BSC launches the Creative Intelligence Lab, the first European art and science laboratory in a supercomputing center

The Creative Intelligence Lab integrates artists, designers, thinkers, and creative technologists as full members of research teams

Barcelona Supercomputing Center

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The Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) presented today at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) the BSC Creative Intelligence Lab, the first art and science laboratory integrated into a supercomputing center in Europe. This new institutional structure places creative practice at the core of research within the context of high-performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence (AI), and emerging technologies.

The laboratory formalizes and scales more than thirteen years of interdisciplinary work by the BSC Data Analytics and Visualization group, which has demonstrated that collaboration between creatives and researchers is scientifically productive, economically sustainable, and culturally relevant.

Unlike traditional artist-in-residence programs, BSC proposes a distinctive methodology through the laboratory that has proven to simultaneously generate scientific breakthroughs, patentable technologies, and cultural work with international impact.

The Creative Intelligence Lab will develop residencies, public experiments, training programs, and collaborative projects, with the fundamental objective of translating research into tangible tools, products, and services for industry and society.

The project, which has an international scope, is part of the European commitment to AI Factories. Climate change, personalized medicine, renewable energies, and digital sovereignty are some of the core pillars under which it will operate, alongside driving the creative industries themselves.

How the BSC Creative Intelligence Lab is structured and operates

The laboratory operates as a continuous cycle in which creative exploration generates new capabilities, these enable real-world applications, and the applications return questions and investment to research. This dynamic is structured across three interconnected areas:

• Arts — integrates creative professionals into BSC research teams through residencies, public experiments, and projects with cultural organizations.
• Studio — the operational core of the laboratory that develops the tools, visualizations, interactive systems, and experimental platforms that translate research into tangible forms.
• Solutions — transfers results into products and services for industry and culture, closing the loop and sustaining future research. It incorporates the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) into the scope of supercomputing applications.

A methodology based on curiosity, flexibility, and respect

BSC is a public center whose purpose is to have societal impact. Within this framework, the Creative Intelligence Lab operates under the premise that society and industry demand new capabilities, and those demands inspire or require the development of new knowledge. The Lab's methodology stems precisely from this productive tension between what is needed and what is yet to be discovered.

The collaboration model between researchers and creatives developed by the BSC over the years forms the foundation of the new laboratory's activity. The underlying values —curiosity, flexibility, and respect— define the way artists and researchers work together as full members of the same team, rather than in separate silos.

The methodology operates as a continuous three-phase cycle: knowledge creation, where artists and researchers explore questions together and develop new capabilities; knowledge application, where these capabilities are translated into projects, technologies, and services with measurable results; and knowledge advancement, in which these results generate new funding, new partnerships, and new questions that restart the cycle.

First Announcements

EXASCALE Program for HPC and the Arts. The Lab is launching a structured framework for residencies and interdisciplinary research that will connect creatives with HPC researchers to explore the artistic and scientific potential of large-scale computing, AI, and emerging technologies. The first residency is scheduled for the second half of 2026.

Network of Institutional Alliances. Alongside historical collaborators such as Sónar+D, HacTe, and CCCB, the Lab incorporates Ars Electronica —the world's most prominent art and technology festival— and TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary as future strategic partners.

International Advisory Board. Composed of Andrea Faroppa (Sónar+D), Francesca Bria (European digital policy expert), Mónica Bello (Platform Dalí), Nils Gilman (Berggruen Institute), and transdisciplinary artist Enrique Rosas, among others.

A case illustrating the model: the collaboration with Maria Arnal

Three years of joint work between the BSC and singer-songwriter Maria Arnal demonstrate how the methodology operates. The collaboration started in 2023 with the commission of Maria Choir for the CCCB’s exhibition “AI: Artificial Intelligence”, a work that received an honorary mention at the S+T+ARTS awards; it continued with the Impossible Larynx residency under the European S+T+ARTS AIR program; and evolved into the interactive installation Expanded Voices (2025) and the audiovisual material for her album and show AMA (2026).

