Think - Issue 19 by Think

MARCH 2017 • ISSUE 19

ISSN 2306-0735

I D E A S

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M A LTA

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R E S E A RC H

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P E O P L E

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U N I V E R S I TY

DIGITAL EDITION

FIND US ONLINE

To read all our articles featuring some extra content www.um.edu.mt/think

To follow our daily musings and a look behind the scenes www.facebook.com/ThinkUoM

EDITORIAL

AIRING OUR RESEARCH

HINK is evolving. For 2017 we picked four elements as our inspiration for each issue. We begin with this Air special focus,

To communicate with us and follow the latest in research news www.twitter.com/think

followed by Water, Earth, and Fire.

Each element is a launch pad into the web of research happening at the

University of Malta. The Air special focus features studies as diverse as theories to understand mysterious extreme stars (pg. 22) to reimagining airplane’s cockpits (pg. 40). Students are also doing tremendous work

To see our best photos and illustrations www.instagram.com/thinkuni

in trying to understand Titan, Saturn’s largest moon (pg. 16 ), and the brightness of distant stars (pg. 17). In our new section Lab to Life, Iman Omar writes about her research developing a technology to improve radio telescopes, some of which has already been patented (pg. 62). In addition to the focus, Think has a wide swath of opinion pieces. Prof.

To view some great videos www.youtube.com/user/ThinkUni

Giuseppe Di Giovanni talks about why marijuana should be used to treat pain (pg. 14), while Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino thinks that Malta should aim to produce the next Nobel Laureate (pg. 12), as other, smaller countries managed. Maltese academics have some big opinions. Not shying away from the latest hot topic, Dr George Zammit talks about

To read all our printed magazines online www.issuu.com/thinkuni

the current state of world politics and why the status quo is simply not working anymore—think Donald Trump’s election and Brexit (pg. 45). Our alumni article also touches upon governance, with Kora Muscat talking about behavioural economics and how it should be used in Malta for both public policy and business (pg. 68). The issue is full of other articles on sustainable tourism, culture, art,

For our archive from the University of Malta Library www.um.edu.mt/library/oar

equipment, and digital games. We have even snuck in another two new sections: Startup featuring the game studio Mighty Box (pg. 56) and a new

CONTRIBUTE

To-do List.

Edward Duca EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

edward.duca@um.edu.mt @DwardD

Cassi Camilleri

ASSISTANT EDITOR

cassian.camilleri@um.edu.mt @CassiCamilleri

Are you a student, staff, or researcher at the University of Malta? Would you like to contribute to THINK magazine? If interested, please get in touch to discuss your article on think@um.edu.mt or call +356 2340 3451

COVER STORY

CONTENTS ISSUE 19 � MARCH 2017 TOOLKIT

Piled higher, dug deeper

4 WITHOUT BORDERS

Where Humanities, Medicine, and Sciences meet

AIR Resident designer Roberta Scerri combined geometric shapes with cosmic vistas to create our mesmerising cover. Much like science attempts to create order from chaos, this cover combines rigid definition with fluid vastness.

Extreme stars unlock gravitational secrets

On qubes and the pockets that fit them

Keeping it cool

Green planes, safe planes

The future cockpit

DESIGN

Capital letters

OPINION

AIR FOCUS

That amazing Baroque world

THINK BIG: Can Malta produce a Nobel Laureate?

apps4Parliament: Making parliamentary data more accessible

Is cannabis the best medicine for chronic pain?

CONTRIBUTORS TOOLKIT Dr Edward Duca Adrian Mifsud WITHOUT BORDERS Prof. Ivan Callus Dr Edward Duca Prof. Victor Grech Prof. Clare E. Vassallo DESIGN ARTICLE Matt Demarco Ed Dingli Nikki Petroni Katerina Karamallaki Dr Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci

OPINION Dr Charlie Abela Dr Andrew Agius Dr Joel Azzopardi Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino Prof. Giuseppe di Giovanni Prof. Denis De Lucca STUDENT ARTICLES Josef Borg Karl Fiteni Jean-Luc Portelli Robert Zammit

FOCUS Dr Ing. Marc Azzopardi Darren Cachia Cassi Camilleri Jonathan Camilleri Nathalie Cauchi Dr Ing. Kenneth Chircop Dr Edward Duca Captain Karl Falzon Dr Mario Farrugia Dr Jason Gauci Mateusz Jedruszek Captain Alan Muscat Mark Pace Filippos Nachmias Dr Jackson Levi Said

Kevin Theuma Matthew Xuereb Dr Ing. Brian Zammit Prof. David Zammit Mangion FEATURES Dr George V. Zammit Julian Christopher Zarb RIDT Wilfred Kenely Sarah Spiteri CULTURE ARTICLE The Valletta 2018 Foundation Arts Council Malta

ALUMNI ARTICLE Kora Muscat START UP Fabrizio Calì Prof. Gordon Calleja Cassi Camilleri Mark Casha Thom Cuschieri Marvin Zammit LAB TO LIFE Cassi Camilleri Iman Omar Farhat

THINK is a quarterly research magazine published by the Marketing, Communications & Alumni Office at the University of Malta To subscribe to our blog log into www.um.edu.mt/think/subscribe and fill in your details. � For advertising opportunities, please call 2340 3475 or get in touch by email on think@um.edu.mt Advertising rates are available on www.um.edu.mt/think/advertise

STUDENTS

FEATURE

Titan: Life on another world?

How bright?

3D-Printed knee implants for longer lifetime

Experimental, experiential game design

The politics of dissent What happens when you alienate a critical mass of the public? FEATURE

Making tourism work Taking tourism back to basics. Empowering communities.

START-UP

Mighty origins A humble startup rolling double 6’s in the games industry.

RESEARCH

Owning what we do Individual contribution towards a better University.

LAB TO LIFE

Look up Bettering sensitivity of radio astronomy. Peer deeper into the universe.

Setting the stage

The Theatres Audit: Uncovering the island’s hidden gems.

TO-DO LIST

What to watch, read, listen to and who to follow on social media Recommendations for all the fun stuff from the THINK team to you.

THINK I D E A S

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M A LTA

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U N I V E R S I TY

MARCH 2017 - ISSUE 19

EDITORIAL

Edward Duca EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Cassi Camilleri ASSISTANT EDITOR DESIGN

CULTURE

ALUMNI

Behavioural Science: more than just buzzwords for Malta Thinking about what you think and why when you think it.

ISSN 2306-0735 Copyright © University of Malta, 2017 The right of the University of Malta to be identified as Publisher of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright Act, 2001. University of Malta, Msida, Malta Tel: (356) 2340 2340 Fax: (356) 2340 2342 www.um.edu.mt All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of research and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Jean Claude Vancell DESIGNER Roberta Scerri ASSISTANT DESIGNER

The publisher has used its best endeavours to ensure that the URLs for external websites referred to in this magazine are correct and active at the time of going to press. However the publisher has no responsibility for the websites and can make no guarantee that a site will remain live or that the content is or will remain appropriate.

