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Business onboarding is underway in County Monaghan in preparation for a new physical and digital gift card which is set to launch in early November. The new County Monaghan Gift Card will replace the successful paper Monaghan Town Voucher which has operated since 2016, with over €12 million in sales to date. A single gift card for the entirety of County Monaghan, the card will be redeemable at participating businesses county-wide. A simple and secure system, physical cards will be swiped at the till while the digital version will be added to digital wallets enabling 'tap to pay' technology. Businesses simply need to register to accept the new card. No additional equipment is required for businesses to accept the card. Cllr PJ O'Hanlon, Cathaoirleach of Monaghan County Council, said: "I am very much in support of this scheme, which is an excellent initiative to strengthen our local economy. By using the County Monaghan Gift Card, we are keeping money within County Monaghan, supporting local businesses, protecting local jobs, and helping our communities to thrive." Mr. Robert Burns, Chief Executive of Monaghan County Council, added: "The launch of the County Monaghan Gift Card is a great step forward for our local economy. It makes shopping across the county more convenient, keeps spending local, and supports the businesses that form the backbone of our communities." Colin Munro, CEO of Miconex, said: "We're proud to back the Monaghan Town Team and Monaghan County Council on the transition from their hugely successful paper vouchers to a high-tech gift card. We're confident that businesses will find the move from paper vouchers to a modern physical and digital gift card will be a positive one for their business, their town and their county, minimising friction for busy merchants and helping them to drive additional revenue and spend." Although the existing paper Town Vouchers remain valid, recipients are kindly asked to use these at their earliest convenience. See more stories here.

New provisional data from EirGrid shows that 42% of electricity in September came from renewable sources. The majority of renewable electricity generated last month came from windfarms, which accounted for 34% of all electricity used in Ireland. Total generation from wind energy amounted to 920 GWh (Gigawatt hours), compared with 776 GWh last September. Some 97 GWh of electricity came from grid-scale solar last month, accounting for approximately 4% of electricity generated. Elsewhere, 37% of electricity came from gas and 20% was imported. Overall electricity system demand stood at 2715 GWh for September, up slightly from August. EirGrid's carries out the complex task of balancing electricity supply and demand at all times from the National Control Centre. Currently, the electricity grid can accommodate up to 75% of electricity from renewable sources at any one time. This is known as the system non-synchronous penetration (SNSP) limit. Commenting on the data, Diarmaid Gillespie, Director of System Operations at EirGrid, said: "Wind energy represented the vast majority of renewable generation last month, which demonstrates the continued importance of this source of electricity for the power system. As we head towards the winter months, we expect the fuel mix to change, with wind generation being more dominant, and a marked increase in demand for electricity, particularly after daylight saving ends and the clock change at the end of October."

Longford County Council Library Services will host a free internet safety talk for parents and guardians on Wednesday, 22 October at 7 pm in Longford Town Library. The session addresses the challenges parents face when their child receives their first smartphone, covering apps, artificial intelligence, screen time, misinformation and cyberbullying. Siobhan Grealy, Longford County Council STEM Officer, will facilitate the talk alongside the local community Garda, providing practical advice on keeping children safe online whilst fostering personal responsibility. Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council, Cllr Garry Murtagh, said, "This talk gives parents the tools they need at a critical moment in their child's life. Understanding the digital world our young people inhabit isn't optional anymore - it's essential parenting knowledge, and we're proud to make this expertise freely available to our community." Chief Executive Paddy Mahon added, "Internet safety sits at the heart of modern child welfare. By bringing together professional guidance and local policing expertise, we're equipping Longford families with clear, actionable information that protects children whilst respecting their growing independence." The event is free, but booking is required through longfordlibrary.ie or by calling 043 334 0727.

Guest post by Nik Kinley, author of The Power Trap: How Leadership Changes People and What to Do About It. Power does not just enable leaders to move faster. It tunes their minds toward action, and dials down the cautionary parts of their brains. In neuroscientific terms, power activates the brain's behavioural activation system (BAS), which heightens their focus on rewards, pushes decisive action, and sustains persistence. The good news is it can be massively helpful in moderation. But it can quickly become unbalanced, and when it does, it rarely ends well. The Power Trap, things to watch out for That BAS tilt shows up most clearly in attitudes to risk. Across experiments and field studies, people who have power - or even just feel powerful - concistently take more risks. They push further in games of chance, disclose more in negotiations, and back bolder commercial bets. Under pressure or stress, the effect intensifies, too. A few profiles resist it - especially the highly anxious or those guarding threatened status - but for most leaders, power nudges the risk dial upward. Power also edits perception. It narrows attention to goals, strips out context, and encourages high-level, abstract framing. That can speed triage in a noisy environment, yet it also invites blind spots, generalisation, and over-reliance on pre-existing beliefs. In practice, leaders seek less new data, sample fewer viewpoints, and anchor to the story they already hold. The outcome is classic confirmation bias. Confidence compounds this tilt. Power lifts self-esteem and heightens people's sense of control. Some confidence is essential. And even a little overconfidence can sometimes be useful. But persistent overconfidence is not. And with power, three forms of overconfidence become more likely: overstating one's knowledge, overstating one's skill, and overestimating personal control over outcomes. That trio drives optimistic forecasts, premium-priced acquisitions, and schedules that mysteriously ignore reality. In the short-term, this overconfidence can drive higher average returns because bolder bets sometimes pay. But over the longer term, variance in those returns almost always increases. Finally, insulation kicks in. Because power creates distance - physical, structural, and psychological. People edit what they tell you. Dissent drops. Context vanishes. Even empathetic leaders read social cues less accurately when tasks are not overtly interpersonal. Information up the line gets cleaner, not truer. So the same force that heightens risk appetite simultaneously degrades the risk signal. And that is hugely dangerpous to decision-making leaders. If you lead an innovative business, this is double-edged, too. Because successful innovation needs asymmetry: lots of ideas, with good learning from mistakes, and a few outsized wins. But the BAS-overconfidence-insulation combo skews decision-making and weakens error-correction. Learning slows, subsequent bets get larger and less examined, and so performance becomes a roller coaster. What to do about it What then, can leaders do to help mitigate the effects that power can have upon them? Four things stand out. Install structural brakes. Make a 'risk quorum' group mandatory for non-reversible or high-leverage decisions. Define in advance which spend, strategic moves, or policy shifts require second opinions and independent review. Process beats intention when your BAS is running hot. Engineer decision machines. Structured tools like pre-mortems (imagining why a choice fails) or red teams (challenging with alternatives) help unlock candour. You don't need them for every call, only the big ones. The aim is to build a decision machine where input is systematically gathered to strengthen your choices. Avoid and discourage binary views. People can worry that if they say something different to you they will be opposing you. So it's important to avoid sounding too black-and-white and to use qualifiers, as this makes it ...

