheir evolution.” The work of thisteam can be followed up on thewebsite of the Royal BelgianInstitute of Natural Sciences(Institut Royal des SciencesNaturelles de Belgique), which hashad the excellent idea of reservinga virtual area for its researchers’“adventures“.Information in four languages: FR, NL, EN, DE.

www.sciencesnaturelles.be

Mario Urbina (University of Lima),Klaas Post (Netherlands) and OlivierLambert (Belgium) photographed by another member of the team,Giovanni Bianucci (Italy).

© G

iova

nni B

ianu

cci

IN BRIEF

Key facts andfigures aboutEurope andthe Europeans

2007, 79 pages, ISBN 92 - 79 - 03609 - 2Elementary information on the EU,with interesting comparisonsbetween Member States and withother major economic powers. With clearly and attractively presented facts and figures on a union that is looking to be increasingly competitive and sociallyjust at the same time.

The SustainableNuclear EnergyTechnologyPlatform

2007, 36 pages, ISBN 978 - 92 - 79 - 05591 - 1This report, which accompanies the launch of the Sustainable NuclearEnergy Technology Platform(September 2007), presents differentperspectives for the evolution ofnuclear fission in Europe betweennow and the middle of the century.

Medical and healthresearch - A specialEurobarometer survey

2007, 116 pages, ISBN 978 - 92 - 79 - 06625 - 2A Eurobarometer survey of 29 000 people in 27 Member Stateshas made it possible to analyseEuropean citizens' interest in andknowledge of medical and healthresearch. This report draws the main conclusions, in particular foridentifying the information factorsand sources for increasing publicawareness in this field.

Social sciences andhumanities in FP6

2007, 468 pages, ISBN 978 - 92 - 79 - 05738 - 0Inventory of projects launchedbetween 2002 and 2006 in the “Socialand Human Sciences” thematic areaof the 6th Framework Programme.

Europe in the globalresearch landscape

2007, 114 pages, ISBN 978 - 92 - 79 - 05596 - 6How does the internationalisation ofresearch affect Europe? This reportanswers essential questions linked toEurope’s current position in the worldand its abilities to respond to newemerging demands.

Integrating sciencein society issues inscientific research

2007, 27 pages, ISBN 978 - 92 - 79 - 06797 - 6The key results of a study whichexamines the importance of the“Science and Society” thematic areain the 6th Framework Programme.The publication highlights the EU’sstrengths and weaknesses in supporting the societal dimension of research.

You can consult and order

more publications about

the European Union from

the EU Bookshop:

bookshop.europa.eu

PUBLICATIONSTEACHING CORNER

Did you know that, when cycling,to turn left you first steer to theright? Changing direction on atwo-wheeler requires you to turn,for a split second, in the oppositedirection. Let’s take a closer look atthis astonishing phenomenon.When you cycle in a straight line(A), your balance is provided byfour support points, two foreach wheel, on either sideof the part of the tyretouching the ground.To turn left, intu-itively, you turninitially in theopposite

direction, to the right (B). This briefmovement of the handlebars,which lasts for just half a second,shifts the right-hand front supportpoint towards the left-hand frontsupport point. With the help ofcentrifugal and gravitationalforces, you then lean to the left (C)

– which enables you to turn –at a unique angle, determinedby your speed and the diameter of the curve.

Another particularity of a two-wheeler is that the front

support points lie slightlybehind the axis of the wheel-fork.

Coming out of the turn, this configuration allows a force to

emerge opposite to that exercisedwhen the handlebar is turned, which

pushes the bike to right itself spontaneously (D and E). Childish?

Not as much as you might think.Mathematicians had been racking theirbrains to model the particular stability of the bicycle since it was invented in 1860.A team of researchers from Delft University ofTechnology (NL) finally cracked the problemin October 2007, after many years of perseverance. This is good news for manufacturers which have until nowdesigned their prototypes on a trial

and error basis. From now on it will beeasy to design bikes which are

dimensioned to cyclists’ needs.