The process has also produced a scientific publication to be presented this summer at the SIGGRAPH conference (Los Angeles), with potential applications in the musical, performing arts, and audiovisual industries, as well as in vocal health and education.

The Launch Event

The presentation, held in the Theatre Hall of the CCCB, brought together institutional representatives, artistic communities, international partners, and public administrations. Speakers included Cristian Canton (Associate Director of BSC), Fernando Cucchietti (Director of the Lab), José María Cela (Director of the BSC CASE Department), Ricard Robles (founder of Sónar and Advisory Board member), and José Luis de Vicente (founder of FAST and the Lab's first Associate Curator).

Mónica Bello (Platform Dalí and member of the Advisory Board), Veronika Liebl (Ars Electronica) via video, and Markus Reymann (TBA21) presented the strategic alliances; and Maria Arnal (singer and experimental artist) shared her experience of collaboration.

More information about the BSC Creative Intelligence Lab: https://bsc.es/viz/cilab.pdf

 

Exercising in the open air, the best ally to combat winter vitamin D deficiency

An EHU study says that vitamin D supplements can help to strengthen the immune system, but not to improve athletic performance

University of the Basque Country

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Vitamin D is important for the body to function properly: it balances the immune system, helps to keep bones healthy and benefits muscle regeneration. Yet, 1 billion people worldwide are vitamin D deficient. This is the case in winter, particularly, as UVB rays barely reach the Earth's surface. In fact, the body produces 80% of this type of vitamin through solar radiation (the remainder comes from the diet). Given this, and considering the physiological functions of vitamin D, the effect it might have on both health and physical performance when taken as a supplement has kindled interest.  

In this context, in collaboration with the University of Urbino in Italy, the researcher Eneko Fernández from the EHU-University of the Basque Country conducted a study on runners and non-runners. Some of the participants took daily vitamin D supplements for eight weeks during the autumn and winter, while the others did not. “At the beginning and end of the study, we carried out blood tests and physical tests on all of them. Naturally, the vitamin D levels rose in those who had taken the supplement. Beforehand we knew that would happen, but there is a significant finding: after the two-month period, the vitamin D levels of the runners who did not take the supplement and the non-runners who did were very similar," explained Fernandez.

According to the researcher, this is because the runners do their training outdoors, in the sun, and with a bigger surface area of their skin exposed. “So, one of the main conclusions is that performing physical activity outdoors is a very effective strategy for combating vitamin D deficiency, and it also offers other health benefits that supplementation does not offer,” he added.

 

 

The effect of vitamin D supplements on the immune system and physical performance

By examining the participants’ blood analyses, the EHU study concluded that vitamin D supplements help to strengthen the immune system. Indeed, the white blood cell counts of those who took the supplement improved. “In other words, the supplements have a positive effect on white blood cells, which are the body's defence cells. That does not mean that taking vitamin D supplements will prevent you from getting ill. What it does mean is that it helps to maintain a more balanced immune system and strengthens the body's defences against infections and viruses,” said Fernández.

Regarding physical performance, the results are clear: the study confirmed that vitamin D supplements have no direct effect. These conclusions were drawn from the physical tests done by the participants. Maximum oxygen consumption and leg power (explosive, jumping, and isometric static leg press) were measured. No differences were observed in the three tests conducted before and after the treatment.

“Vitamin D is not like taking steroids or EPO. It doesn't improve performance. That was no surprise either, but the study served to confirm this. As did seeing, once again, that the runners had the best physical condition. And don’t think they were marathon runners. They were amateurs. So, while vitamin D supplements may offer some benefits, the recommendation is not to take them. The recommendation is to be outside more in the winter and, if possible, with less clothing on. The way to do this without getting cold is to exercise in the fresh air. For example, just going outside and running at your own pace for 20-30 minutes is enough. There is a huge difference between doing nothing and doing very little. It has major benefits,” the EHU researcher stressed.