Meta-Flux, a Dublin-based biotech startup, has raised €1.8M ($2 million) in seed funding to expand its decision-support platform for preclinical drug development, bridging the gap between preclinical research and clinical application. The round includes backing from senior executives at Pfizer, Merck, and Gilead Sciences, along with technology leaders from Google, Amazon, and Indeed. Meta-Flux combines data from genes, proteins, and metabolic pathways, applying biological reasoning with AI to reveal how biological systems function as a whole. This systems-level view helps drug developers discover better treatments faster, avoid costly dead ends, and bring medicines to patients sooner. "Bringing a new drug to market is slow, expensive, and uncertain. Too often, promising drugs fail because researchers can't clearly predict how they'll behave," said Leo Sherlock, Co-Founder of Meta-Flux. "A lot of drugs end up failing because they have the wrong application. Our goal isn't just to get more drugs to market, but to make sure the ones that do actually help the right people. Once you have that drug and once you have the target, we help you figure out what application you should go after, what particular type of disease, what subtype of that disease, and what patients you're going to be treating." "In a market saturated with AI claims, Meta?Flux stands out because it delivers actionable answers," said Fernando Ferrer, a data engineering leader and investor in Meta-Flux. "Their platform gives scientists a way to cut through the noise and accelerate the path from development to decision." A senior director in R&D at Gilead Sciences, also an investor in Meta-Flux, added: "Over the next 12 to 18 months, I expect AI to transform preclinical research, accelerate discovery, improve prediction accuracy, and reduce costs. The key for big pharma is identifying valuable AI partners in an increasingly crowded space, those who marry deep biological insight with advanced modeling to address focused, high-impact questions. Meta-Flux exemplifies this biology-first approach, zeroing in on niche scientific challenges that unlock outsized commercial value and turning AI's promise into tangible breakthroughs." Meta-Flux recently completed Techstars Chicago (powered by J.P. Morgan), MassBio DRIVE in Boston, and the NDRC Accelerator at Dogpatch Labs in Dublin, programs that connect emerging techbio companies with pharma mentors and investors. The company is now building out its team to support pharmaceutical collaborations across the EU and the United States. See more stories here.

Responding to strong demand for their paper tablets, reMarkable has launched new enterprise-ready capabilities, including Connect for Business, a subscription service for businesses. With built-in security, compliance, and device management features, its paper tablets now offer a secure, scalable platform for focused, high-impact work. More than 3 million people worldwide use reMarkable's paper tablets, which combine the benefits of handwriting with the efficiency of digital powers, to do their best thinking. Having built its reputation as a category leader in the consumer market, reMarkable is expanding into the enterprise segment, helping organizations that want to give their teams a better way to think, take notes, review documents, and visualize ideas. Latest news from reMarkable "In today's noisy workplace, even productivity tools are distracting," said Phil Hess, CEO of reMarkable. "Our research shows that employees don't just see the benefits of focused work - they want more of it. And the majority of reMarkable customers already use their paper tablets for work, including employees at 90% of Fortune 500 companies." Enterprise-grade security and device management reMarkable's new enterprise suite gives IT administrators a streamlined way to secure company information and enforce policies across every paper tablet. The admin dashboard for device management simplifies user authorization and provides a comprehensive, real-time overview of all users and their connected devices from a single place, which supports enterprise policies without adding complexity to IT workflows. reMarkable's ISO 27001 certification further ensures that user data is protected to the highest international standards, including encryption, giving IT teams the confidence that sensitive information remains secure. "Our enterprise management tools and ISO 27001 certification aren't just new features. They make it clear that we understand how to help businesses protect their most valuable asset: their team's ability to think deeply," said Paul Kagoo, General Manager Enterprise and B2B at reMarkable. "IT administrators now have the tools they need to protect company information without slowing down work, all while enabling teams to focus on what matters most." The ultimate enterprise experience The launch of reMarkable's new enterprise features introduces the Connect for Business subscription, designed to give organizations greater control and security. IT administrators can manage devices with ease, enforcing security settings, enabling enterprise single sign-on (SSO), and gaining a clear overview of users and paper tablets - minimizing the risk of data loss or leakage. At the same time, users can enjoy unlimited cloud storage, exclusive templates from reMarkable Methods, Slack integration, and the ability to write, create, and edit seamlessly across their reMarkable paper tablet and mobile app. All new customers receive a 60-day free trial of Connect for Business. Responding to strong demand for their paper tablets, reMarkable has launched new enterprise-ready capabilities, including Connect for Business, a subscription service for businesses. With built-in security, compliance, and device management features, its paper tablets now offer a secure, scalable platform for focused, high-impact work. More than 3 million people worldwide use reMarkable's paper tablets, which combine the benefits of handwriting with the efficiency of digital powers, to do their best thinking. Having built its reputation as a category leader in the consumer market, reMarkable is expanding into the enterprise segment, helping organizations that want to give their teams a better way to think, take notes, review documents, and visualize ideas. "In today's noisy workplace, even productivity tools are distracting," said Phil Hess, CEO of reMarkable. "Our research shows that employees don't just see the benefits of focused work - they want more of it. And the majority of reMarkab...

