What a year
The combination of working harder and being forced to sit at home does nobody any good, and that includes me and my health. This year, I therefore set myself the goal of walking or working out for at least one hour per day. As a result, and thanks to the coronavirus, I will not forget 2020 in a hurry. It really was a year of extremes! For society, but most definitely for science too.
Laboratories had to close and projects were put on hold. Researchers on temporary contracts experienced problems in completing their research on time. On the other hand, scientists have rarely played such a crucial role in a global crisis. The entire world is eagerly awaiting a vaccine. Even if there are still people who think that the virus is a figment of the imagination and scientists are part of the conspiracy, nobody can deny that: science is firmly back in the limelight.
Scientists have rarely played such a crucial role in a global crisis.
Therefore coronavirus research cannot be omitted from our new annual magazine Results. We reveal how quickly and flexibly various scientists managed to respond to the urgent need and which initial results have already been achieved. But fantastic progress was made in other areas too. For example, you can read how researchers have managed to culture a mini-heart in the lab that contains adult beating heart cells. And there is an article about researchers who developed an online tool to help teachers provide individual solutions to counteract bullying at school. When I read all of these articles, I am encouraged by their incredible diversity: not just of disciplines, but also among the people who are responsible for all those superb results. These are all splendid examples, which demonstrate how important it is for science to continue unabated and unimpeded. If Dutch research is to remain among the best in Europe, then considerable extra investments are needed as well as continuity in the funding that the government provides. Only then can Dutch researchers enjoy a level playing field within Europe. 2020, the year of the coronavirus, has brought home to us all just how important this is. Knowledge is the key to our wellbeing. And now society desperately needs science, even more than ever before.
Stan Gielen
President NWO Executive Board
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The year of the coronavirus
he coronavirus conquered the world in 2020 and also took hold of science. -
Mats off the coast
Three-dimensional act as temporary foster families that protect tiny mussels, seagrass and salt marsh plant seedlings whilst they are growing up. -
A sight to behold
The research carried out by curator Tiemen Cocquyt at the Rijksmuseum Boerhaave shows the astonishing craftsmanship of early lens makers. -
New planet on the radio
The Dutch/European LOFAR radio telescope captured strange signals from the red dwarf star GJ 1151. They almost certainly originate from a planet in the habitable zone. -
Stop the bullying
While anti-bullying programmes can help many of the victims, they don’t always succeed. But there’s an online tool for situations where these interventions are ineffective that appears to work well. -
Knowledge from the Delta
All around the world Dutch researchers are working with international partners to promote sustainability, reduce inequality and improve the quality of life for the local population. -
Making your own mini-heart
With some stem cells made from someone’s skin, urine or blood, these researchers can make a beating cluster of human heart tissue. -
The melting of Greenland’s ice sheet is now irreversible
Even if global warming is halted, or perhaps reversed slightly, analysis of satellite data from the last forty years shows that the glaciers in Greenland will continue to melt for decades. -
Searching for beauty
In the world’s largest particle accelerator, scientists are searching for new particles that might have played a role in the origin of the universe. -
Investigating computers
Computers are already pretty good at estimating whether we are keeping one-and-a-half metres apart. -
Workplace
Top research requires top facilities. Scientific infrastructure forms the foundation for the most diverse projects and lies at the basis of many results.