How much time do people dedicate to beauty? Slovak scientists contribute to research

ESET Science Award laureates announced.

Illustrative stock photoIllustrative stock photo (Source: SME)

Scientists around the world are making the effort to answer the biggest challenges faced by humankind in the 21st century – and Slovak science is a part of it.

The Slovak Spectator asked Slovak scientists about their research and how it can contribute to society. In this overview of the successes of Slovak science, you will find the progress they made.

This overview of the successes of Slovak science will be regularly compiled. To stay up to date with what scientists in Slovakia or Slovak scientists around the world are doing, subscribe to the Slovak Science newsletter, which will be sent to readers free of charge four times a year.

SkryťTurn off ads
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
Related article Slovak oncologist whose research is used all around the world Read more 

ESET Science Award laureates announced

In October, the ESET Foundation announced the laureates of the ESET Science Award for the fourth time. The award is intended to recognise exceptional individuals of Slovak science, and appraise them not only for their work, but also for their contribution to other areas of life. This year's laureates were picked by an international committee chaired by Ada Yonath, Nobel Prize winner and biochemist.

The world renowned scientist also took part in a public lecture about how her research has brought answers to questions about the origin of life.

In the Outstanding Scientist in Slovakia category, the committee chose oncologist Silvia Pastoreková from the Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Her work is dedicated to researching how tumour cells react and adapt to unfavourable conditions and gain aggressive characteristics.

SkryťTurn off ads

In cooperation with her husband Jaromír Pastorek and Czech scientist Jan Závada, they discovered a protein called CA9 on the surface of tumour cells not present on ordinary cells. The discovery proved to be a crucial contribution to cancer research.

Chemist Miroslav Almáši from the Faculty of Science of Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice was chosen as the laureate of Outstanding Scientist in Slovakia Under the Age of 35. He works with porous materials and their application in environmental issues such as CO2 absorption, energy storage, and biomedicine, which then can be used to deliver drugs.

This year's the Outstanding Academic in Slovakia award laureate is geneticist Ľubomír Tomáška, who passes his knowledge to students at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Comenius University. His team, which includes both scientists and students, tries to identify the communication mechanisms between individual parts of our cells.

Related article Edible packaging and hydrogen buses. What has Slovak science been up to? Read more 

Window into prehistory

We still know relatively little about the beginning of the Eocene epoch in Europe 56 million years ago. However, a new discovery of an unknown genus of gecko in Belgium might shed some light into the past.

The first author of the research published in the Royal Society Open Science journal was Slovak paleontologist Andrej Čerňanský, from the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Comenius University in Bratislava.

Geckos live in tropical and subtropical areas. However, when it comes to climate, the locality in which the genus was found is currently at the level of England. During the Eocene epoch, the climate was the warmest in the last 66 million years. In other words, there were no polar ice caps, palm-trees grew in Antarctica, and the sea levels were much higher at the time.

This why the discovery of the new genus of gecko could be a real window into the ancient world. Reptiles, as cold-blooded animals, are of great help in this regard.

Related article Slovak paleontologist names reptiles after important historical figures Read more 

People want to be attractive

There is no denying that being attractive comes with benefits. People know this and are willing to invest a lot of effort into beautifying themselves, be it thanks to make-up, hairstyle, body hygiene, exercise, and other activities.

Slovak scientists from Comenius University and the Slovak Academy of Sciences were part of a large international team that aimed to find out to what extent people beautify themselves.

Putting effort into one's appearance is absolutely universal. As it turns out, only 0.003 percent of people do not care about their appearance. The rest dedicate at least 10 minutes a day to being more attractive. On average, women spend four hours a day beautifying themselves, closely followed by men who dedicate 3.6 hours.

Surprisingly, women above 80 years of age take care of their appearance a great deal. People more susceptible to diseases spend more time putting effort into their attractiveness than healthy people.

Related article Pavol Prokop: Minorities, conservatives, and the science of disgust Read more 

Teenagers have a hard time discerning truth from lie

Teenagers have a problem distinguishing true from false information regarding health, psychologists from the Slovak Academy of Sciences and Comenius University in Bratislava found in a recent research published in the Frontiers of Psychology journal.

Almost half of students believed true information about health. On the other hand, 41 percent considered health misinformation to be equally truthful as scientific facts.

The research shows that it is important to teach young people media literacy and how to approach information regarding health, as well as how analytical thinking works.

Related article True or false? Half of Slovakia's teenagers cannot tell Read more 

Overview of other research and development activities in universities:

  • Development of second Slovak human pluripotent stem cell line for modeling ALS; Comenius University; Ján Strnádel. Research into human diseases depends on the availability of suitable cell models or so-called cell lines. Slovak scientists managed to publish their second cell line, which will be used for modeling the Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (physicist Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with ALS) by researchers from all over the world. Both cell lines or cell models created so far were prepared by cell reprogramming technology. Read more.
  • Archaeologists unearthed a unique discovery from the Stone Age in Vráble; Slovak Academy of Sciences. During an excavation of one of the largest Central European peasant settlements dating to around 5,000 BC in Vráble, the Nitra Region, a team of researchers discovered more than thirty headless human skeletons, whose last moments of life could have been extremely cruel. Read more.
  • The prediction of the areas with increased indoor radon levels in Slovakia; Comenius University; lead scientist Karol Holý. Radon is classified as a serious carcinogenic substance, and after smoking, radon exposure is the second most important risk factor for lung cancer. The aim of the work is to present an effective method for determining the prediction of areas with expected increased levels of radon. Read more.
  • SAS scientist awarded for contribution in the field of toxicology; Slovak Academy of Sciences. Helena Kanďárová from the Centre of Experimental Medicine won the prestigious EUROTOX Award Lecture for her fundamental contribution in the field of validation and implementation of alternative methods, also called New Approach Methodologies, which use innovative approaches without the need for animal testing. Read more.
  • The effect of parallel physical activity and sweetened beverages intake on metabolism and obesity onset; Comenius University; lead scientist Ján Klimas. The population of obese patients has been significantly increasing in recent decades. There is a correlation with the increased intake of soft drinks. The research focuses on observing the effect of current physical activity combined with an unhealthy diet. Read more.
  • SAS scientists developed a new optical method for measuring atmospheric aerosols; Slovak Academy of Sciences; lead scientist Miroslav Kocifaj. Until recently, optically obtaining information about atmospheric aerosol at night had been very limited. Slovak scientists created a new experimentally and economically simple method by which experts from all over the world can study atmospheric aerosol during day and night. Read more.
  • Research and development of the utility of autonomous UAVs in the fight against COVID-19; University of Žilina; lead scientist Martin Bugaj. The project is focused on the creation of a system for transporting biological material between medical facilities and laboratories for their evaluation using autonomous UAVs. The university is creating a system for the coordinated flights of a group of UAVs.
  • Scientific and Research Centre of Excellence SlovakION for Material and Interdisciplinary Research; Slovak University of Technology; lead scientist Róbert Riedlmajer. An article in the SAS journal HPC-Focus presents the achievements made in solving the problems of solid state physics and crystal chemistry, including the discovery of a new type of nanotube based on silver and fluorine.
  • SAS scientists developed an efficient high-capacity air purifier; Slovak Academy of Sciences. Scientists and virologists constructed a prototype of a large-capacity air purifier that destroys viruses and bacteria with hot air. The device is suitable for both humans and animals, is not harmful in any way, and can be used in enclosed spaces with a high concentration of people such as concert halls or schools. Read more.

Other Slovak science stories on Spectator.sk:

CANCER: Prostate cancer is one of the most common causes of death among men. There are tests to diagnose the disease, but they have drawbacks, including a painful procedure. Meet the Slovak chemist who wants to help men avoid this.

ASTRONOMY: Space engineer Ján Baláž has worked on several important space missions, including Rosetta, which successfully landed on a comet’s surface for the first time in history. For his work he recently received one of the highest astronautics awards.

HUMAN BEHAVIOUR: In an interview, Slovak Scientist of the Year Pavol Prokop explains, among other things, what the science of disgust can say about conservatives' acceptance of minorities.

PHILOSOPHY: From among 560 entries across various categories, a book by American philosopher and philosophy historian Jon Stewart, was chosen as the winner in the philosophy category. In an interview Jon Stewart explains why his time in Slovakia has been the high point of his professional career.

PARTICLES: Although the existence of the neutrino was postulated almost a century ago, and its existence confirmed 66 years ago, there are still many underlying mysteries surrounding it. Meet the Slovak scientist who chases the particles that pass straight through you.

ANCIENT EGYPT: Is there anything more enigmatic than hidden chambers in pyramids? Slovaks could help find them using a method based on gravity.

MATERIAL SCIENCE: In her research and dissertation, Anastasiia Stepura focuses on MXenes, two-dimensional inorganic nanomaterials that have a wide range of potential applications in biomedicine, optics, batteries and supercapacitors. The Ukrainian scientist also has a story to tell about how she coped with the war in her country.

LINGUISTICS: It is a common misconception among non-Slavic foreigners that Slovaks, Poles, Ukrainians, or Bulgarians, for instance, can easily understand each other’s languages. Croatian linguist Siniša Habijanec, who has made Slovak his life's work, explains why that is a misconception.

POLLUTION: Access to clean water is a growing 21st century problem. In her work at the Institute of Geotechnics, Ukrainian scientist Inna Melnyk has the aim of creating new materials, study their structure and properties, and research their application in water purification. The war in her home caught her off-guard, but she did all she could to help.

FOOD OF THE FUTURE: Ingredients: meat, packaging. Add both, bring to a boil. Slovak scientist Miroslava Kačániová from the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra is developing edible packaging. It should not only be biodegradable, but sustain the longevity of the meat as well.

HONEY: Scientists from the Institute of Molecular Biology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences have dedicated years to studying honey. Although the delicious substance is mostly used as a sweetener, it has a lot more to offer.

HISTORY: A find in a Slovak cave rewrites the Late Palaeolithic history of the country. There may be more finds in other areas of Slovakia as well just waiting to be discovered.

This article is supported by the ESET Foundation, which awards the ESET Science Award to exceptional scientists every year.

Top stories

Janka, a blogger, during the inauguration of the first flight to Athens with Aegean Airlines at the airport in Bratislava on September 14, 2023.

A Czech rail operator connects Prague and Ukraine, Dominika Cibulková endorses Pellegrini, and Bratislava events.


Píšem or pišám?

"Do ľava," (to the left) I yelled, "Nie, do prava" (no, to the right), I gasped. "Dolšie," I screamed. "Nie, nie, horšie..." My Slovak girlfriend collapsed in laughter. Was it something I said?


Matthew J. Reynolds
Czech biochemist Jan Konvalinka.

Jan Konvalinka was expecting a pandemic before Covid-19 came along.


SkryťClose ad