The award-winning STEM Passport for Inclusion Programme is looking for new mentors to sign up and encourage the next generation of STEM talent. By dedicating fifteen hours between now and April, mentors can provide guidance, share personal and professional experiences, and help young women and students from underserved backgrounds to build the confidence and skills they need to pursue higher education and careers in STEM. A short training session will take place online on the 5th of November, giving new mentors the tools and confidence to get started. Anyone interested in becoming a mentor is encouraged to register their interest as soon as possible: https://lnkd.in/eGbCQUev. STEM Passport for Inclusion is an initiative led by Prof. Katriona O'Sullivan at Maynooth University, in partnership with lead and founding partner Microsoft, which creates an innovative pathway for students from under-served backgrounds to third-level education by earning a Level 6 STEM qualification, work experience opportunities, and mentoring from inspiring industry role models. The initiative is funded by Microsoft Ireland as part of its Dream Space STEM and AI education programme, Research Ireland and the Department of Education, as well as by many industry and education partners. The mentoring programme is designed to be fully flexible and accessible. All mentoring takes place online and is supported throughout by the STEM Passport for Inclusion team, ensuring that volunteers are fully equipped to make the most of the experience. Crucially, mentors do not need to come from a STEM background or even work in STEM themselves; what matters most is their willingness to listen, support, and encourage the next generation. Professor Katriona O'Sullivan, STEM Passport for Inclusion, emphasised the importance of this work, saying: "STEM Passport for Inclusion has already reached thousands of young people since its launch, offering educational opportunities and support to students who are often excluded from pathways into higher education and careers in STEM. Mentorship is critical, providing students with role models who can guide and inspire them. Those who volunteer as mentors will not only impact the lives of individual students but will also contribute to building a stronger, more inclusive future workforce for Ireland."

Exhaustive review article finds large majority of offsets do not provide genuine emissions reductions, requiring a focus on rapid, direct emissions cuts Academics at the University of Oxford and the University of Pennsylvania have conducted the most comprehensive review of evidence on the effectiveness on carbon offsetting to date and concluded the practice is ineffective and riddled with "intractable" problems. Have Carbon offsets failed? Carbon offsets are projects that generate credits meant to represent the reduction, avoidance, or removal of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the atmosphere. The first carbon offset was generated in 1989. The authors call for the phasing out of most credits except those generated by permanent carbon dioxide removal. "We must stop expecting carbon offsetting to work at scale. We have assessed 25 years of evidence and almost everything up until this point has failed," says co-author Dr Stephen Lezak, researcher at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment. "The present market failures are not due to a few bad apples but rather to systematic, deep-seated problems, which will not be resolved by incremental changes." "We hope our findings provide a moment of clarity ahead of COP30: These junk offsets - the ones not backed by permanent carbon removal and storage - are a dangerous distraction from the real solution to climate change, which is rapid and sustained emission reductions," says lead author Dr Joseph Romm, Senior Research Fellow at the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media. The most severe issues uncovered by the research are nonadditionality (generating credits without reducing emissions), impermanence, leakage, double counting, "perverse incentives," and the "gameability" of crediting systems, where bad actors have been able to routinely circumvent even well-designed rules. Far from solving these problems, Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which was finalised at COP29, simply restated "long-ignored tenets of carbon market development, with the specious expectation that this time the outcomes might differ significantly," the authors say. "Despite efforts to implement safeguards, carbon offset projects continue to face documented cases of weak accountability, risking the perpetuation of neocolonial patterns of appropriation. While nature-based projects can deliver local benefits, these should be financed through mechanisms other than carbon credits, such as contribution claims where projects are financed while still ensuring that purchasing entities are responsible for reducing their own emissions," says co-author Amna Alshamsi, a doctoral researcher at the University of Sussex's School of Global Studies. Previous research has shown how offset programs routinely overestimate their climate impact, in many cases by as much as a factor of ten or more. Going forward, all offset markets should prioritise developing high-integrity, durable CDR and storage - with long-term measurement and verification - the authors conclude, while recognising that effective and scalable CDR may not be possible, and will certainly require intensive research and investment. This approach aligns with the Oxford Offsetting Principles, which encourage companies to reduce emissions first and foremost, and to transition to durable, carbon removal offsetting for residual emissions. About the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment The Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford equips enterprise to achieve net zero emissions and the sustainable development goals, through world-leading research, teaching and partnerships. https://www.smithschool.ox.ac. uk/ See more breaking stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anc...

Catherine Connolly leads Heather Humphreys in every qualifying county head-to-head on local radio, with the tightest margins in Dublin (+6.3 pp) and Limerick (+5.9 pp) according to PR intelligence platform Everhaze which released its latest report in its 'Battle of the Airwaves' series. The report which tracked 4,021 radio mentions of the candidates from 25th September 2025 to 10th of October 2025 shows that In overall volume, despite dropping out of the campaign, Jim Gavin remains the dominant voice on air, capturing 50.1% of all radio mentions (2,013 of 4,021) across 60 stations and show. In other key findings the latest Everhaze Battle of the Airwaves report found that: Share of Voice consisted of Gavin 50.1%; Connolly 27.3%; Humphreys 22.6%, A County head-to-head (local-only) found that Connolly leads Humphreys in all qualifying counties with Dublin and Limerick the closest contests. The most talked about trend so far in the campaign are discussions about Fianna Fáil Leadership which has dominated the narrative in this window (875 mentions, 21% of all campaign mentions, with net sentiment ?68.7 pp). Speaking about the findings, James McCann, CEO of Everhaze said: "At the midway point, the airwaves have been dominated by the fallout from Jim Gavin's campaign. Tis withdrawal set the agenda and kept volume elevated. But when you strip that noise out and look at the head-to-heads, the race is tighter than the topline suggests, with Catherine Connolly leading Humphreys across every qualifying county. As we enter the final two weeks, the battleground is clear: national shows will steady the candidates narrative, but local talk will decide perception." Everhaze is an Irish-built PR intelligence platform that tracks real-time media coverage across radio, print, and online sources in Ireland and the UK. Its technology combines broadcast capture with AI-driven analysis to map who is getting talked about, where, and in what tone. The platform is widely used by communicators to monitor campaigns, understand sentiment shifts, and measure share of voice. As part of the 2025 Presidential campaign, Everhaze has launched the "Battle of the Airwaves" tracker, a live view of how each candidate (Heather Humphreys, Catherine Connolly, Jim Gavin) is performing week-by-week on radio. The tracker highlights: Share of voice across national vs local stations County-by-county exposure showing where candidates are winning or lagging Sentiment balance, capturing whether coverage is favourable, critical, or neutral Programme battlegrounds, where margins between rivals are razor-thin See more stories here.