The art of countersteering


www.tudelft.nl

© H

ans

Moo

ij, T

U D

elft

(NL)

A

B

C

D

E


IN BRIEF

Are researchers ‘aliens’ from another planet?Must the profile of an ideal researcher in

the European Research Area really be some-one who works day and night at the lab, evenon Sundays? Flexible and ready to travelabroad at the drop of a hat. Accustomed to theuncertainties of their career and ready to hopfrom one temporary contract to another, drivenby an all-consuming obsession for research –from doctorate to grave?

The answer is no. Researchers really dohave private lives and do not spring up ready-formed. Research work is in no way comparableto a factory assembly line. For instance,exploratory research involves many days ofhard toil that do not necessarily lead to results.Ideas do not come to order. And although

OPINION passion is a prerequisite for research, thisshould not equate to self-sacrifice.

To encourage talented young people –especially women – to embrace a career inscience, they must be offered working condi-tions and job prospects at least equivalent tothose in comparable professions. It is essen-tial for the work of young researchers to begoverned by a proper contract that includessocial benefits. At present many doctoralcontracts do not even incorporate a maternityclause!

And although mobility can certainly enricha researcher’s career, it must be acknowledgedthat family life imposes its own constraints andthat many obstacles still remain in this area.

What is more, many scientists areemployed in the field of research policy, or inadministration, development or technology,and can pursue their research work only on apart-time basis. Years after leaving university,such scientists often wish to exploit this

non-academic experience by embarking onresearch or a doctoral project.

Researchers should be seen not as aliensfrom outer space but as an integral part of oursociety.

Wolfgang Eppenschwandtner, Policy Officer, European Council for Doctoral

Candidates and Junior Researchers (Eurodoc)

My motive for exploring so manysubjects was that I wanted to studyresearch topics covering morethan one scientific field – in thiscase, complex systems like neuro-biological and control systems.The reason I have been able torealise my ambition is that inQuebec, as in the rest of Canada,study grants are paid directly tostudents. This allows them tochoose their subject and to ventureinto interdisciplinary fields whichare off the beaten track. This typeof grant allows students total freedom to travel, choose theirown director of research and studyabroad. With so much freedom,you might imagine that studentswould lose their way, but I don’tthink this is the case. By trusting usat such an early age, we are forcedto act as researchers and to takeresponsibility for the outcome ofour research, exactly as would berequired of us as fully fledged scientists.

The British and European systemsseem to differ from this model.The studies of most doctoral and post-doctoral students aresubsidised, but only if studentsfind a director of research to takeresponsibility for training them.Very few grants are allocateddirectly to students to allow themto make their own choices, especially at post-doctoral level. In my view there should be moresuch grants. I do not yet teach any PhD students but, when I do, I shall ensure that they are affordedthe same freedom to work that I have enjoyed (and continue to do).

Hugo TouchetteLecturer in applied mathematics

Queen Mary, University of London (UK)

DIARY

To keep up-to-date with research anddevelopment news, see: http://ec.europa.eu/research/headlines/

Hugo, aged 32,mathematician

My career path could be describedas “non-linear”, just like the randomsystems I study as a statisticalphysics researcher. During my student days, I worked on a host of different subjects, from information theory to statisticalphysics, by way of neurobiophysicsand control theory. I visited a number of departments (physics, mechanical engineering,computing, physiology and mathematics) in Canada, the USAand the UK. All this finally led meto London, where I work as a professor-researcher in the mathematics department of Queen Mary College.

Hugo Touchette, in London.

YOUNG RESEARCHERS

IMAGE OF SCIENCEKIA

H07055EN

C

This image shows the magnetic field lines in Fe-Ni (iron-nickel) nanoparticles using electronic holography.The concentric circles of field lines correspond to the magnetic vortex formed in the central particle of 70 nm (1)

in diameter. The colours indicate the local orientation of the field. The total width of the image is 140 nm.This research is the result of collaboration betweenFrance’s Centre d'Etudes de Chimie Métallurgique and the UK’s University of Cambridge.

(1) One nanometre (nm) equals one billionth of a metre.

Nanospiral © C

NRS

Pho

toth

èque

/Mar

tin H

ytch

n°55 january 2008 researcheu - european...

Documents