COPYEDITING

Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked, the publishers will be pleased to include any necessary credits in any subsequent issues.

Veronica Stivala PROOF READING

Amy Borg PRINTING

Gutenberg Press, Malta

Toolkit

TOOLKIT Piled higher, dug deeper

riaxial testing rigs are used the world over to

excavations and buildings in these weak materials.

experiment on ground materials such as soils,

Abandoning a site for a stronger one is now no longer

rock, or powders. At the University of Malta (UoM),

an option. In-depth understanding of how ground

one such rig started being assembled in 2014 using

materials behave, therefore, becomes fundamental

existing equipment at the Faculty for the Built

if dangerous consequences are to be avoided.

Environment, modernised with the help of the Faculty

The equipment is already being used to teach

of Engineering. The rig is now complete, with plans

the next generation of architects and engineers.

to test rocks typically found in Malta, simulating the

They now have the opportunity to experiment

stresses created by big excavations and tall towers,

with the local ground materials. They can load

steep slopes and deep underground tunnels.

them with imagined future buildings or unload

The laboratory is used to investigate the engineering characteristics of weak ground materials such as clay, silt, sand, and weak rock (turbazz in Maltese

them through simulated excavations, all the while observing the real-world effects. The first real research effort is aimed at understanding

building terminology). Space and economic pressures

what’s going on in Malta’s weak Globigerina limestone,

are pushing local buildings deeper and taller without

which is currently loaded by heavy buildings. We

the knowledge of how the local rocks can sustain

need to be aware of their internal structure, the water

the pressures created. Architects and engineers,

within, how they crush and how long it takes. It’s likely

now more than ever, are being asked to design

to be a long story, but this is just the beginning.

QUICK SPECS • Specimen size: 38mm dia. x 76mm • Maximum axial pressure: 220 bar • Sensors measuring specimen behaviour during loading: 12

Toolkit

• Testing control: Fully automated and computer controlled

Photo by Jean Claude Vancell

• Minimum loading speed: 0.00001mm/min

WITHOUT

Without Borders

BORDERS

Where Humanities, Medicine, and Sciences meet N

ot many Ph.D.s lead to a new programme

will be analysed and discussed as a major

of studies, but cardiac paediatrician Prof.

shaping event in western cultural history. Two

Victor Grech’s did. His study on Infertility in

main speakers will be in attendance, historian

Science Fiction inspired him and his supervisors,

Prof. Dominic Fenech and Augustine Theologian

Prof. Ivan Callus and Prof. Clare Vassallo,

Rev. Professor Salvino Caruana, followed

(University of Malta, see THINK article: Science

by a panel of speakers from areas as varied

Fiction—Mythology of the future) to start the

as Sociology, Literature, and Psychology.

HUMS programme: a space for researchers in

Most symposia are held in the Faculty

the humanities, medicine, and sciences to meet

of Arts Library on campus, and all academics are

and discuss the bridges between these areas.

welcome. HUMS also organises an

HUMS creates a social and academic ‘space’ for connection. It provides a forum that meets up three or four times a year. Last year a meeting held in October focused on the

annual Science Fiction Symposium in the summer months. Comments and interaction from the audience is not only welcome but encouraged.

from numerous disciplines, which provided

HUMS (Humanities, Medicine, and Sciences

many and varied angles on the event. The

Programme) was created in 2012 under the

second session was the annual Yuletide HUMS,

Faculty of Arts, with the cooperation of the

which presents Christmas as its main theme.

Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Science. It

The next event will be larger than usual

is coordinated by Prof. Joseph M. Cacciottolo

and will be held at the Valletta Campus on 10

and co-chaired by Prof. Victor Grech and

May. It is a commemorative symposium: The

Prof. Clare Vassallo. For more information

Reformation: Impacts and Consequences, which

see: www.um.edu.mt/programme/hums

Without Borders

anniversary of The Battle of Trafalgar with talks

DESIGN Capital letters

alletta is being transformed into

aesthetic of the capital’s commercial

Preserving and studying past

Malta’s vibrant cultural hub.

establishments. Workshops will also

knowledge is key to generating

With this welcome upheaval, however,

take place, centring on the printing

innovative techniques. This project

the need to preserve the unique

techniques used in the project. A

does not aim to emphasise reverting

urban façades of the capital city’s old

main feature will be the launch of

to past styles or practice, but to

establishments has become critical.

a newly-designed font created by

engender awareness of good design

MaltaType specifically for this event.

through historical study. Design

Malta-based design group MaltaType is organising an exhibition

is a rather young research topic in

on their study of shop sign

Malta, and a comprehensive study

production, as well as the typology and aesthetic of Valletta’s Strait Street signs, using them to create stylised prints of various shops. The eponymously named exhibition will preserve the artefacts of Valletta’s modern history through a series of prints showing signs, shop fronts, and typography. The installation will lead from one room to the next, expanding on different aspects that constitute the process of designing and producing some of Valletta’s most iconic signs. The exhibition is not intended to be a static event. Talks will focus on the

Design

history of design and the analysis of the

This project does not aim to emphasise reverting to past styles or practice, but to engender awareness of good design through historical study.

of local design is sorely needed as a baseline to build upon. The MaltaType exhibition is one such keystone. MaltaType will run from 25 May until the following Sunday at Splendid in Strait Street, Valletta. The project is part of the annual artistic programme of the Strada Stretta Concept, a Valletta 2018 Foundation project. The artistic director is lecturer Dr Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci (University of Malta), and the exhibition is curated by Nikki Petroni, while the MaltaType designers are Ed Dingli, Matt Demarco, and Katerina Karamallaki. For more information: www.maltatype.com

Design

Design group MaltaType, made up of Dingli, Matt Demarco, and Katerina Karamallaki, have set up the exhibition to engender awareness of good design through historical study

That amazing Baroque world Professor Denis De Lucca

he Baroque period was a time of

saw it strive for excellence—not only holding its

great upheaval. Monarchs believed

own next to its European counterparts, but also

in the divine right to rule, a notion

creating unsurpassed masterpieces. Gian Lorenzo

continuously threatened by the

Bernini’s Ecstasy of Santa Teresa in the Church of

relentless spread of the Ottoman

Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome emerged to

Empire. Civilisations clashed like never before,

feast one’s eyes and soul in very much the same

opposing religious ideals stoking that vicious

manner that that elegant Cavaliere Calabrese

fire. Curiously, this was also the age when

Mattia Preti managed, in the 1660s, to transform

science, technology, and art were making their

the interior of the Conventual Church of St John in

own grand strides. The cannon and the musket

Valletta into a unique liturgical experience.

altered military landscapes. The studies of

Studies (University of Malta) engages the public,

thought. Borromini, Bernini, Guarini, and

conducts research, and instills an awareness of

Caravaggio altered the artistic world.

the Baroque world’s rich legacy. It contributes

Rulers latched onto these advances, realising

Studies, an annual publication, as well as through

through the orchestration of grand spectacles. A

courses and other major projects. Among its most

multitude of impressive multimedia performances

prestigious contributions is ‘Lines of Defence’, a

were created by the great architects and

beautifully produced volume that brings together

impresarios of the time, brought to life by

the collection of fortification plans of the Knights

ephemeral contraptions of wood and cartapesta,

of the Order of St John housed in the National

fireworks, banquets, and fine costumes,

Library of Malta in Valletta. American poet Robert Penn Warren rightly

Rameau, and Lully which brought all the moving

stated, ‘History cannot give us a programme for

parts together.

the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding

For Malta, the Baroque period was one of its

Opinion

to the field through the Journal of Baroque

that they could project an image of supremacy

accompanied by the magical sounds of Vivaldi,

The International Institute for Baroque

Descartes, Kepler, and Newton revolutionised

of ourselves and of our common humanity, so

most formative and saw culture flourish. For

that we can better face the future.’ A look into the

the island state, this was a critical time, which

amazing Baroque world will do nothing less.