Guest post by Eoghan Doyle, Senior Solutions Consultant, Miagen Businesses today know that accurate data is essential for their company's success. However, simply having the data isn't enough. The challenge for organisations, across all departments, is ensuring that key data is presented to users in a way that will expand their knowledge and understanding of any given issue. What businesses are discovering is that embedded analytics can truly unlock the power of their data. Its ability to layer data and provide deeper - and, previously lost - insights is transforming how businesses operate across all departments. Its focus on user experience, meanwhile, is crucial as it puts the human at the centre of decision-making. Defining embedded analytics At Miagen, we understand that extrapolating value from data can be a headache - especially when that data is dispersed across different business intelligence platforms. It is time-consuming for the user and therefore delays - or even inhibits - the intended value. Embedded analytics, on the other hand, integrates data visualisations, dashboards and analytical capabilities directly into business applications, tools and workflows. In doing so, it makes the data more digestible and accessible to both customers and internal teams. And, when users understand the data better, organisations can be quick to spot trends and respond in real time. Supporting business decision-making Digestible, easy-to-access embedded data gives control to employees by removingtheir reliance on internal IT teams to create data pipelines. Instead, they can combine data from different sources to create bespoke reports that address specific and nuanced needs. Consider a marketing team in a large organisation, for example. At any given moment, they will likely have the performance of social media posts, online ads, web content and more, across multiple campaigns, to grapple with. By embedding their reporting tools with performance and engagement metrics, they can much more effectively analyse how their campaigns are performing. Based on this, they candecide if they need to change certain messaging or reallocate budgets - all in real-time, rather than retroactively making adjustments based on outdated monthly reports. Analytics and visualisations can be embedded into applications such as SharePoint, or internal tools like a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, to monitor businesses activities. For a HR team, this could enable them to create dashboards embedded within SharePoint to track attrition trends, helping them to make faster, more informed decisions and improve workforce management. Likewise, a better view of employee turnover and absenteeism rates can help HR managers to be proactive and spot trends such as staff burnout, addressing them before they become an even bigger issue. Similarly, retailers can embed analytics into their inventory tools. These can be used to easily spot when items are out of stock or if there is a bottleneck in the system. Employees can then act early to solve these issues and minimise, or even prevent, disruption to business operations and customers. Empowering teams to be proactive in such a way has another benefit: in an increasingly competitive business hiring landscape, organisations can provide greater job satisfaction that results in higher staff retention. It makes sense, employees who feel that have autonomy in their roles and who can see the real difference that they are making are far more likely to be motivated to stay and succeed. Creating customer success By incorporating this capability into customer-facing platforms, businesses can automate reporting and deliver crucial insights to customers, too, and in return, earn their loyalty. For example, energy companies could provide cost and consumption reports to their commercial customers, enabling them to see at what times are they consuming the most energy and how much it is costing them. Giving control back to...

A consortium led by University of Galway spin-out Fortis Medical Devices has secured a €2.1 million government grant to accelerate the development of breakthrough stroke rehabilitation technology. The funding will accelerate the development of cueStim-Stroke - a new wearable device for patients affected by post-stroke gait irregularities, a major unmet clinical need. New stroke rehab technology The consortium is led by University of Galway spin-out, Fortis Medical Devices, based in Spiddal and a client company of Údarás na Gaeltachta, along with RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Smart Electronics, Shannon. The €2.1m grant was awarded through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment's Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF). The project will directly address a pressing healthcare challenge, with nearly 20 million stroke patients worldwide affected by long-term gait impairments, despite rehabilitation. Stroke-related treatment and care costs are projected to reach €86 billion a year in the EU by 2040, underscoring the urgent need for transformative technologies. The consortium will also create a connected health ecosystem to support home-based rehabilitation, providing clinicians with real-time data on gait performance, patient progress, and adherence, enabling continuous improvement in patient outcomes through data-driven insights. Thomas Gutierrez, Chief Executive, Fortis Medical Devices, said: "Our mission is to significantly improve the quality of life for stroke survivors. With this DTIF award, we can accelerate the development of cueStim-Stroke to bring real-world solutions to patients and clinicians." Professor Lokesh Joshi, University of Galway Vice-President of Research and Innovation, said: "This is a fantastic achievement for Fortis Medical and a great example of a successful University of Galway research-led spinout from the University ecosystem that will deliver disruptive ground-breaking technology for post-stroke gait rehabilitation, which will make a major impact for patients." Tomás Ó Síocháin, Chief Executive, Údarás na Gaeltachta, said: "We are extremely proud of this achievement by Fortis Medical Devices, a client company of Údarás na Gaeltachta. This is an excellent example of the innovation and entrepreneurship taking place in the Gaeltacht. This DTIF grant demonstrates the potential of Gaeltacht companies to develop groundbreaking technologies with global impact, while creating employment and economic growth in our communities." Professor Suzanne McDonough, Head of RCSI's School of Physiotherapy, said: "RCSI is delighted to be a key contributor to this important collaboration. cueStim-Stroke brings together world-leading expertise that has the potential to improve the quality of life of the 20 million people globally who are currently living with post-stroke gait impairments." Shane Adams, Managing Director of Smart Electronics, said: "Smart Electronics is delighted to partner with Fortis Medical Devices and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences on this innovative project." Fortis Medical Devices was established as a neuroscience and cardiovascular spin-out from University of Galway in April 2024, with Gearóid Ó Laighin retiring as Established Professor of Electronic Engineering and taking on the role of Chief Scientific Officer in the new company. Fortis brings world-leading expertise in wearable rehabilitation technologies and plans to extend its patented platform stimulator technologies to other chronic illnesses. The cueStim-Stroke product will complement Fortis' Parkinson's disease Freezing of Gait reduction technology, which is currently in late-stage development, and which has been designated a Breakthrough Device by the FDA in the United States. As a University of Galway spin-out, Fortis has licensed a suite of patents from the University and is planning to apply this patent portfolio in the treatment of a range of chronic conditions, in addition to ...

