Euronews Tech Talks

Although engineers began developing space-based solar energy technology in the 1960s, it still hasn’t become a reality. Why?In this episode, Euronews Tech Talks tries to answer this question by speaking with Sanjay Vijendran, co-founder and CTO of TerraSpark; Francesco Contino, professor at the school of engineering at UC Louvain; and Wei He, senior lecturer in engineering at King’s College London.Important: The European Space Agency (ESA) provided Euronews Next with the Solaris documents after the publication of the episode. More details can be found in the episode’s article.Do you want to reach out to Euronews Tech Talks? Email alice.carnevali@euronews.comEuronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NASA’s decision to speed up plans for building a nuclear reactor on the Moon has raised questions about the United States’ broader space strategy and renewed curiosity about the use of nuclear energy beyond Earth. In this episode of Euronews Tech Talks, we address these questions with professor Simon Middleburgh, co-director of the Nuclear Futures Institute at the University of Bangor (UK), Alfredo Carpineti, astrophysicist and senior science writer at IFL Science, and Francesco Lodi, researcher at ENEA (Italy).Do you want to reach out to Euronews Tech Talks? Email alice.carnevali@euronews.comEuronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this final chapter of our journey into the world of PFAS, we speak with Fajer Mushtaq, whose company Oxyle is working to contain and destroy PFAS in wastewater, and with Miika Nikinmaa and Diana Lau, who are developing alternatives for food packaging and textiles through the ZeroF project.Do you want to reach out to Euronews Tech Talks? Email alice.carnevali@euronews.comEuronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is it like to live in one of Europe’s hotspots for PFAS contamination? Jeroen Van Reeth, a resident of Zwijndrecht—the Belgian town affected by PFAS produced by the chemical company 3M—opens his home to Euronews Tech Talks to share his experience.We, then, speak with experts Jacob de Boer, Hans Peter Arp and Madeleine Bussemaker to uncover if and how it is possible to contain and destroy “forever chemicals”.  Do you want to reach out to Euronews Tech Talks? Email alice.carnevali@euronews.com Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals widely used in the industry, but potentially harmful to human health. They can be found on pizza boxes, ski clothing, and sanitary pads, but some studies associate them with multiple kinds of health problems. In this Q&A episode, we explore PFAS by putting your questions to chemist Martin Scheringer, research scientist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich).The Map of Forever Pollution: https://foreverpollution.eu/map/ Do you want to reach out to Euronews Tech Talks? Email alice.carnevali@euronews.com Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this season finale of Euronews Tech Talks, former professional cyclist Bo Hamburger reflects on his use of EPO in the 1990s and early 2000s, offering insights into how doping works, why athletes turn to it, and its potential health effects. We’re also joined by April Henning, Associate Professor of International Sport Management at the Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, and Dominic Sagoe, Professor of Psychology at the University of Bergen in Norway and founder of the Human Enhancement and Body Image Lab.Euronews Tech Talks will return in September — enjoy your summer!Credits for the intro race audio in San Sebastián:Funnycycling: 1997 World Cycling Championships – Campeonato Mundial de Ciclismo – San Sebastián – Brochard Courtesy (2015)Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Researchers are developing AI programmes to make doping detection more effective, faster, and cheaper. How do these systems work? What challenges do their creators face?Euronews Tech Talks sits down with Wolfgang Maass, Professor of Business Informatics and Computer Science at Saarland University and Francesco Botrè, Director of the WADA-accredited anti-doping laboratory in Rome, to answer these questions.Credits: Oscars, "Icarus" wins Best Documentary Feature, YouTube.Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is doping? How do these prohibited substances work? In this Q&A episode, Euronews Tech Talks explores this topic with Andrea Petróczi, Professor of Public Health at Kingston University.Credit for Lance Armstrong interview: Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). “Oprah and Lance Armstrong: The Worldwide Exclusive”. Aired January 17–18, 2013.Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Plastic and chemical pollution in marine environments pose a major threat to the health of our oceans. Euronews Tech Talks interviews two experts to understand the scale of the problem and explore the technological solutions that could help address it. Simon Bernard, CEO of Plastic Odyssey, is on a world tour to collect solutions to plastic pollution; Anneliese Hodge is a researcher working on the impact sunscreen has on the marine environment.The next episode of Euronews Tech Talks will delve into the world of doping. If you have a scientific question about it, please reach out to alice.carnevali@euronews.com. Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens on a satellite’s launch day? What are the thoughts and emotions of those behind the mission?In this second of two special episodes on the European Space Agency’s Biomass satellite, Euronews Tech Talks takes you to Kourou for a behind-the-scenes look at the launch to answer these questions.Podcast cover credits: ESA-CNES-ARIANESPACE/Optique vidéo du CSG–S. MartinEuronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The European Space Agency (ESA)’s Biomass satellite is designed to measure the amount of carbon stored in tropical forests. It was launched from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, on 29 April 2025.In the first of two special episodes dedicated to the mission, Euronews Tech Talks takes you to French Guiana on the eve of the launch to explore what the satellite is designed to do and how people were feeling in the final hours before liftoff.Credits podcast cover: ESA - M. Pédoussaut/ZetapressEuronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The deregulation of a new generation of genetically modified organisms is stirring debate across the European Union. Euronews Tech Talks dives into the controversy, exploring whether the EU should ease restrictions on cutting-edge genetic technologies, by listening to both sides of the debate. Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, we’ll dive into the world of new genomic techniques and their application in the agricultural sector. Once again, our journey will take us to the UK, more precisely in Hertfordshire, a county in southeast England. Here, a group of scientists is running Europe’s first gene-edited wheat field trial created through CRISPR-Cas. We’ll quickly realise that just like their ancestors, NGTs are a highly divisive topic.Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are widely discussed, yet few truly understand what they are and how they work. In this Q&A episode of Euronews Tech Talks, we answer your questions with Josep Casacuberta, a researcher at the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics in Barcelona and chair of the GMO panel at EFSA.Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When tackling a problem, we’re often told to step back and look at it from a different perspective. Earth observation from space does just that, providing crucial data on our planet’s biggest challenges. In this episode of Euronews Tech Talks, we explore this topic with Jean-Christophe Gros, EU Programme Coordinator at ESA.Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is space debris? How do we manage it? Is it dangerous? Euronews Tech Talks investigates with Quentin Verspieren, Space Safety Programme Coordinator at the European Space Agency (ESA).Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Artemis program, Mars exploration, and the future of the International Space Station mark an exciting era for space. ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano joins Euronews Tech Talks to discuss these projects and Europe's role in them.Former commander of the International Space Station, Parmitano is now based in Houston, in the United States. There he works as the liaison officer between the European Astronaut Centre and the Johnson Space Centre, he answers the call: “Houston, we have a problem!” and he trains other astronauts for spacewalks.Image credits: ESAEuronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can lithium-ion batteries be recycled and recovered? Why are these processes important, and what are the limitations of these practices? Euronews Tech Talks delves into these questions with Alban Regnier, president and co-founder of the French company Volt R and Alberto Tosoni, CEO of the Italian company Ecomet Refining. Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Although Europe possesses several lithium reserves, many European citizens and environmental groups have strongly opposed mining projects. As a result, Europe remains heavily dependent on importing lithium and lithium-ion batteries.In today’s episode, Euronews explores the debate over lithium mines in Europe, featuring insights from two experts with differing viewpoints on the issue: Lindsey Wuisan, Resource, Justice, and New Economies' Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe, and Peter Tom Jones, Director of the KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals.Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From electric vehicles to satellites and spacecraft, lithium-ion batteries have revolutionised our daily lives. Euronews Tech Talks tries to understand how by talking to Maitane Berecibar head of the Battery and Innovation Centre at the Vrije Universiteit in Brussels, Julia Poliscanova, Senior Director at Transport and Environment in Brussels, and Aurore Carré, Head of the Energy Storage Section at the European Space Agency, to understand the game-changing role of lithium.*250 Wh/kg instead of 2050 Wh/kg at minute 20:25. Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.‌ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.