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Journal

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-026-38528-1 

Article Title

Effects of vitamin D supplementation during autumn and winter on blood biomarkers and physical performance in runners and non runners

Why are young people’s sleep and mental health so poor? Researchers point to ‘vicious cycles’ as possible explanation

University of Copenhagen

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Among the younger part of the population, sleep problems, anxiety, and depression are widespread and growing issues.

But why are our sleep and mental health in such poor condition? And why does it seem so difficult to improve the situation?

New research from the University of Copenhagen aims to shed more light on these questions.

In a new study, researchers map how a range of biological, psychological, and social factors – such as stress, screen habits, and smoking – interact, and how they may create self-reinforcing cycles that risk keeping young adults in poor mental health.

“We know that poor sleep and depressive symptoms often go hand in hand, but with our mapping we now better understand how a range of other mechanisms may potentially keep the problem alive. This gives us a more nuanced picture of why it can be so hard for young people to break out of these self-reinforcing ‘vicious cycles’,” says Assistant Professor Jeroen Uleman from the Copenhagen Health Complexity Center, one of the researchers behind the new study.

A complex public health crisis

In the study, the researchers map how 29 factors influence one another in young adults aged 18 to 40.

The model illustrates how sleep disturbances can worsen depressive symptoms, which in turn affect sleep, and how factors such as stress, screen habits, physical activity, social relationships, nicotine use, and bodily inflammation may play into a wide range of self-reinforcing loops.

An online, interactive version of the model is available here.

“Our model illustrates, for example, how smoking may potentially lead to depressive symptoms, and how these symptoms can disrupt your sleep. You may then smoke more to counter increasing fatigue, while nicotine affects your sleep quality, which again may worsen depressive symptoms. Other loops are even more complex,” says Jeroen Uleman.

This complexity is precisely what needs to be uncovered, notes Professor of epidemiology and co-author of the study, Naja Hulvej Rod:

“Instead of focusing only on single causes behind the growing sleep and mental health crises among young adults – such as smartphone use or how we structure our school system – our study shows that many factors are involved. And that these factors are tightly interwoven in a complex network that we need to understand in order to figure out how to break these self-reinforcing cycles,” she says.

Experts identified key connections

The researchers built the model by inviting 14 experts in fields including sleep research, psychology, sociology, epidemiology, and biology to propose important factors, assess causal relationships between them, and highlight scientific literature supporting the connections.

So far, the experts and researchers behind the study have identified 175 causal connections between the individual factors and many thousands potential self-reinforcing loops.

The researchers emphasize, however, that they have not conducted empirical investigations of the many ‘vicious cycles’, and further research will therefore be needed to understand their effects.

The model should also not be seen as an exhaustive explanation of young people’s sleep and mental health. Instead, the researchers see it as a living tool that can be continuously updated with more factors from additional disciplines – such as political or environmental dimensions – and further supported and expanded through additional research.

Supports local interventions

The model can help highlight possible intervention areas – for example in municipalities, which, because of the upcoming public health act, will be responsible for strengthening public health locally, including mental health.

Today, the Copenhagen Health Complexity Center at the University of Copenhagen, led by Naja Hulvej Rod, has a partnership with Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality to improve the well-being of children and young people, including within sleep – and here, the model has been useful.

“There have already been workshops with practitioners in the municipality, where we provided input from our model. This way, decisions can be made based on both lived experience and scientific evidence. Our hope is that the model can be used in political decision-making processes in municipalities across the country as the public health act is implemented,” says Naja Hulvej Rod.

Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality is also excited about the collaboration.

“Our collaboration with the Copenhagen Health Complexity Center at the University of Copenhagen provides us with professional evidence that we can compare with our experiences in the municipality. In this way, our partnership with the researchers inspires us to identify where it makes sense to intervene in relation to the well-being of our children and young people – both now and in the long term. Furthermore, it is immensely meaningful that the general insights generated through the collaboration can benefit everyone,” says the mayor of Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality, Anstina Krogh.

Read the study “The Young Adult Sleep Model: an evolving causal loop diagram of mental health dynamics”.