Title image details : Pictured l-r: Dr Derek O'Keeffe, senior author of the study and Professor in Medicine, University of Galway; Toni Talip, 4th Year nursing student intern and Jane Cawley, 4th Year nursing student intern, University of Galway. Photo: Aengus McMahon Study shows what really makes someone a superhero is selflessly working for the greater good - whether you're Superman or a frontline healthcare worker Altruism defines true heroism Researchers have finally answered one of pop culture's most enduring questions: do all superheroes wear capes? The answer, according to the team from University of Galway, University of Florida, and University of Arkansas, is a resounding no. In a study of the top 25 highest-grossing superhero movies, the research team meticulously reviewed 97 major characters that included Superman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, the Avengers, Iron Man 3, Marvel and Aquaman. It found that the characters capes do not make them a superhero. What transforms them into one is a good heart. The single strongest predictor of superhero status was having an altruistic mission, where nearly every superhero (98%) demonstrated a commitment to helping others. The study has been published in the Irish Journal of Medical Science. The authors, superhero film enthusiasts, carried out their analysis after hours, outside of their day jobs, independently watching all 25 movies over two months. The team had a preselected list of possible superhero attributes, including whether the hero is human or alien, their intelligence, whether they have an alter ego (think Clark Kent) and, of course, altruism and a cape. They also examined villains, who sometimes enjoy capes, but are absent from altruism. Dr Derek O'Keeffe, senior author of the study and Professor in Medicine at University of Galway, said: "Capes may look dramatic, but it's altruism that truly defines a superhero. Our analysis shows that what really makes someone a hero is selflessly working for the greater good - whether you're Superman or a frontline healthcare worker." The study's light-hearted design had serious undertones. During the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors, nurses, teachers, and first responders were frequently described as "superheroes without capes". This research offers empirical support that cultural sentiment: altruism, not superpowers or costumes, is the hallmark of heroism. The researchers also cautioned that while the superhero narrative can be inspiring, it can also place unrealistic expectations on real-life professionals and contribute to burnout. Dr Naykky Singh Ospina, lead author and Associate Professor in the College of Medicine, University of Florida, said: "Meaningful work gives people purpose, but even heroes need rest. Our findings highlight both the uplifting and the challenging sides of the 'healthcare hero' label." Lest anyone thinks this scientific study is no more authentic than Captain America's "vibranium" shield, the analysis is very real, right down to its citations, design and statistical analysis. The researchers' purpose is to use it to teach medical trainees and others how studies are built, but in a translatable and accessible way. Using a scientific approach and rigorous methodology, the team set research protocols, decided what traits to look for in superheroes, calculated sample size and did all the things scientists do to examine and test a question. So, the next time you see a cape fluttering on the big screen, remember: true heroism is less about the outfit - and more about the mission. Read the full study here: https://doi.org/10.1007/ s11845-025-04080-6 and here: file:///C:/Users/0116056s/ Downloads/s11845-025-04080-6% 20(2).pdf About University of Galway Established in 1845, University of Galway is one of the top 2% of universities in the world. We are a bilingual university, comprised of four colleges, 18 schools and five research institutes, with more than 19,000 students, including around 3,000 international studen...

