In January 2026, the internet celebrated the 25th anniversary of Wikipedia, the original workhorse behind third-grade papers on giant squids and fourth-place social studies projects. Much like students debating the academic integrity of enlisting generative AI for their work today, it was once difficult to abstain from using Wikipedia articles as a source. After all, right at our fingertips were over 7 million articles in plainly written English, summarizing even the most complex, niche, and fraught subjects.
 

Always online – for many, this is increasingly the norm. When we’re offline, something’s gone wrong; we’re in a dead spot. This limits our options, including our ability to make payments. In areas with no network coverage, we have to pay with cash – if we have any. Now, offline functions aim to enable digital payments without network access. How is this supposed to work? Why does it make sense? Who is championing this and who thinks it’s impossible? This is the focus of episode 3 of the third season of Digitalgelddickicht on the topic of ‘Secure Money’.

Interview with Sonia Irene Guzman.
The introduction of Digital Tribulations, a series of intellectual interviews on the developments of digital sovereignty in Latin America, can be read here. You can find the entire series here.

As part of the fourth IViR Science Fiction and Information Law competition, DigiCon will publish the stories of the finalists every week. The winning stories will be revealed during the CPDP 2026 conference in Brussels on 19-22 May.
The post Fifth shortlisted story of the Science Fiction and Information Law Writing Competition appeared first on IVIR.

Die zweitägige Begehung am 15. und 16. April war für die Universität Würzburg der letzte entscheidende Schritt im Wettbewerb um den Titel „Exzellenzuniversität“. Vergeben wird er im Rahmen der Exzellenzstrategie von Bund und Ländern – und ist im Erfolgsfall verbunden mit einer Förderung in dreistelliger Millionenhöhe über sieben Jahre. Ob die Würzburgerinnen und Würzburger erfolgreich waren, entscheidet sich Anfang Oktober 2026.

Nous sommes heureux de vous présenter les 12 nouveaux membres du CRDP qui, par la pertinence de leurs travaux et la diversité de leur expertise, contribueront pleinement au dynamisme de notre Centre.
 
Nos nouveaux chercheur.e.s

Der Kakao-Anbau in sogenannten Agroforstsystemen ist im peruanischen Amazonas-Regenwald weit verbreitet. Dort stehen Kakaopflanzen zusammen mit anderen Bäumen auf derselben Fläche. Das Problem: Blattschneiderameisen bauen dort ebenfalls gerne ihre Nester. Kakao-Bauern betrachten die Insekten oft als Schädlinge, weil sie Blätter, Blüten und Früchte abschneiden und damit den Ernteertrag verringern können. Häufig versuchen die Bauern deshalb, die Ameisen mit Pestiziden unter Kontrolle zu bringen.

No care. No self.
Just optimisation and the endless scroll.

Let’s talk about Pix: The Brazilian instant payment system and the challenge of gender equality

By Paula da Cunha Duarte

22. April 2026

In just a few years, the Brazilian payment system Pix has become the most popular payment method in the country and is also cited as a model of success in discussions in Germany. But how does Pix work, and what impact is it having on financial inclusion, particularly for women?

Created with Adobe Firefly.

At the outset of Israel’s war on Lebanon, a Beirut coffee shop used its kitchen for a relief efforts, churning out roughly 1,400 meals for forcibly displaced people in shelters. The effort runs on small donations, funneled through the Whish Money app. But there’s a hitch: transfers often fail, disrupting a fragile, crowd-funded lifeline just as demand spikes.

Remembering Steve Kurtz is an evening dedicated to exploring and honoring the life and work of Steve Kurtz, a pioneer in the fields of bioart and tactical media.

Daniel WaschnigYou will come across different types of courses as you progress through your studies.

A distinction is generally made between courses that are assessed by a final examination and courses that are subject to continuous assessment.