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About the study

The study identifies numerous self-reinforcing cycles that potentially keep young people trapped in mental distress and poor sleep patterns.

The loops consist of 29 factors and 175 causal connections across biological, psychological behavioral, and social dimensions – such as links between smoking, sleep disturbances, physical health, loneliness, and socioeconomic status.

The model is based on expert knowledge and existing literature, but systematic reviews of all 175 causal connections or empirical studies of each loop have not been conducted. Further research is needed to understand the public health effects of the loops.

Expert-driven methods also carry a risk of subjectivity and potential overrepresentation of certain fields. Finally, the model does not cover all possible influences on sleep and depressive symptoms – such as environmental or political factors.

The model is therefore not an exhaustive explanation of young adults’ problems with sleep and mental health but should be seen as a “living tool” that should be continuously updated and used to inform policy processes.

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Journal

BMC Medicine

DOI

10.1186/s12916-026-04738-7 

Article Title

The Young Adult Sleep model: an evolving causal loop diagram of mental health dynamics

Article Publication Date

16-Mar-2026

 

Polarized elections do not erode support for the basic principles of democracy

Election results affect voters' satisfaction with democracy, but not their support for anti-democratic measures

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)

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The health of liberal democracies has been the focus of interest for political science for some time, against a global backdrop marked by the rise of political polarization and tense incidents like those that took place in the United States in 2021 and Brazil in 2023. A recent study involving the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) has examined whether winning or losing a polarized election has an impact on citizens' satisfaction with democracy and their support for its basic rules. The results of the research, which have been published in open access in the journal Comparative Political Studies, suggest that citizens' perceptions of the democratic system are surprisingly resilient.

The study is based on a comparative analysis of 35 elections and those involved included Sergi Ferrer, a researcher in the eGovernance: electronic administration and democracy (GADE) group at the UOC and Enrique Hernández, Damjan Tomic and Enrique Prada, researchers from the Department of Political Science and Public Law at the UAB. The project examined whether election results and the degree of partisan animosity are factors that determine adherence to basic democratic principles, such as institutional restraint (the majority's willingness not to abuse its power and respect minorities) and losers' consent (acceptance of the results and the majority's right to govern according to the rules).

One of the initial hypotheses was that affective polarization, i.e., distrust or animosity towards people voting for other parties, who in extreme cases may be seen as enemies – could change these attitudes and lead citizens to question democratic norms that run counter to their immediate interests. However, the results show that while people voting for winning parties are more satisfied with democracy than those who have voted for losing parties, the differences are much smaller when their support for fundamental democratic norms is examined.

"Being more satisfied when you have won than when you have lost is normal. It happens in all areas of life. What can be problematic is when winning or losing makes you more or less democratic, or leads you to support undemocratic acts in cases with high levels of polarization. We thought that this might be the case, but the results show the opposite, even though we studied it in different environments and using different methods," said Sergi Ferrer, a member of the Faculty of Law and Political Science.

 

Trust in the rules of the game

The study shows that even in highly polarized environments, winning voters do not usually support leaders who 'take revenge', and losers continue to accept the majority's right to govern, provided that minority rights are protected. There are differences between winners and losers in these areas, but they are statistically very small when compared to the decline in satisfaction with democracy. This suggests that there is a bedrock of public support that contributes to maintaining democratic institutions, even in politically tense environments.

These results therefore provide fresh evidence on the role of citizens in the quality of democracy. Most of the previous academic literature had focused on "satisfaction with democracy", an indicator that usually reflects whether the individual is happy with how the system works, or with the current government. This study confirms that winning voters are consistently more satisfied than losers, and that this difference increases as affective polarization increases. "On the other hand, if there is a difference between winners and losers in terms of support for basic democratic norms, it remains constant regardless of the level of polarization," said the researcher, who is affiliated to the UOC-DIGIT centre.