1. Anon. (17th Cent.) The surrender of the Huguenot Stronghold of La Rochelle, 2. Anon. (17th Cent.) The apotheosis of St Ignatius of Loyola 1675, 3. (1680) Mattia'De Rossi's Cantoria (Photo by Goran Bogicevic / Shutterstock, Inc.), 4. Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1652) The Ecstasy of Santa Teresa di Avila in the Cornaro Chapel 5. St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta (Photo by Michal Szymanski / Shutterstock, Inc.)

Opinion

celand (population: 320,000) is proud of writer Halldor Laxness; the even smaller Faroe Islands (pop: 50,000) celebrates its physician and scientist Niels Ryberg Finsen.

The combined population of these countries is smaller than Malta’s, yet they have each managed to secure Nobel Laureates: Laxness in Literature in 1955; Finsen in Medicine in 1903. Small size may be a handicap, but—as the Iceland and Faroe examples attest —it is not an insurmountable obstacle.

THINK BIG: Can Malta produce a Nobel Laureate? Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino

Opinion

apps4Parliament: Making parliamentary data more accessible

Dr Joel Azzopardi and Dr Charlie Abela

Small size should not prove to be a cheap excuse. So the question is: can Malta produce a Nobel Laureate? Thinking big can be a powerful motivator. Grand ideas can push publics, enterprises, and governments to achieve the unthinkable. Believe in the

he Maltese people

problem lies not only with its bulk,

are known for being

but also with its indiscernible format.

generous, hospitable, and

How so? EU legislation requires this

passionate. They jump

information to be made accessible for

into any argument, mind,

citizens’ consumption. This opens up

body, and soul… especially when it’s

governments’ work to scrutiny and

about politics. The tripartite political

increases accountability. But while

scene, which recently evolved into

the Maltese parliament does provide

a quadripartite one, captivates the

access to collections of documents

Maltese population’s interest to the

through different media, including its

point where its following is quasi-

online portal and the recently launched

religious. On occasion, parliament

TV station, the data’s format and its

sees politicians confront each other,

sheer size makes it impossible for it

debate, and in the end, legislate.

to be used effectively. In an effort to

In the process, a huge amount of

make parliamentary data more open,

information is generated. To put

Dr Charlie Abela and Dr Joel Azzopardi

things into perspective, during every

from the Department of Artificial

parliamentary session, backbench

Intelligence (Faculty of ICT, University

politicians and those of the opposing

of Malta) are working with the Office

parties pose questions to ministers

of the Speaker on a project called

and parliamentary secretaries to

apps4Parliament.

scrutinise the government’s work. In

apps4Parliament seeks to create a

this current legislature alone, almost

number of apps which can in turn make

30,000 Parliamentary Questions

collections of parliamentary data more

(PQs) have already been made. The

open, searchable, and accessible. The

That is how it should be.

impossible, advised the historian Max

to the next level. Naturally, people

Weber, and then the possible might

will continue to talk about politics,

just become true. Landing a man on

the weather, the traffic, the guy or

was one such dream for the 1960s.

the moon before the end of the decade

gal next door... but also about these

Bringing an end to our fortress economy

inspired the US Space Programme in the

grand accomplishments. Of course,

was another aspiration for the 1970s.

1960s. The Live Aid Concerts in 1985

these projects will be controversial;

Joining the European Union was a third.

delivered £150 million in famine relief.

they will have as many sympathisers as

Valletta Capital of Culture for 2018 may

And the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)

dissenters and critics. So? What’s new?

be a fourth and is an active project.

Securing our political independence

Initiative has equipped 2.5 million

What’s cooking in the Kitchen of Big

children, and counting, across the world.

and Bold Ideas for Malta for the next few years?

Malta needs ‘think big’ projects to

We need to think ahead. Apathy is

galvanise the nation. Securing a Nobel Laureate could be one. Developing

dangerous, and we need big ideas to

an underground subway system (and

keep it at bay.

linking Malta to Gozo in the process)

By the way, St Lucia (population:

could be another. Such projects need

150,000) has not one, but two Nobel

not be mutually exclusive. Their

Laureates: Arthur Lewis for Economics

trademark would be their ability

in 1979 and Derek Walcott (born in

to engage public opinion, foster

1930, still alive at the time of writing)

national pride, and raise the game

for Literature in 1992.

first app created as part of this project

interactive visualisation through which

is called PQViz. The app exploits

users can more intuitively understand

the PQ data by capitalising on the interaction between Members of Parliament (MPs) from different parties and presents an interesting,

questions like: who asked whom about what, who asked the most PQs, and who answered them. Through the apps4Parliament project, the general public will be able to analyse parliamentary processes, monitor MPs’ and committees’ activities, and seek accountability. It is intended to help people understand how parliament works, clarifying lawmaking logic and involving them in the parliamentary process. The face of political culture is in for a change, and accessibility is going to play a

Opinion

major role.

Photo by Kotsovolos Panagiotis / Shutterstock, Inc.

Is cannabis the best medicine for chronic pain? Prof. Giuseppe Di Giovanni and Dr Andrew Agius

act: pain severely impairs quality of life. There are different kinds of pain.

important to reduce triggers and improve mobility. Stress-reducing activities such as mindfulness

them into acute and chronic.

meditation, yoga, and low impact exercise all help with reducing severity and impact of pain. Some

and is essential in alerting us that something is

cases may require more specialised interventions

wrong. When pain persists beyond the expected

such as psychotherapy or psychiatric review.

time of healing, it becomes chronic or persistent

Despite this holistic, interdisciplinary approach,

pain.

many patients with persistent pain still claim they

Chronic pain is a very complex phenomenon made up of biological, psychological, and social

are not well-controlled. So is there any hope for these people? The

components. While we do not know the exact

answer is yes, there is and many already know about

figure for Malta, over 100 million people across

it: cannabis.

