Science Stories

When people ask me if there is any food I really don't like, I never have to think for long: coriander. It looks great, a handful of fresh green leaves scattered over a curry or rendang. But as far as I'm concerned, the chef can save themselves the trouble. As soon as there's coriander in my food, I taste one thing: soap. A bit like someone has added a splash of washing-up liquid to my dinner.

Your energy meter sends its readings over a network older than most smartphones. Your lift reports faults over that same connection. They communicate via 2G, the quiet backbone of the Internet of Things. KPN is the last provider to start phasing the network out. By December 2027 it will be gone for good. As the Netherlands says goodbye to the second generation of mobile networks, two University of Twente researchers are working on the newest one: 6G.

During almost every operation, surgeons cut away small pieces of healthy tissue. Most of it is dropped into a bin marked biological waste and thrown out. But what if those millimetre-sized scraps were not rubbish at all? At the University of Twente, one researcher thinks each one could become a living, personalised piece of you.

Surgery in hospital, recovery at home. No trip to the hospital for every check-up, but smart sensors that keep track of how you are doing. And only going to hospital when it is really necessary. Is this what healthcare will look like in the future?

You walk into a toilet and immediately realise someone has been there before you. But what exactly are you smelling? And does it mean that actual poo particles are getting into your nose?