news 2022

Social psychologist Sara Konrath (BA '02) shares the science behind giving and some unexpected benefits of generosity By Megan Vander Woude Office of Advancement Every November and December, we hear a lot about giving. No matter what you're celebrating this holiday season, you're sure to be inundated with messages of spending time with loved ones, giving thoughtful gifts and giving back to others.

Ocean waves up to 30 metres that seemingly appear at random have long inspired legend and stumped scientists. Now, researchers at the University of Sydney and Kyoto University are unravelling their mysteries. Research published in Physical Review Letters  by University of Sydney and Kyoto researchers has found that extreme or 'rogue' ocean waves - colossal walls of water that seemingly appear at random and have the potential to destroy marine infrastructure, carve out coastlines and even threaten life - could be more frequent in multi-directional wave formations than previously expected.

In the Connected Circularity programme, four research teams - within 4 Flagship projects - from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) have been working on HOW to shape the transition to a circular bioeconomy. That is an society in which organic material forms the basis of our food system and in which no more materials are wasted.

The official opening of the supercomputer DelftBlue will take place on 30 September at the Prinsenhof in Delft, also marking the fifth anniversary of the TU Delft Institute for Computational Science & Engineering. The programme features scientists and companies working with supercomputers, explaining the importance of supercomputing for healthcare, logistics and the energy transition.

Using hand signals can help overcome the psychological issues linked to online meetings and increase social connection, according to a new study led by UCL researchers. The team conducted a randomised control trial with more than 100 students, training one group to use hand signals including gestures such as waving to take a turn to speak, and raising a hand to show empathy.

The international NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has delivered the deepest, sharpest infrared image of the distant Universe so far. U.S. President Joe Biden unveiled the image of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723, known as Webb's First Deep Field , during a White House event on Monday 11 July.

Researchers at UPF and the UdG find that as we grow older we use more non-referential gestures in our narratives, gestures that do not visually represent what we are saying, and this indicates a greater ability to structure discourse. Gesturing when speaking is something we all do, whether consciously or unconsciously, and is part of human communication.