The research was carried out by analysing data from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES), which covers 35 elections held in 30 countries between 2016 and 2021. Its objectives did not include ascertaining why polarization has a particularly marked effect on satisfaction with democracy but not on support for democratic norms, but Ferrer gave his own perspective: "The two aspects are different in academic terms. To make a comparison with football, being angry at losing to your biggest rival is one thing, and wanting to change the basic rules of football after you lose is something else entirely."

 

A political environment that encourages further research

In view of the democratic backsliding that is evident in some Western democracies, which has taken place at the same time as increased polarization, the research team highlighted the need to continue studying these dynamics in depth. "If we want a democracy to work properly, the winners must not use their status as winners to give themselves more powers, and the losers must accept that they have lost and that the way to achieve power is simply to win elections in the future," said the UOC researcher.

The research team aims to continue broadening its knowledge in order to contribute more information to the recent debate on the extent to which it is necessary to restrict or permit the existence of parties with strong autocratic tendencies. "The situations or circumstances in which polarization does have a negative effect on democracy are not yet entirely clear. We are investigating whether it is necessary to identify which parties polarize and how their opponents react, a process known as asymmetric polarization," said Ferrer. The research team has also begun new lines of work to find out whether polarization affects other principles, such as banning political parties or judicial review processes.

This study is aligned with the UOC's Culture for a critical society research mission, and supports the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially numbers 4, Quality Education, and 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

 

Transformative, impactful research

At the UOC, we see research as a strategic tool to advance towards a future society that is more critical, responsible and nonconformist. With this vision, we conduct applied research that's interdisciplinary and linked to the most important social, technological and educational challenges.  

The UOC’s over 500 researchers and more than 50 research groups are working in five research centres focusing on five missions: lifelong learning; ethical and human-centred technology; digital transition and sustainability; culture for a critical society, and digital health and planetary well-being.

The university's Hubbik platform fosters knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship in the UOC community.

More information: www.uoc.edu/en/research

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Journal

Comparative Political Studies

DOI

10.1177/00104140251414013 

 

Binghamton University achieves gold star rating for sustainability achievements

First SUNY school to earn gold rating under Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education guidelines

Binghamton University

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Undergraduate Raya Sitman and a friend explores the Nature Preserve after class, Sept 30, 2025.

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Credit: Binghamton University

Binghamton University has earned a gold star rating through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). Binghamton is the first SUNY school to achieve a gold rating under the newest STARS guideline framework.

STARS is a comprehensive sustainability rating system for colleges and universities that addresses the environmental and economic sides of sustainability. More than 1,200 institutions in 52 countries participate in the STARS program. An institution's score is determined by a points system in four main categories: academics, engagement, operations, and planning and administration.

“The gold rating from AASHE reflects Binghamton University’s broad and deep commitment to sustainability,” said Binghamton University President Anne D’Alleva. “Our efforts span the research we conduct in energy storage, our stewardship of the natural areas on our campus, and our engagement with neighbors and community partners on issues such as climate change. I offer my congratulations and gratitude to the many individuals across the University who make sustainability a daily focus of their work and, in doing so, strengthen our campus and community.”

Binghamton was an especially high performer in research, public engagement, and coordination and planning. Just over 90% of academic departments are engaged in sustainability-related research, and 372 Binghamton faculty members’ research ties into at least one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the United Nations.

The University’s smart energy research was also noted as a point of distinction in the STARS submission. Specifically, Binghamton’s work to become a hub for battery technology innovation and additional projects to support the battery supply chain, workforce development, and environmental justice were noted.

Efforts to protect the local ecosystem were also highlighted for their role in enhancing biodiversity. A point of pride for the University, the over 300-acre Nature Preserve on the main campus features low/no-mowing zones and implements a newly adopted Integrated Pest Management Plan. The Nature Preserve is also the largest and most-used laboratory on campus. 

“Achieving Gold under the STARS 3.0 framework reflects Binghamton University’s strong commitment to sustainability,” said Martin Larocca, deputy chief sustainability officer at the Binghamton University Office of Sustainability. “Over the past three years, more than 30 campus programs have advanced sustainability initiatives, expanding our efforts and impact across campus. I am grateful to the Campus Sustainability Committee for providing leadership on key projects and assisting with the collection and reporting of sustainability data from across the University. Everyone’s efforts will be crucial as we continue to strive toward a Platinum rating.”