Starting today, as part of the new SEPA Instant Payments Regulation coming into force, all banks and payment providers must now introduce Verification of Payee (VoP). This new requirement is designed to increase trust and security in euro transfers by checking that the account number (IBAN) and the beneficiary's name match before a payment is sent. The global fintech company SumUp will also roll out this industry scheme to the more than one million merchants who use its business account across Europe, making their payments even more secure. "For small businesses, even the smallest mistake when making a payment can cause disruption. Verification of Payee gives an added layer of trust by ensuring money goes to the right account. At SumUp, protecting our merchants goes hand in hand with empowering them - it's not just about sending or receiving money, but making sure every transaction is secure, transparent, and reliable." explains Antoniya Ditsova, Product Lead - Global Banking at SumUp. The integration of VoP is part of SumUp's broader strategy to strengthen trust in digital payments in Europe. The fintech already deploys advanced authentication technologies, including multi-factor authentication (MFA), verification of card authenticity (for lost or stolen cards), behavioural detection, and automatic blocking of suspicious activities, which this new requirement complements. Therefore, ensuring regulatory compliance while offering proactive protection to merchants and their customers, consolidates SumUp's position as a reliable and innovative payment partner in its European markets. The payer's bank will perform a real-time verification, which has four possible responses: Exact Match: The account name provided matches perfectly with the IBAN on record. Close Match: The name looks very similar - there may just be a small typo or spelling difference. No Match: The name doesn't match the IBAN provided. Unable to Check: The check could not be completed - if the service is down, the recipient's bank isn't yet part of the scheme, or there's a temporary technical issue. "While VoP is not a complete solution to every payment security challenge, it represents an important step forward. By ensuring that money reaches the intended recipient, companies can avoid fraud and major cash flow disruptions. In Ireland, 74% of companies have experienced cybercrime, with fraud offences up 73% in the past 6 months, according to provisional figures from An Garda Síochána. In today's climate of political and economic uncertainty, the regulation helps safeguard business transactions over the long term," adds Antoniya Ditsova. See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Motorsport icon Christian Horner CBE has been confirmed as the headline speaker at the European Motor Show, taking place at the RDS, Dublin, on Saturday 31st January and Sunday 1st February 2026. The two-day event promises a dynamic programme of live talks, experiences, and showcases from world-class industry leaders and brands. One of the most successful team leaders in Formula 1 history, Horner recently stepped down as Team Principal and CEO of Oracle Red Bull Racing after two decades that reshaped the sport. His appearance at the European Motor Show will mark one of his first major public engagements since his departure in July 2025. The European Motor Show, supported by Headline Partner, Close Brothers Motor Finance Ireland, is the must-attend motoring event of 2026, celebrating performance, sustainability, innovation, and investment across the automotive world. Horner's keynote is expected to draw widespread attention from the motorsport and motoring worlds. Christian Horner CBE, former Team Principal and CEO of Oracle Red Bull Racing, will take to the stage on Saturday, 31st January 2026, to share insights from his record-breaking career and reflect on what's next for motorsport and mobility in a rapidly evolving landscape. Christian Horner CBE, said of his involvement in the show: "Ireland has a rich motorsport heritage and I am honoured to join the inaugural European Motor Show. I look forward to engaging discussions on the future of performance, innovation and the people driving change in our sport." Clare Kilmartin, COO, the European Motor Show, said of the announcement, "Having Christian Horner join our line-up is a major moment for the European Motor Show. His career and leadership in Formula 1 are legendary, and we're thrilled he'll be taking centre stage in Dublin. This show is about the future of mobility, and Christian's presence speaks to that vision." Donal Murphy, CEO at Close Brothers Motor Finance Ireland, said: "As somebody who's spent my career around the motor industry in Ireland, it gives me and the whole team at Close Brothers Motor Finance huge pleasure to be supporting this event. It signals to the world Ireland's growing importance as an automotive market and as a hub for the tech and engineering innovation that'll drive future generations of clean, smart vehicles." European Motor Show Event Highlights Include Motorsport Tech & Future Luxury & Lifestyle E-Gaming Family Zone Christian Horner CBE led Red Bull Racing from 2005 to 2025, transforming the team from ambitious underdog to a dominant F1 force with six Constructors' and eight Drivers' Championships. Appointed at just 32, Horner was the youngest Team Principal in F1 history. He oversaw the team's first win in 2009, its four consecutive title doubles with Sebastian Vettel (2010-2013), and later, a new golden era led by Max Verstappen, including a record-breaking 21 wins from 22 races in 2023. He also launched Red Bull Advanced Technologies and Red Bull Powertrains - including a landmark partnership with Ford to develop power units for 2026 and beyond. Horner was named a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2023 for services to motorsport. Tickets on sale now (Phase 2 sale ends October 31st) Adult (includes one free child): €52.50 Weekend / €35 Day Pass Student/Senior: €35 Weekend / €24 Day Pass Family Pass (2 adults + up to 3 children under 14): €85 Weekend / €60 Day Pass Children under 14: Free (with paying adult) Ages 15-17: Student rate applies

The Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) Athlone campus hosted Ireland's largest "hackathon" - The NASA Space Apps Challenge last weekend. More than 200 highly competitive innovators from across Ireland - including teams from Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, and University of Limerick - converged on the campus for the non-stop 48-hour "marathon of hacking" problems. The event was one of 450+ NASA Space App Challenge events that took place at the same time across the globe. The hackathon saw coders, scientists, designers, storytellers, and space enthusiasts set up camp at the TUS engineering building to use NASA's open data to develop innovative solutions for challenges facing Earth and space. The third annual HackAthlone event broke all previous participation records, cementing its status as Ireland's premier space and science hackathon. The atmosphere in the Engineering Building was electric, filled with intense collaboration, problem-solving, and creative energy from Friday evening until Sunday night. Sahir Sharma, NASA's Global Location Lead for Athlone, said: "The goal of HackAthlone has always been to fuel a vibrant Irish hackathon movement, inspiring participants with the potential of intense, collaborative problem-solving." "We are absolutely thrilled by the passion and ingenuity demonstrated this weekend. To have over 200 participants camping out and working on complex problems is a clear indication that the Irish hackathon movement is thriving. This event is not just about competition; it's about building a national community of problem-solvers who are ready to 'Learn, Launch, and Lead' the future of technology." Mr Sharma brings a wealth of experience, having been associated with the initiative since 2016, including a first-place win in Bengaluru and organising events across India and Ireland. Participants had every resource they needed to succeed, including 24/7 access to the hack-shop, 3D printing labs, and game-dev facilities, along with a continuous supply of meals and refreshments. Industry experts, lecturers, and start-up professionals provided crucial mentorship and served as judges, connecting the participants directly with real-world expertise. Winning Team Details The top prize, a share of the €8,000+ total prize pool, and the prestigious nomination for the global NASA judging stage went to: WINNING TEAM NAME: Team CeaSAR PROJECT TITLE: Shannon - Pulse SUMMARY: "The Shannon Pulse" uses radar data from the Sentinel-1 satellite to map and predict flooding along Ireland's River Shannon. Built on Google Earth Engine, the project transforms years of radar imagery into real-time insights for flood forecasting and climate resilience - revealing the river's hidden rhythm even through clouds and darkness. Projects from four teams out of 40 will now be submitted to NASA's Global Judging, where they will compete for a fully funded trip to the NASA centre to see a rocket launch. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

