News archive
News older than one year.
Results of the Evaluations of research disclosed
The Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS) disclosed the results of the Evaluations of research and professional activities of the institutes of the CAS for 2010–2014. The results for particular institutes, including comments of their directors, are available here.
Václav Cílek's book was reviewed in The Times Literary Supplement
A wide review of the book of essays "To Breathe with Birds" was published in The Times Literary Supplement (London) on January 29, 2016. You can read the review by Kapka Kassabova here.
Colloquium on the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris
Czech Academy of Sciences, in co-operation with the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, organized the colloquium on the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. The colloquium focused especially on the presumed impact of the conference results on the Czech Republic. Václav Cílek, a former director of the Institute of Geology, CAS, presented the first expert contribution and hosted the following discussion. Among the discussion participants, Lenka Lisá and Radek Mikuláš represented the staff of the Institute of Geology.
A step towards the A.C. Clarke's space elevator?
Gunther Kletetschka and his Japanese colleagues published a new paper describing strength enhancement of the super strong structures of carbon nanotubes. This represent another step toward the realization of a space elevator. The publication appeared in Nanotechnology (Impact Factor: 3.821)
Link to paper
Prof. Zbyněk Roček 70
Prof. RNDr. Zbyněk Roček, DrSc. celebrated his 70th birthday in the year 2015. A special volume of the Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments journal was published at this occasion. Fulltexts of all the contributions are temporarily freely available (until 30 April 2016). For a link to this volume click HERE.
Popular booklet “Mercury in the Environment” published (in Czech)
The Strategie AV21 book series of the Academia Publishing House introduces the individual research programmes. One of them, with participation of the Institute of Geology staff, is the Diversity of Life and Ecosystem Health. The activities of the program are coordinated by the Biology Center of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Within the activities of this programme, a booklet in Czech language titled “Mercury in the Environment” was published, being authored by Tomáš Navrátil and Jan Rohovec.
The Vojtěch Náprstek Medal awarded to Radek Mikuláš
The Medal of Vojtěch Náprstek for promotion of science to the public (given by the President of the Czech Academy of Sciences since 2003) was awarded to three new laureates. One of them is Radek Mikuláš of the Institute of Geology, CAS, v. v. i. He is the second winner of the Vojtěch Náprstek Medal of the Institute: from the first winner was Václav Cílek who was awarded the medal in 2012.
Photos
Research on carbonatites and associated alkaline rocks from India
In December 2015, research scientist Lukáš Ackerman was involved in the field work on carbonatites and associated alkaline rocks (phonolite, trachyte) in Middle India (localities Amba Dongar and Panwad-Kanwat) within the framework of research project of the Czech Geological Survey. These sites are located on the northernmost part of world known Deccan flood basalts erupted on the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. The collected samples will be for the first time analyzed for the concentrations of platinum-group element as well as osmium isotopic compositions in order to provide insights to carbonatite melt sources and possible role of parental melt crustal contamination.
Günther Kletetschka and his doctoral student published a paper on space weathering in the Icarus journal (Impact Factor: 3.038)
Laser irradiation of olivine as a proxy for micrometeorite impacts produced nanophase Fe0. This analog of space weathering was characterized by frequency-dependent susceptibility monitoring . Obtained data allow the modeling of space-weathering conditions in the environment of the Solar System.
To see the paper click here
Mercury environmental problem - Tomáš Navrátil and Jan Rohovec in the Czech Radio Plus –Leonardo Magazine
Mercury-containing thermometers were withdrawn from the market over six years ago. Amalgam dental fillings are on a retreat, nutrition experts warn against mercury-contaminated fish, and mercury was one of the main suspects in the case of Tycho de Brahe death. Is mercury really so dangerous? And what risk does it really pose for our health and for the environment? A view of geochemists is presented by Tereza Burianová.
The recorded broadcast is here (in Czech)
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