The following University departments and programs were also cited as points of distinction:

Campus-focused

• The Office of Sustainability
• The Okanagan Charter

Community-focused

• Binghamton 2 Degrees

National and international-focused

• Climate Change Quilt

Additionally, the Office of Sustainability was awarded $311,000 through the 2025 Community Reforestation (CoRe) grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The project focuses on restoring the ecological health of about 33 acres of land near the main campus. This resulted in planting more than 1,000 trees, removing dead trees, building about 30 acres of deer enclosure training, and hands-on educational opportunities for the local community.

For more information about the STARS program, visit the STARS website.

 

Could artisan cheeses that please, ease diseases?

University of Reading

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Blessed are the tiny cheesemakers: scientists have mapped out the bacteria responsible for giving three British cheeses their distinct flavour, which may also be beneficial to human health. 

Scientists in the Food Microbial Sciences Unit at the University of Reading, identified the microbial and biochemical profiles of three artisan cheeses made locally in Oxfordshire across their maturation process, and found that the bacteria responsible for a cheese’s character could also benefit the people who eat it. 

The study, published in ACS Food Science & Technology, examined three cheese varieties produced by Nettlebed Creamery in Oxfordshire: a soft white-rind cheese aged for just over a week; a washed-rind semi-soft cheese that takes several weeks to reach maturity; and a semi-hard cheese aged in hay for around nine months. 

Lead author Sabrina Longley, a PhD researcher in the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, said: “"Good cheese is delicious, and the artisan varieties we studied are full of microbial life that could have benefits to your gut health. 

"The ageing process creates more complex aromas and textures through the work of an army of helpful bacteria. The matrix of fats and proteins in the cheese may also help protect the bacteria as they travel along the digestive tract, making cheese an excellent vehicle for delivery of probiotics to the gut." 

Samples were taken at different stages of cheese maturing process and analysed for their bacterial populations and chemical composition. 

All three cheeses contained bacteria with recognised probiotic potential, which can add to populations of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Streptococcus thermophilus, also used as a yogurt starter, remained dominant in the semi-soft and harder cheeses right through to maturity, while Lactococcus lactis was present throughout all three cheeses. The washed-rind cheese and hay-aged cheese also contained Propionibacterium freudenreichii, which produces propionic acid, a compound associated with anti-inflammatory properties, reduction of cholesterol synthesis, and appetite regulation. 

Bioactive potential 

For cheese lovers who eat the rind, there may be particular reason to do so. The white mould Penicillium candidum, used to form the distinctive rind in the soft cheese studied, produces chitin, a dietary fibre that may act as a prebiotic. This is food for other beneficial gut bacteria, which can stimulate beneficial changes in the gut microbiota. 

The process of ageing the harder cheese in hay, meanwhile, appeared to increase the diversity of bacterial species present in the cheese as it matured, with nearly four times as many species found in the mature cheese, compared to the same cheese earlier in the process. 

The researchers found that lactose, the sugar found in cow’s milk that some people struggle to digest, was almost entirely absent from all three cheeses by the time they reached maturity, having been broken down by lactic acid bacteria during the fermentation process. 

Sabrina Longley is a cheesemaker at the independent Nettlebed Creamery in Oxfordshire, which part-funded the research. She is being supported to conduct her PhD research part-time with a University of Reading regional bursary, a scheme helping people from the local area to undertake research studies. 

The authors note that further research (dietary intervention trials) is needed to confirm how bacterial populations in the gut microbiota behave and change after being consumed, and their overall effects on the human system.   

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Journal

ACS Food Science & Technology

DOI

10.1021/acsfoodscitech.5c01243 

Article Title

Microbial and Biochemical Characterization of Three Artisan British Cheeses throughout the Maturation Process