RedClick dublinbikes announced today that the highly popular bike-sharing scheme has officially surpassed 40 million journeys. To celebrate this landmark occasion, RedClick dublinbikes commissioned renowned Dublin muralist Holly Pereira to create a specially designed RedClick dublinbike, showcasing the intersection of sustainable travel and Dublin's vibrant artistic culture. The momentous 40-millionth journey was made by scheme member Rizeq Yousef, who was awarded a €2,000 holiday voucher from Cassidy Travel, courtesy of RedClick, as a thank you for his support. Growth and Impact Launched in September 2009, dublinbikes is widely regarded as one of the most successful bike-sharing programs in the world. The scheme comprises 115 stations and 1,600 bikes, stretching from Phibsborough on the northside to Portobello on the southside. Reaching 40 million journeys underscores the scheme's enduring popularity and its crucial contribution to reducing traffic congestion and emissions in the capital. Lord Mayor of Dublin Councillor Ray McAdam said, "Today is a remarkable milestone in Dublin's journey towards sustainable urban living - the 40 millionth journey on dublinbikes. This achievement reflects the city's growing commitment to healthy, eco-friendly, and accessible travel. I warmly congratulate JCDecaux and RedClick for their continued innovation and dedication. dublinbikes has become a fixture in the daily lives of Dubliners, and I look forward to seeing it grow and evolve in the years ahead." A Fusion of Art and Innovation A specially-commissioned bicycle design, conceived by muralist Holly Pereira to mark the 40 millionth journey, features striking artwork incorporating many of Dublin's key landmarks. This unique bike highlights the significant role that RedClick dublinbikes plays in the city's daily life, serving as both an essential transport network and a cultural fixture. It will be integrated into the dublinbikes fleet as part of a competition to mark the occasion. "Reaching 40 million journeys is a testament to the community and the commitment of Dubliners to sustainable, active travel," said Lorenzo Ioan, General Manager of RedClick in Ireland. "By partnering with Holly Pereira, we are visually celebrating this success and reinforcing the energy and vibrancy of Dublin's streets. We congratulate Rizeq Yousef on being the lucky 40-millionth rider and hope he enjoys his gift." Dermot Collins, Assistant Chief Executive & Acting City Engineer, Environment & Transportation, Dublin City Council added, "The 40 millionth journey on dublinbikes is a significant achievement that showcases the success of this sustainable initiative in Dublin. This milestone is not only a reflection of Dublin City Council's commitment to reducing carbon emissions and promoting healthier lifestyles but also highlights the power of collaboration between Dublin City Council, JCDecaux, RedClick, and all those involved in making dublinbikes a cornerstone of daily life in Dublin. We are proud of the service's continued success and look forward to supporting its ongoing contribution to Dublin's transport landscape." Tony O'Flanagan, Marketing Director, JCDecaux Ireland commented that, "RedClick dublinbikes has been a remarkable success story. Reaching 40 million journeys is a fantastic achievement for everyone involved in the scheme and demonstrates it's pivotal role as a circular economy initiative and sustainable transport option in the city. JCDecaux is honoured to have played our part in this and we look forward to continued success working together with Dublin City Council and RedClick".

CleverCards, the Dublin-headquartered global payments platform, has been ranked 70th in this year's Sifted 250 - the highest-ranked and fastest growing Irish company on the list. Widely regarded as one of the most competitive startup rankings in Europe, the Sifted 250 recognises the continent's top 250 high-growth companies shaping the future of technology and business. The announcement was made at Sifted Summit in London, hosted by Sifted - the leading technology publication backed by the Financial Times. CleverCards isn't just operational in Ireland - its clients are global, many with operations in several jurisdictions. Clients signing up to the CleverCards platform are not only onboarding all of their employees, but have 100% active engagement and usage, giving CleverCards a truly unique customer acquisition competitive position. "Being recognised by Sifted as the fastest-growing Irish company in Europe is a credit to our team's execution and resilience," said Kealan Lennon, Founder & CEO of CleverCards. "We're proud to be alongside such innovative companies. Our growth reflects a real, persistent need among businesses for modern digital payments, a gap traditional banks have not filled. "Looking ahead, although we are founded and headquartered in Ireland, we're building an international company, scaling across markets, deepening partnerships, and raising the bar for how business payments should work." The full leaderboard, initially available to Pro subscribers from today, can be found here. See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

South East Technological University (SETU), with the support of Enterprise Ireland, is advancing two major research commercialisation projects worth over €1.1 million, showcasing how Irish research is being translated into real-world solutions with global impact. The first project, led by Dr Patrick Lynch, Director of the RIKON Research Centre in SETU's Faculty of Business, is developing a digital platform that streamlines housing compliance. The tool digitises inspections, using artificial intelligence (AI) to assess regulations, and generates real-time reports for landlords and local authorities. Known as HAL, the system acts as a compliance passport, helping housing providers deliver safer and more sustainable homes. The second project, Eye-Q, is led by Dr Ultan McCarthy, Dr Anastasia Ktenioudaki, and Dr Yuanyuan Pu in SETU's Department of Land Sciences. Eye-Q is an AI-powered solution designed to reduce food waste across the agrifood supply chain, from farm to fork. By enabling smarter monitoring and decision-making, the technology helps businesses, retailers, and consumers cut waste, enhance food security, and contribute to global sustainability goals. Left to Right - Carol Faughnan, Commercialisation Case Officer, SETU, Richard O'Sullivan, Christie's PMP, Use Case Partner, HAL, Brid O'Sullivan, Commercialisation Lead & Industry Specialist, HAL, Dr. Thomas O'Toole, Dean of Faculty Of Business, SETU, Nakul Wali, Snr. Commercialisation Specialist, Enterprise Ireland, Lorna Bailey SETU/HAL, Dr. Patrick Lynch, Director of the RIKON Research Centre, SETU's Faculty of Business, HAL Mary Clare Curran, SETU/HAL, James O Sullivan Head of Innovation and Commercialisation SETU TTO, Tom Curran, SETU/HAL, Greg Doyle, SETU / HAL. "These awards reflect SETU's strength in mobilising interdisciplinary teams across business, technology, and the sciences," said Dr James O'Sullivan, Head of Innovation and Commercialisation at SETU. "With Enterprise Ireland's support, we are advancing innovations that address urgent societal challenges while creating commercial opportunities, spinouts, and high-value jobs." Enterprise Ireland also emphasised the importance of these investments. Nakul Wali, Senior Commercialisation Specialist, commented, "HAL and Eye-Q demonstrate how innovation can deliver both economic growth and societal impact, positioning Ireland at the forefront of housing technology and sustainable food systems." Together, HAL and Eye-Q highlight SETU's growing impact as a driver of research-led innovation and enterprise. With a combined project value of more than €1.1 million, these projects underline Enterprise Ireland's commitment to supporting breakthrough solutions with global relevance.

