Redacción de The Smart City Journal, Author at thesmartcityjournal.com

How international organisations can navigate the current era of ‘global shocks’

In an era of unprecedented global turbulence, the University of Oxford has launched the ‘Global Shocks’ podcast, featuring in-depth interviews with former leaders from the world’s major international organisations on responding to global shocks, adapting to them, and surviving turbulent times such as humanitarian emergencies, war, financial crises, and pandemics Dr Jan Eijking, Global Shocks…

The miracle of ‘dog’

Study illuminates complex cognitive steps behind even the simplest words, with implications for the treatment of neurological disorders Using advanced brain recording techniques, a new study led by researchers from Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital demonstrates how neurons in the human brain work together to allow people to think about what words they want to say…

London is the world’s smartest metropolis, according to IESE Cities in Motion Index

New York (2nd) and Paris (3rd) take the other top slots in IESE Business School’s index, which tracks the sustainability of urban centers and the quality of life of their citizens London tops the list of the world’s smartest cities, followed by New York and Paris, according to the 2024 edition of IESE’s Cities in…

The updated WHO Benchmarks for Strengthening Health Emergency Capacities expanded to include public health and social measures (PHSM)

The updated WHO Benchmarks for Strengthening Health Emergency Capacities was published to support the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR) and the health emergency prevention, preparedness, response, and resilience capacities Taking on board the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent health emergencies, the benchmarks expanded to reflect closer alignment with the International Health Regulations…

Can Taylor Swift shape the future of U.S. democracy? Yes, she can

Millennials and Gen Z are mired in fatalism. Leaders at the Berkeley Institute for Young Americans say Swift and other young icons might inspire millions to feel hope — and power In October 2020, just a few weeks before the U.S. presidential election, global pop hyper-star Taylor Swift issued a brief, carefully worded statement endorsing…

UNWTO Becomes “UN Tourism” to Mark A New Era for Global Sector

The Organization reaffirms its status as the United Nations specialized agency for tourism and the global leader of tourism for development, driving social and economic change to ensure that “people and planet” are always center stage To achieve this goal, UN Tourism engaged the services of Interbrand, the leading global branding agency. Interbrand successfully translated the Organization’s…

Oxford scientists launch ambitious roadmap for a circular carbon plastics economy

In a paper published this week in Nature, the authors argue for a rethinking of the technical, economic, and policy paradigms that have entrenched the status quo, one of rising carbon emissions and uncontrolled pollution Currently the global plastics system results in over 1 gigatonnes per year of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions which is the same as the…

Engineering New Worlds: Inside ‘The Ark 47 Librae’

Dive into the epic journey of "The Ark 47 Librae," a masterful hard science-fiction narrative that spans the ages, unfolding a story of ambition, collaboration, and human ingenuity Many startup founders are dreamers. They envision changing the world, disrupting their industries, and improving people's lives. That's why they are drawn to science fiction, where fantastic…

Scientists identify how fasting may protect against inflammation

Cambridge scientists may have discovered a new way in which fasting helps reduce inflammation – a potentially damaging side-effect of the body’s immune system that underlies several chronic diseases In research published in Cell Reports, the team describes how fasting raises levels of a chemical in the blood known as arachidonic acid, which inhibits inflammation. The…

Europe forges new bonds between agriculture and biodiversity

As the environmental and economic costs of industrial farming grow, so do opportunities to spur an ecological change For avocado farmers in Peru, it appears to be a boom time. Their production has increased sixfold over the past decade to meet growing demand abroad. But appearances can deceive. Farm foundations These and other single-crop growers…