The goal of the INESC TEC feature, called INESC TECWatch, is to help explain and provide accurate information on current topics according to our scientific domains. Whenever the topic falls within our areas of expertise, we will be here to provide objective, science-based opinions – something that is crucial today, yet seems insufficiently addressed in current public debates.
Not everything is as it seems – and even if you recognise the sender, if you are asked for money by text message, be wary: the recent case of suspicious SMS in Portugal
“You have an outstanding payment.” That is how a message begins, allegedly sent by the Ministry of Health. After stating...
Moltbook – an AI chatbots uprising?
In January this year, a new social network was born - Moltbook. Inspired by Reddit, the platform has one striking...
Energy and telecommunications in times of crisis: how can Portugal prepare for the next extreme weather events?
“Climate change is already a reality in Portugal,” said João Peças Lopes just a few days ago, during his final...
The end of the Self? Human identity in the age of AI
At a time when machines are already capable of writing plays or simulating friendships, and themes like the reconstruction of...
Economic growth does not come from an invisible hand, but from innovation and technological progress
Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt; these are the winners of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. The...
From the microscopic world of atoms and particles to systems that fit in our hands
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics rewards the direct application of quantum physics in practical devices. The 2025 Nobel Prize...
In the race for supremacy in computing, the competition isn’t between machines – it’s against time
They were perceived as prototypes of the future, a snapshot from a science fiction movie that conveyed innovation and provided...
The blackout that left millions unreachable across the Iberian Peninsula
We already covered what happened on April 28, 2025 in the Iberian Peninsula in the last edition of the INESCTEC...
The Iberian Peninsula Power Grid Blackout
Twenty-five years ago, José Saramago – the only Portuguese recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature – wrote a novel...
In the technological map, are there still borders that separate quantum computing and artificial intelligence?
The comparison came swiftly, and the question is now spreading worldwide: is the fast development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) leaving...
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