Europe suffer from chronic pain. When pain is persistent, it no longer reflects

Cannabis has been used to manage pain for over 5,000 years, a history now backed by rigorous

tissue injury and can become a severe burden for

research. Despite these facts, the plant has been

affected persons and their carers. Unfortunately,

rarely used with this therapeutic aim (see 'Marijuana

there are very few effective conventional

for Epilepsy', THINK magazine, issue 16).

analgesics (painkillers) for this type of pain. Non-

Opinion

approach is key. Diet and lifestyle changes are

Broadly categorised, we can divide

Acute pain is usually the result of tissue injury

To manage chronic pain, an interdisciplinary

The two main ingredients of cannabis are

steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are

cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

only recommended for short-term use as they

Marijuana is the the most effective drug in managing

can cause some serious side effects. Powerful

many types of persistent pain. Its mode of action,

alternatives exist but are opiate-based drugs

through the endocannabinoid system (ECS), and

such as morphine and codeine, which have even

its ability to control various associated symptoms

worse side effects. In high doses, opiates can

such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia make it an

even cause respiratory depression and death.

immensely valuable therapeutic tool.

PAIN Chronic pain is an escalating public health problem affecting one in five people. Over the next decade this will increase to one in three because of a combination of population aging and the advancement of medical technology saving lives but leaving survivors coping with serious pain conditions. Current analgesics or painkillers are inefficient in about 70% of patients. According to one estimate, over 650,000 opioid prescriptions are dispensed each day in the US. Chronic pain is often comorbid with emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression, suggesting alterations in neuronal brain processing. The ECS is made up of nerves and receptors which communicate using endogenous cannabinoids produced by the body. This system of nerves and receptors is larger than all the other different systems of receptors put

MARIJUANA FOR PAIN RELIEF

together, making it the most important system

The cannabis plant contains a large number of

of neurotransmitters in the body. It is also

compounds, of which 60 are cannabinoids. THC is

responsible for controlling all of the other systems

principally responsible for the psychoactive effects.

and maintaining homeostasis, our bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s balance. Marijuana appears to be a promising source of painkillers. More studies need to be conducted

When cannabis is smoked, only 25% of the THC content is adsorbed. Medical marijuana also has a number of side effects,

to determine ideal dosing and delivery routes,

the more common among them being drowsiness,

yet no patients have ever experienced any major

dizziness, dry mouth, and dysphoria. But while these

adverse events. On the other hand, opioids,

are not pleasant side effects, administration of natural

the current gold standard for painkillers, have

or synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists has shown

resulted in overdoses; the contrast is stark and it

therapeutic value for a number of important medical

is time to act.

conditions including pain, anxiety, glaucoma, nausea, emesis, muscle spasms, epilepsy, and wasting diseases.

This article is part of the second edition Malta Brain Awareness Week (MBAW) organised by Malta Neuroscience Network and Malta Chamber of Scientists, which will be held from 13â&#x20AC;&#x201C;19 March. Email Prof. Giuseppe Di Giovanni (giuseppe.digiovanni@um.edu.mt) or Dr Andrew Agius (andrew@painclinic.com.mt) for more pain relief.

Opinion

information on medical marijuana and chronic

STUDENTS I

f you were to travel back in time

by Prof. Emmanuel Sinagra and Dr Noel

to Earth’s distant past, about three

Aquilina), I studied Titan’s ongoing

billion years ago, you would find a

atmospheric processes and modelled

planet bearing barely any semblance

how its atmospheric composition and

to today’s world. A toxic atmosphere

temperature would be expected to

primarily composed of methane

change over the next 7.6 billion years,

swathed our planet as its surface,

as our Sun approaches the end of its

devoid of liquid water at the time,

lifetime.

was incessantly bombarded by small

Titan: Life on another world? Josef Borg

As the Sun runs out of hydrogen

asteroids. While time travel evades our

fuel, it will rapidly swell to several

current realm of possibilities, we do

times its current size, engulfing

have a replica of this past, primordial

Mercury, Venus, and probably Earth.

Earth right in our cosmic backyard!

In turn, with the sun’s increase in size

Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, is

and luminosity, Titan’s atmosphere

the only moon in our solar system

will heat up to temperatures that will

that has a dense atmosphere with

allow the stability of ammonia/water

a composition similar to primordial

pools on Titan’s surface to create those

Earth. Titan’s surface is shrouded from

primordial ‘soups’ that are thought to

view with a haze layer containing

have been the origins of life on Earth .

organic constituents produced by the

In understanding Titan’s atmospheric

solar-powered breakdown of methane

processes and their evolution, my

and nitrogen. Such molecules could be

study lends possibility to life beyond

similar to counterpart molecules that

our planet. In about seven billion years,

gave rise to life here on Earth three

when life on Earth would have been

billion years ago.

long extinguished, a new oasis in the

Stopping Titan’s march to become

form of a lone moon orbiting a bloated,

Earth 2.0 are its frigid temperatures

dying star could arise as a beacon

which slow down the speed of

of hope for new life to flourish.

Students

reactions—vital to life. The rate is so

low that the formation of any complex

This research was carried out as

organic molecules, the building blocks

part of a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Biology

of life, is close to impossible. For my

and Chemistry, Faculty of Science,

undergraduate dissertation (supervised

at the University of Malta.

How bright?

A lightcurve obtained from an eclipsing binary type variable star.

n astronomer’s task is to provide

and evolution. In many cases, it is

data proved difficult, requiring the

insight into the nature of the

the nature of the variability that

reduction of a fair deal of scientific

universe through the observation

provides the clues that answer our big

data along with the careful analysis

of celestial objects. Stars are usually

questions: Where did we come from?

of astronomical observations, both

a few hundred, or even thousands,

For my undergraduate dissertation,

of which are fundamental aspects

of light-years away—a problematic

(supervised by Dr Joseph Caruana)

of observational astronomy. Light

distance for direct study. Instead,

I used astronomical equipment

pollution was also a hurdle, however

people can study the light emitted by

from the Institute of Space Sciences

this was an opportunity to recognise

the star rather than the star itself.

and Astronomy (ISSA, University

what kind of observations are

Stars are immensely important as

of Malta) to carry out photometric

possible around the Maltese Islands.

engines of cosmic evolution. They play

measurements on variable stars. I

The skills garnered through this

a key role in the creation of elements

captured hundreds of images of stars

work will help not only pave the way

heavier than hydrogen and helium,

over multiple nights for the purpose

for future photometric measurements

the elements which, in turn, make

of representing the data as light-

using more sophisticated equipment,

up humans and the world we live in.

curves: plots of the stars’ brightness

but, more importantly, it will

Stars and their planets are the only

against time. The main aim was to

allow us to gain insight into more

places we are likely to find other life

obtain measurements to characterise

elusive astronomical events that

in the universe. Variable stars are a

the level of brightness changes

are just beyond our grasp. The

class of stars which undergo a change

which can be detected in variable

big questions will be answered…

in brightness over time. Research on

stars, using a fairly small 0.25m

we just need the right tools.

variable stars is important because

aperture telescope and a basic CCD

it provides information about stellar

(Coupled Charged Device) camera.

properties such as mass, radius,

Despite its success, the project

This research was carried out as part of a B.Sc. in Mathematics

luminosity, temperature, internal

was challenging. Firstly, deriving a

and Physics at the Faculty of

and external structure, composition,

light-curve from raw observational

Science, University of Malta.