Eight founders graduated recently from Phase 2 of the New Frontiers Programme at South East Technological University (SETU) in Waterford. The showcase event marked the end of an intensive six months for the startup founders, during which they received a number of supports, including mentoring and a tax-free allowance of €15,000, while they built a solid foundation for their business. Showcase day is an opportunity to recognise the stand-out participants from the programme. This year, the Most Innovative Business Idea award for the concept that is most innovative or uses innovative technology went to Tom Weldon of Lagertha; the Best Business Opportunity award for the concept that has best prospect for early adoption in the market and strong growth potential went to Brian Cusack of Supp Genie AI; and the Best Business Plan award for the best researched business plan went to Clare Mansfield of Flowering Fertility Support. The event at SETU's Cork Road Campus was attended by various stakeholders from the startup community, including Dr Patricia Bowe, Head of Department of Management and Organisation at SETU; Dr Thomas O'Toole, Dean of Faculty of Business at SETU; and Ciara Concannon, National New Frontiers Programme Manager at Enterprise Ireland. The audience heard insights from speaker Paul Savage, a programme alumnus and COO of Brightbeam. Paul, an experienced technology entrepreneur who has led a range of early-stage startups through significant growth, shared his perspectives on leveraging agile thinking and action to identify and overcome challenges. He encouraged New Frontiers founders to engage with their target market to understand the lived experiences of prospective customers. He also discussed the capabilities of AI and gave advice on how early-stage businesses can harness it to, for example, analyse customer insights, iterate product design, test product-market fit, and manage resources. In her welcome speech, Dr Patricia Bowe said, "These entrepreneurs have worked diligently on Phase 2 of New Frontiers over the past six months to increase the knowledge of their target markets. As part of their market research, they have engaged with target customers to gain deep understandings of the customers' pain points in order to develop desirable solutions, in pursuit of achieving the best possible Product-Market Fit solutions for their prospective customers' problems." Addressing the crowd, Dr Thomas O'Toole remarked, "SETU is more than a place of learning; we are an anchor university for the South East, working to ensure our region is vibrant, competitive, and forward-looking. The New Frontiers programme is a leading example of how SETU delivers on this vision. Through the New Frontiers programme, SETU is building the skills, confidence, and networks that founders need to succeed, and in doing so is directly supporting Enterprise Ireland's strategy to increase the number of new startups and scaling businesses in line with their Strategic Plan 2025-2029." New Frontiers Programme Director in Waterford, Dr Eugene Crehan, praised the cohort for their engagement throughout the programme. "I would like to commend you on your dedication in staying focused on the market opportunity, increasing your knowledge of your market and developing solutions for your target market customers. I hope that you can continue on your growth trajectories and that many of you will follow in the footsteps of former Waterford New Frontiers participants who scaled their businesses, securing investments and Enterprise Ireland's PSSF and HPSU funding."

By David Stephen who looks at Human Intelligence Research labs in his latest article. If AI can pass a CFA level III exam in minutes, and people still say AI is not intelligent, then what else would intelligence mean? It takes intelligence to pass such an exam, so why would AI pass and still be categorized by many as unintelligent? What are the types of intelligence that may indicate that AI has some and not others? If people use AI for tasks, does it benefit or taper human intelligence? Some are recommending that others boycott AI use, to avoid cognitive decline. Say this is helpful in some situations, it does not factor a possible competition against AI, in future. For example, can an individual do great work that AI can only minimally contribute to? Or, can the individual make AI unnecessary on a project? A person can avoid AI, yet not have an intelligence that surpasses AI. Considering the work of Human Intelligence Research Labs Types of Intelligence It can be assumed that there are just two major divisions of human intelligence: operational intelligence and improvement intelligence. Under both, there could be several subdivisions. Operational intelligence indicates the basic intelligence to run processes [the way they are] for expected outcomes. Improvement intelligence takes something and makes it better. Improvement intelligence can be modest or exponential. For example, tweaking a procedure could be modest - or deploying dynamism to a process. Sometimes, both of them may intersect, [say] in architecture. Improvement intelligence subsumes creativity, innovation, problem-solving, and so forth. Human Intelligence In the human brain, it can be assumed that there are walls and trips of intelligence. This means that there are locations [or sources] for intelligence while the trips [or transport] to those locations are usages that result in intelligence. Simply, there are destinations, but visits to those are usages for them. Most times, the difference between improvement intelligence and operational intelligence is the trip quality, or the ways the locations are visited, differently [in an instance or subsequently]. So, relays or trips are [say] linear for most operational intelligence, but non-linear for mild-improvement intelligence and then sprawling for exponential-improvement intelligence. The same applies to external information, where, what can be made of it [for intelligence], is not just an interpretation of it, but often by the quality of trips. Simply, external information can get interpreted, with linear trips [or relays], just like operational intelligence. But what would make external information result in major improvement intelligence aligns with [say] sprawling relays. So, improvement and operational intelligence. Then, walls and trips of intelligence. These can be said to be the most important functions of the brain for survival. It is intelligence that equates existence. Survival is intelligence. Survival is because of intelligence. Nurture is for intelligence. Reproduction is for intelligence. Intelligence is so dominant that, conceptually, it takes the most priorities in the brain. It is because intelligence can be impeded that efficiency, in processes, is often necessary to ensure that brain relays for intelligence are tad perturbed. Simply, many of the tools and things for efficiency are to allow intelligence to flourish [hoisting intelligence - to the top of the hierarchy]. Intelligence can be maximized through life. Intelligence is the most important element in what it is to be an expert or professional. For example, while it may be vital to have an office, uniform, facilities and so forth, for a professional, what it means to be that professional is intelligence. A doctor is the intelligence of medicine, by a standard. It is intelligence that is often valued. It is intelligence that underscores dignity. AI Dignity There is a lot or correlation in human society of intelligence and dignity. There ...