GeoLog

Publish or perish? Or is publishing perishing? Reflections from a Great Debate at EGU26

Lucia Perez-Diaz May 6, 2026

There’s a particular kind of energy you get in a conference room when something is about to matter. You can feel it before anything starts: chairs filling quickly, people sitting closer than usual, no polite gaps left between strangers. This was the case for the Great Debate on The future of scientific publishing: do we need scientific publishing? at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly ...[Read More]

A trial by fire: Can we learn how to read a burning planet?

Lucia Perez-Diaz May 5, 2026

Boreal forest fire in Canada. Credit: Stefan Doerr (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

I grew up watching my dad come home covered in soot. For most of his life, he worked as a firefighter in a natural reserve in Galicia, in northern Spain, a region of green mountains and steep terrain, almost Lord of the Rings in its landscape, but also a place where fire moves quickly and is notoriously difficult to control. Firefighting crews there are used to the fact that, to even begin work, t ...[Read More]

Invite yourself to the table – Science Policy at EGU26

Manuela Gialanella May 5, 2026

Despite the perfect timing, we are not talking about lunch. Policymakers often sit together and have crucial discussions that would greatly benefit by being scientifically informed. Scientists are sometimes invited to join those conversations but are starting to tune in on their own initiative as well. Field camps and labs are where us scientists usually feel the most at home. Being surrounded by ...[Read More]

Mind your mind: surviving the conference rollercoaster

Lucia Perez-Diaz May 4, 2026

If you’ve ever been to Vienna’s Prater, you might know the ride. I can see it from my hotel window while I am getting dressed to head to the Austria Center Vienna for EGU26. It’s essentially a long, slightly questionable-looking couch, strapped on either side to cables that behave less like cables and more like very enthusiastic elastic bands. One flick of a switch and suddenly — whoooosh! you’r ...[Read More]