Students

Karl Fiteni

3D-Printed knee implants for longer lifetime Robert Zammit

ne of the most common causes

motion limitation, which results in the

with the patient’s bones. Stress

of total knee replacements

knee implant being replaced.

analyses were then completed on the

is osteoarthritis, a disease which

designed a knee implant to improve

ensured that failure will not occur

citizens. The rise in age expectancy

on the shortcomings of contemporary

when implanted. Besides eliminating

and obesity, compounded by injuries

knee implants. The principal research

pain and motion limitation, the knee

to patients, will see these numbers

aim was to study the design of

implant is expected to provide a

grow. All of this is expected to

3D-printable patient-specific knee

more natural feel as it replicates

increase total knee replacement

implants that have a longer lifetime.

the original knee joint geometry.

surgeries by 362% by the year

This was done by designing a patient-

Cowles, a patient who underwent

2030. The need for knee implants

specific knee implant with two metal

surgery using a patient-specific

to have a longer lifetime is real.

mounting components and two

knee implant says that ‘if I didn’t

polymer articulating components,

see the scar on it, I would assume

of three components: the tibial

meaning that polymer-on-polymer

it was my normal knee’.

component, tibial insert and femoral

articulation was used.

component, with metal-on-polymer

Students

newly designed knee implant, which

affects around 40% of Maltese senior

Currently knee implants consist

I (supervised by Dr Arif Rochman)

The experiments showed that high

The implants’ metal mounting

articulation that is known to have

performance polymers experience

components were fabricated

poor wear resistance. This not

lower wear rates compared to

using the 3D printing facilities

only leads to implant failure due to

conventional materials. Innovative

at the University of Malta,

excessive wear after a decade but

assembly features were designed

while the polymer articulating

studies also show that 19% of knee

to join the polymer articulating

components were produced at

replacement patients are dissatisfied

components with metal mounting

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Malta.

with the result of their surgery. One

components for easy assembly and

This research was carried out

of the main reasons for this is that

disassembly. Similarly, an improved

as part of a Master of Science in

modern implants do not offer optimal

fixation technique was used to secure

Engineering (Mechanical), Faculty of

fit, creating problems such as pain and

the metal mounting components

Engineering, University of Malta.

Experimental, experiential game design Jean-Luc Portelli cards are used to prompt and inspire

in practice, which is related to

gaming industry is one of the

ideas with the included experiences.

how abstract it is. Spectrum is just

As part of my research (supervised

one step towards devising a more

largest and most varied, enjoyed by a massive range of people with

by Dr Rilla Khaled), I gave Spectrum

general methodology, but it is a

differing needs and tastes. Because

to players and designers to use and

step that provides flexibility through

of this, player experience—the field

gauged their reactions. Both parties

its minimalist approach towards

of study focused on interactions

had a hard time with the idea of

player-experience-oriented game

between games and their players—

using player experience to design and

design. Though complex, we can

is extremely important.

analyse games, and the experiments

make player experience accessible to

led to controversial discussions

designers and allow better use of it in

experience of it either keeps us

and responses from participants.

future projects that will enthrall and

playing or drives us away. It is an

Many players said the exercise

engage audiences more than ever.

unavoidable and intrinsic part of game

was challenging, but also noted

design. Some games are designed to

that it enriched their past gaming

Spectrum and related work on my

produce specific experiences, whether

experiences. On the other hand,

website: jeanlucportelli.com

it is socialising through party games

some designers questioned the tool’s

or being terrified by horror games.

practicality and the tangible value of

This research was carried out

However, despite the importance this

player experience as a standalone game

as part of a Master of Science in

element of game design commands,

design methodology. The love-hate

Digital Games, Institute of Digital

many textbooks lack the content that

card, for example, saw both players

Games, University of Malta. It was

designers need to incorporate player

and designers struggling to think of

funded by the Master it! Scholarship

experiences into their workflow.

games that made them experience

Scheme (Malta). This scholarship

Whenever we play games, our

You can find out more about

either love or hate. This limited its

is part-financed by the European

creation and analysis of game ideas.

usefulness to our participants, and in

Union European Social Fund (ESF)

It is made up of a set of 35 double-

any other situation they would have

under Operational Programme

sided flashcards that feature a

likely abandoned the idea outright.

II Cohesion Policy 2007–2013,

Spectrum is a design tool for the

carefully selected number of positive

Our experiments revealed a lack

and negative player experiences. The

of awareness of player experience

Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality Of Life.

Students

ames are everywhere. The

Focus

AIR

Off-the-shelf components are being tested around

planet would be a pipe dream. Its

the clock to find those that are space worthy. The

absence in space fills us with fear

mission should be launched into space in 2018.

and fascination in equal measure. The concept of air touches a

Using air as a form of transport, multiple research projects are making our planes safer

whole swath of research around the globe

and greener. As part of a multi-billion EU project,

including at the University of Malta (UoM).

Malta has helped contribute to improving fuel

Stars have demanded our attention since

burn, reducing emissions, and developing superior

the first humans looked up at the night sky. At

flight management systems (pg. 34). In parallel, the

the Institute of Space Science and Astronomy

UoM team is helping produce the next generation

(ISSA), they are trying to study neutron stars

of cockpits (pg. 40). If implemented, planes could

to test alternative theories of gravity (pg. 22).

be flown with just a touch of a human hand.

Current theories require a number of assumptions

The air we breathe is vital. A UoM engineer

for scientists to make sense of what they

talks about Air Conditioning (AC) systems:

observe. Scientists at ISSA want to narrow these

how they work, and which types of ACs are

down to help comprehend our Universe.

best for which environment (pg. 32).

Coming closer to Earth, a large team of

Jacques Yves Cousteau had written that the

researchers are combining their diverse skills and

industrial revolution and advance of technology has

expertise to build a low-cost satellite to orbit our

seen air becoming one of the two global garbage

pale blue dot (pg. 27). This tiny PocketQube satellite

cansÂâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the other being water. What this edition

is one of a few projects around the world trying to

of THINK shows is the herculean effort being

make satellites affordable to scientists worldwide.

made at UoM to turn the pipe dream into reality.

