A new study led by the UvA suggests that even a fictional personality system, the Hogwarts houses from Harry Potter, can reveal meaningful patterns in real-world entrepreneurial mindsets. The research team, headed by Martin Obschonka, analysed nearly 800,000 responses to TIME Magazine Harry Potter Personality Quiz, discovering that regions with more ‘Gryffindors’ and ‘Slytherins’ tend to have higher start-up activity. The project involved collaborators from NEOMA Business School, The University of St. Gallen, and the University of British Columbia.

Researchers have managed to speed up a natural process that normally takes thousands of years, creating a lab “machine” to capture carbon dioxide. A new study shows how limestone, dolomite, and seawater can be used as a natural carbon absorption system and could help reduce emissions from power plants in the future. By running CO₂ and seawater through columns filled with these common rocks, the team demonstrated a controllable way to lock carbon safely in dissolved form, rather than letting it escape into the air. The system already works but currently captures only part of the CO₂, leaving clear room – and a clear roadmap – for engineering improvements toward a practical, nature-based carbon capture technology.

A comprehensive policy review published in ECNU Review of Education examines Thailand's ongoing competency-based education reform during the 21st century, revealing that while the system has been developed systematically, it suffers from a lack of unified ideologies and unclear communication regarding the curriculum's driving forces. Researcher Jatupol Sangwanglao analyzed publicly available policy documents to trace the historical development and ideological foundations of Thai competency-based education, highlighting significant challenges for stakeholders involved in the reform process.