Research

Centralization damages Local Ecological Knowledge: results of DiGe (ERCSG)

The research project led by by Renata Sõukand, Associate Professor of Botany at Ca' Foscari, has created an advanced understanding of the dynamics involved in the transformation of ethnobotanical knowledge within traditional societies and minority ethnic groups, when faced with attempts by dominant forces to unify and erode this practical knowledge.

Arctic: research shows connection between climate variability and mercury

A new study published in Nature Geoscience and carried out by Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, in collaboration with the Institute of Polar Sciences of the National Research Council and other international partners, shows that the sea ice melting following temperature increase during the last glacial-interglacial transition caused a higher release of mercury into the atmosphere.

Is Chat GPT really smart? A few questions for Marcello Pelillo

ChatGPT has become a real media case. It is one of the most famous artificial intelligence models developed by OpenAI, and it is polarising opinions in the scientific and non-scientific community. We discussed it with an expert, Marcello Pelillo, professor of computer science at Ca' Foscari, who has been working in the field of AI for thirty years.

Svalbard mission saves Arctic climate heritage despite unexpected meltwater

The Ice Memory operation saved Arctic climate heritage after an expedition endangered by unexpected meltwater and calls for a rapid action by the international community to save the memory of the world's glaciers.

From the University of Sydney a surprise in the field of inscriptions

What are 78 Latin and Greek inscriptions, at least 2 of which are fake, doing in Australia? That must be the question Prof Lorenzo Calvelli asked himself when, in January, he went to the University of Sydney on an Erasmus+ ICM mobility programme and saw the Nicholson Epigraphic Collection.

A mission to save the ice memory of Svalbard’s glaciers

An international team of scientists has reached the Holtedahlfonna icefield in the Svalbard Archipelago, setting up camp at an altitude of 1,100 meters in the Arctic. The expedition is led by the Institute of Polar Sciences of the National Research Council of Italy and involves scientists from the French National Centre for Scientific Research, Norwegian Polar Institute, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and the University of Perugia.

Ca' Foscari welcomes 14 new "Marie Curie" Fellows

From Dante to racism in Europe, from climate change to hybrid warfare, from the Mayan diet to the fertiliser industry in Porto Marghera. Ca' Foscari University of Venice confirms its appeal to young research talents by winning a total of 3.3 million euros in European funds, which will go towards 14 "Marie Skłodowska-Curie" projects. 

Beyond EPICA reaches a depth of 808 meters in the Antarctic ice sheet

In Antarctica, the second drilling campaign of the Beyond EPICA - Oldest Ice project has been successfully completed. This project is an unprecedented challenge for paleoclimatology studies and its goal is to go back 1.5 million years in time to reconstruct past temperatures and greenhouse gas concentrations through the analysis of an ice core extracted from the depths of the ice sheet. 

ERC: Ca' Foscari wins 4 "Consolidator Grants", the best result in Italy

Ca’ Foscari has won 4 of the 21 “Consolidator Grants” awarded to Italian institutions by the European Research Council of the European Commission. The subject areas of the projects will range from visual anthropology in South America and the history of Artificial Intelligence to innovative methods to analyse deep ice in Antarctica and communication in the Ancient Near East.