Focus

ir defines us. Without it, life on our

EXTREME Focus

UNLOCK GRAVITATIONAL SECRETS

Our understanding of gravity has changed over the years and will likely continue to as researchers arm themselves with new ideas tested by increasingly sophisticated technology. Dr Jackson Levi Said, Mark Pace, and Filippos Nachmias (University of Malta [UoM]) tell THINK more about their mission to unlock gravityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s secrets from neutron stars.

our fundamental forces act on the

by invisible forces, we can visualise regions where,

Universe. Electromagnetism is the

because of the curvature of gravity, objects

interaction between electrically

naturally move toward each other. With that, our

charged particles. The strong nuclear

view of the Universe was turned on its head!

force is what holds most ordinary

matter together, binding neutrons and protons to create atomic nuclei. The weak interaction is

EINSTEIN’S MIRACLE DARKENS

responsible for radioactive decay, which plays an

Einstein gave us the physics that makes GPS

essential role in nuclear fission. Gravitation brings

satellite systems possible, along with highly

all objects with mass towards one another.

accurate clocks and lasers. His theories also

Gravity may be the weakest of the four forces, but its effects shape the very fabric of the Universe.

have unprecedented correlation with data from the solar system and other star systems

English physicist Isaac Newton introduced

across the cosmos. General relativity is truly

the idea of gravity as an unexplained force that

a remarkable theory of gravity, one that has

somehow makes objects move toward each

withstood the battery of tests the last century

other. But while this is a nice, intuitive picture

bestowed. But more issues are rearing their

of gravity, it lacks many of the intricacies that

heads, creating wrinkles in the perfect theory.

we now know about this mechanism, such as

Looking out at the expanse of the Universe, we

its ability to bend light significantly. As it stood,

see planets, stars, and star systems. Look beyond

this theory did provide some sort of agreement

that, and you see galaxies and galaxy clusters.

with observations; however, it lacked any form

Problems took shape when scientists noticed that

of factually correct explanation of gravity.

if the observable mass in a galaxy were actually the

Three centuries passed, and Newton’s theory remained king. Then—revolution. In 1915 German-born theoretical physicist

only mass present, it would explode. For galaxies to make sense, the concept of ‘dark matter’ arose. Dark matter is invisible, appearing in a one-to-

Albert Einstein rocked the very foundations

five ratio, meaning that for every kilogram of visible

of science with his so-called general theory of

matter there must exist five kilograms of dark

relativity. Here, gravity is described by means of

matter. As the current understanding goes, this dark

a curvature of not only space but also time. He

matter forms a web of interconnected elements

effectively married space with time! This means

which act as ‘seeds’ from which galaxies and galaxy

that instead of thinking of objects as being pulled

clusters are born. So far, so good, right? But the matter gets more complicated when we look beyond The observable Universe appears to be expanding at an accelerating rate. This idea opposes the notion that gravity is a solely attractive force. To account for this empirical fact, the theory of relativity had to be ‘fixed’ again, and thus the idea of ‘dark energy’ was introduced. This energy presents itself as a substance with constant density, which forces the Universe to expand like the air in a balloon. Right now, that is about as much as Focus

Einstein gave us the physics that made GPS satellite systems possible, along with highly accurate clocks, and lasers.

galaxy clusters and take in the whole cosmos.

MOUNTAIN

we know about dark energy, but what

come with completely original

opposed to curved. With this concept,

we can say for certain is that if this

foundation rethinks. String theory

equations become much simpler and

energy really does exist, then it makes

and loop quantum gravity are good

a kind of force comes back into play in

up roughly 75% of the Universe.

examples. However, they suffer from

the whole set-up that could shed some

numerous problems such as not being

light on dark matter and dark energy.

These two unknown substances, dark matter and dark energy, may

testable. These theories do not predict

or may not exist. Research is being

anything that can be experimented

particular problem within gravity:

conducted as we speak with the aim

on, making them rather impractical.

compact stars. Compact stars are

of detecting them; however success is yet to be achieved. Nonetheless, these unknown materials represent a gap in Einstein’s model of gravity: a rather large gap of 95% in terms of energy. Einstein himself worked on a number of alternatives to his general theory of relativity. He attempted to unify gravity with electromagnetism. This would see dark matter and dark energy somehow expressed through the same kind of mechanism while having different physical properties. Einstein died before he could find an answer to

The idea that the Universe appears to be expanding at an accelerating rate opposes the notion that gravity is a solely attractive effect.

behemoths, but not in size. First predicted by Walter Baade and Fritz Zwicky in 1934, they form when regular stars start to collapse and nuclear decay forces many of the subatomic particles to turn into neutrons, turning them into neutron stars. They may be just 10km in radius but they are so dense that gravity dominates them. A teaspoon of mass from a neutron star is equivalent to the mass of Mount Everest. In fact, while in most stars, gravitational collapse is opposed by outward pointing pressure and radiation forces, in neutron stars,

MALTESE THEORIES

nuclear force. Even without nuclear

unifying theory. Einstein even spent the

Our group from the Institute of Space

star is so immense that the inability

last decade of his life working on the

Science and Astronomy [ISSA], UoM,

of certain particles to be pushed any

unification of another part of physics—

has taken Einstein’s concept of torsional

closer to each other keeps the star

quantum physics, the field that governs

gravity as its starting point, an idea that

from collapsing into a black hole. There

the very small scales of the universe.

came about when Einstein revisited

are tens of thousands of these sorts

the idea of curvature in spacetime.

of stars. Each one is a great sample to

continues his work, modifying and

Einstein speculated that this curvature

test for strong field gravity, allowing

perfecting his famous theory of gravity.

may be how gravity is comminuted

us to test new ideas on them.

Then there are those scientists who

between two masses in space. In

are truly alternative. Their theories

torsional gravity, gravity is twisted as

this work. Any high profile physicist at the time had the same goal of finding a

Today a whole community of people

Focus

Our focus right now lies with a

collapse is prevented by the strong

his questions, but he was not alone in

ATOM

reactions, the pressure inside the

The ISSA’s (UoM) research is focused around the observable properties of

NEUTRON STARS A DENSE STELLAR REMNANT PRODUCED BY THE COLLAPSE OF THE CORE OF A MASSIVE STAR AS PART OF A SUPERNOVA THAT DESTROYS THE REST OF THE STAR

...it is about 1.5 more massive than the sun.

Despite the fact that a neutron star is only about 20km in diameter...

The voltage created by rapidly spinning neutron stars is 30 MILLION times greater than those of lightning bolts.

The strongest steady magnetic field produced in a lab is about 1 MILLION times greater than Earth’s magnetic field. Magnetars are neutron stars with magnetic fields sometimes QUADRILLION times greater than that of Earth

If a neutron star is in a close orbit around a normal companion star, it can capture matter ﬂowing away from that star. This is known as accreting neutron star in a binary star system. It is one of the strongest X-ray sources in our galaxy. Focus

Like a rotating lighthouse beam, the radiation produced by the spinning can be observed as a pulsating source of radiation, or pulsar.

Photography by Jean Claude Vancell

Dr Jackson Levi Said

these stars. The research is trying to

Filippos Nachmias

One of the results our group has found is that this torsional theory

we have not even been able to

like maximum mass and radius. The

of gravity allows for larger stars

observe? Quarks may be the link

maximum mass of neutron stars is

depending on the particular values of

that explains how neutron stars

the point which, if crossed, sees them

the parameter set being considered.

become black holes. Quark stars’

continue their collapse unheeded,

Looking at our catalogue of neutron

central density is astounding. The

becoming either a black hole or

stars, we see so many that only

equivalent would be the successful

some other star not yet known.

marginally fit within the bounds of

compression of all of humanity into

general relativity. While this exhibits

a sugar cube, or squeezing the sun

of gravity, we find a number of choices

just how extreme neutron stars

into a radius smaller than Malta.

which the theory cannot say any more

are, constantly testing the limits of

Knowing the difference in

about. These choices appear as ‘free

theories, it also shows why we need

the internal structure of these

parameters’ in the theory. What we

alternative theories of gravity. There

stars will allow us to improve our

really want to find out is whether or

is clear tension here and it needs to be

understanding of differentiations

not there are constraints we can put

resolved. And the only way we can do

between different models of gravity.

on these parameters by comparing

this is through continuous observation.

This, in turn, will see the gathering of more data that will hopefully lead

these maxima with real observable stars. This way, we’ll be able to create a theory that can see the predicted results lined up and compared.

When we look at different theories of gravity, we find a number of choices which the theory cannot say any more about. Focus

But why do we care about stars

predict behaviours in compact stars

When we look at different theories

Mark Pace

AND NOW FOR SOME QUARKS

us to a theory that works all the

Other stars that test these theories

that general relativity doesn't offer

continuously—and that also fall within

without the use of two big provisos

our work—are quarks. More exotic than

of dark matter and dark energy.

their neutron counterparts and denser

This journey all started with

time and in all contexts, something

too, quarks have not been observed

Newton trying to understand how

because they don’t have mechanisms

the planets orbit the sun. Einstein

that force them to act as beacons, as do

completely revolutionised this

neutron stars. There are no radio waves

work to line it up with his special

being emitted, therefore new ways

theory of relativity. Since then there

need to be discovered through which

have been an amazing number of

the particles can be observed. What we

observations, some of which have

do know is that, similar to neutron stars,

confirmed general relativity and others

quarks can also have larger maximum

which have pointed us elsewhere.

masses than their counterparts.

Think Einstein, think again.

ON QUBES AND THE POCKETS THAT FIT THEM

Focus

As far as tech trends go, smaller is almost always better. The team behind the University of Malta’s first ever PocketQube satellite agree—except when it comes to their ambitions. Cassi Camilleri speaks to Dr Ing. Marc Azzopardi, Darren Cachia, and Jonathan Camilleri to determine how work is progressing ahead of their 2018 space launch.

pace has the ability to

and miniaturisation. The secret

a figure that stands alone and includes

capture imaginations like

sauce, however, involves combining

none of the launch costs. Following a

nothing else. Some of the

off-the-shelf components in new

call issued by the new research group

latest blockbuster films like

and clever ways without sacrificing

in 2014, Darren Cachia joined the team

Interstellar, Gravity, and The

too much in terms of reliability.

and is now laying the groundwork

Martian are a testament to that fact.

The costs of launching objects

satellite from scratch with off-the-shelf

stream of knowledge, providing solid

development, and the considerable

components as part of his Masters of

answers on how the world around us

fixed costs that come before, are above

Science in Engineering. In the same way

works, but the remaining list is not

€10,000 per kilogram. Up there, a

smartphones can be made at a fraction

becoming easier to unravel. As a result,

thimbleful of lead would cost as much as

of the price that they used to, why can’t

technology has made tremendous

a bar of gold. Therefore, the tech trend

satellites go down the same route?

leaps to meet these demands, and

holds true here too: the smaller, the

we now live in a world where ‘cutting

better. This is where the PocketQube

a daily basis. Go to any university, science fair, or tech convention and you can barely swing a cat without hitting twenty ‘cutting edge’ projects. The term that once had everyone buzzing has lost its impact. When it comes to the PocketQube satellite called UoMBSat1 and its miniscule size of 5cm on each side, however, its

Up there, a thimbleful of lead would cost as much as a bar of gold.

found themselves getting excited about. At the time, Camilleri had just been accepted at the University of Birmingham to read for a doctorate, a project focused on the use of small satellites to study certain properties of the Earth’s ionosphere, an ionised region of the upper atmosphere. Camilleri wanted to look into the variations in the ionosphere, improve

position on the scale of innovation is pico-satellite’s size is key. Weighing

models, and effectively predict what

in at a mere 250g and measuring 5cm

effect they could have on the operation

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS: INNOVATION OPPORTUNITY

on each side, this miniature satellite

of communications systems such as

could be the answer to all our prayers

GPS. This kind of information would

and to all space-oriented engineers’

then be used to develop methods

The beginnings of this research project

and scientists’ cash-flow troubles.

that would mitigate damaging

cemented firmly at the bleeding edge.

lie somewhere around 2014. The

Focus

This line of questioning was exactly the kind of discussion Cachia and his longtime friend Jonathan Camilleri

edge’ technology surrounds us on

to build the UoM’s first PocketQube

into space, aside from research,

Science has produced a steady

Proposed by Professor Robert Twiggs

effects on these systems. These

University of Malta (UoM) researchers

at Stanford University, cubic satellites

overlapping interests led to Cachia

have been held back by the sheer

of various standard sizes have gained

and Camilleri proposing their space

expense of launching rockets and

incredible popularity over the years,

mission at the fifth Interplanetary

building satellites. Turning this issue

but only four PocketQubes have made

CubeSat Workshop in Oxford.

on its head, Dr Ing. Marc Azzopardi

it to space thus far. Ready-made kits of

After the workshop, talks ensued

and Dr Ing. Andrew Sammut set up

CubeSat nano-satellites (10cms on each

between the UoM and SERENE (Space

the Astrionics Research Group (Astrea,

side) are available to anyone over the

Environment and Radio Engineering)

Faculty of Engineering, UoM). Their

internet through online shops that are

Research Group at Birmingham (run by

aim? To find affordable solutions to

sprouting up all over Europe. A startup

Camilleri’s supervisor Prof. Matthew

the plethora of issues that arise when

in Glasgow plans to do the same with

Angling). An agreement between the

electronic components are sent into

PocketQubes. However, a fairly deep

universities was reached, linking the

space. At face value, their answer

pocket remains a prerequisite, with

projects to launch a PocketQube. ‘The

appears to be twofold: standardisation

each kit clocking in at about €10,000,

idea is to build a financially-viable

every time,’ says Cachia. ‘In future the focus should be on achieving the data we need to do the science,’ iterates Camilleri. ‘With this project, we’re hitting two birds with one stone.’ In the meantime the team is gaining useful insight and design experience for future projects. ‘We are also building human expertise, so that a new generation of young students would have the support and be inspired to take Malta into space regularly,’ comments Azzopardi.

TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS While a tiny satellite that can fit in your pocket sounds adorable, the process of making it better can be tortuous. The small size obviously creates issues. The question of whether or not the power supply and batteries would fit comes up often. The researchers also need to determine the reliability of the device. Will they be able to install failsafes in the satellite to prevent catastrophic malfunction or inaccurate data which, if transmitted, could offset results? Beyond the issue of volume, they have to think about

The various components which make up the PocketQube.

the massive temperature swings, corrosive oxygen radicals, high radiation levels, and extremely low pressure

satellite and launch eight such devices

study of the ionosphere. After that the

that the device, its components, and

into space to create a constellation,’

devices will gradually run out of steam,

their materials need to withstand.

says Camilleri. These would spread

the batteries will deteriorate, and the

over a large geographical area and

‘Qubes’ will orbit the Earth lifeless

commercial off-the-shelf materials and

hence gain better coverage of the

for another 20 years; that’s before

components to determine what can and

ionospheric parameters. This way, they

burning up in the upper atmosphere,

cannot be used in UoMBSat1. ‘Since June

would be able to harvest ‘numerous

very much like shooting stars.

2016 I’ve been putting stuff together,

But that will not be the end of it.

checking if the circuits work, and

bolstering accuracy significantly’. Should

‘The idea was, and is, to modularise and

modifying designs where required,’ notes

it be successful, the satellites will relay

standardise space systems as much as

Cachia. Azzopardi nods in agreement,

information back to Earth for many

possible so future users won’t have to

‘It’s really an arduous but necessary

months, perhaps years, that would

go through the process of development

process of trial and error, driven by

be useful to scientists involved in the

and create everything from scratch

increasingly educated guesses.’ Focus

measurements at any one time,

Cachia has mostly been testing various

Clockwise: Dr Ing. Marc Azzopardi, Jonathan Camilleri and Darren Cachia.

This project could lead to the UoM and the country having a space programme of sorts. It is also paving the way for the future.

sharing the achievement will be an important achievement in its own right,’ says Azzopardi, who is keen on giving credit where it is due. This work has culminated in a successful feasibility study. The current design fits within the requirements of the PocketQube.

Camilleri is concurrently working

Focus

on the sensor needed to obtain

field geometries from there.’ Other teams of students are also

However, the power budget is tight. ‘Five out of six sides of the satellite

the ionosphere readings, which is

working on important areas of the

are covered with exotic high-

presenting several challenges. ‘I

project. ‘We needed a communication

efficiency solar panels, but there isn’t

had to design an experiment inside

system, a power system, some on-

much area to begin with, so it took

a vacuum chamber to test it […]

board data handling, and an attitude

some careful design and calculation

and I had no idea where to start

control system (ACS) that would

before we were confident enough

from. At first I had no clue how to

orient the satellite correctly.’ The

that we would be able to operate all

generate free electrons in a vacuum

ACS team is made of three other

the systems and leave enough margin

to simulate an ionospheric plasma. It

students: Denise Baldacchino, Ramses

for contingencies,’ reveals Azzopardi.

was a low period for me. I thought I

Rotin, and Darren Debattista, and

They presented these results at the

needed years to develop something

their supervisors Prof. Ing. Simon

Small Satellites Systems and Services

decent. It was tough.’ But despite the

Fabri and Dr Ing. Marvin Bugeja. The

(4S) Symposium in Valletta in June

difficulty, Camilleri pulled it together

communication element has seen

2016. That was when ‘we got to know

and pushed through. How? ‘Papers.

the Faculty of ICT being roped in and

how the industry works. We met a

Lots of papers. It’s all about reading,

building its own team. This is truly an

lot of people—people with whom

more educated guesses verified by

inspiring interdisciplinary ‘all hands

we had got in touch before and who

analysis, modelling, and experiment.

on deck’ type situation. ‘Pooling time

offered to review our project,’ notes

Step by step, I created basic shapes

and expertise is the only realistic way

Azzopardi, a process which will move

and worked towards more complex

to get anything significant done, and

them one step closer to launch day.

Electrical Power Supply (EPS)

Payload (Ionospheric Probe)

Battery Energy Storage

Telemetry, Tracking & Control System

1 (of 3) Reaction Wheels

On-Board Computer

Solar Panels & Magnetorquers Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS)

Kill Switch (to disable satellite during launch)

Deployer’s Guide Rails

The PocketQube compared to a €1 coin.

TO INFINITY, AND BEYOND! ‘Now, we finish building the prototype,’ asserts Cachia. A preliminary design review is coming up between May and June 2017. This would require the prototype to be assembled and functional, even if not perfect. ‘It is a constraint we have. We need to work within academic schedules to keep participation open to as many students as possible,’ Azzopardi points out. But work will continue long after this first milestone, and the team has their sights set well into the future. ‘There is a whole market for this. Once ‘It may be a very small satellite that

This research work is being partly

project, we could have the opportunity

we’re working on, but the effort going

funded by the ENDEAVOUR

to launch startups to help others save

into it is immense,’ notes Azzopardi.

Scholarship Scheme, which is

on development time,’ says Azzopardi.

And rightly so. This project could lead

part financed by the European

to the UoM and the country having

Union—European Structural and

making side of things, this project will

a space programme of sorts. It is also

Investment Funds Operational

hopefully lead to many others for Malta

paving the way for the future. A future

Programme II – Cohesion Policy

to join ESA. ‘I know that the Malta

that may yield solutions to earthly,

2014–2020. This work is possible

Council of Science and Technology

and perhaps national problems, and

thanks to the support of the Malta

are encouraging more cooperation

a future that may grow into a local

Amateur Radio League, and the

with the ESA, and concrete projects

industry that can support the careers of

Italian Astrodynamics company,

for further capacity building are being

many budding engineers and scientists

GAUSS Srl in Rome, who will be

explored,’ comments Azzopardi.’

with a passion for adventure.

providing the launch service.

Apart from the potential money-

Focus

we develop all the subsystems for this

t i ip ng

Kee

Air conditioning is no longer considered a luxury by most. At the same time few are aware of its inner workings and how that impacts their bills. Dr Mario Farrugia explains.

liked my Chevy Beretta while studying

within a household setting, inverters

V6 was an upgrade for me but still

heating devices. People used fans to

are not cost effective at all.

considered relatively small in the US.

cool during summer, which need far

One morning, while driving to campus,

Air conditioning has become

less electricity than air conditioning

ubiquitous to offices and homes across

a friend saw me, complimented me,

units. Air conditioners are used for

the Maltese islands. People rarely

and asked, ‘Does it have air?’ I scowled,

heating as well as cooling, putting

consider what is happening when

confused. I later learned that, in the

resistance heaters in the past where

they hit that power button on their

US, ‘air’ is short for air conditioning, a

they belong. Air conditioners are

remotes. However, awareness and

luxury my car did not have, thanks to the

much more efficient than the older

understanding of the technology at

previous owners having disconnected

technology of resistance heating. Air

hand will go a long way, not only on

it. While air conditioning would have

conditioners and heat pumps give

their pockets, but on the environment

been nice during summer months, the

more units of heat than the number of

that sustains us.

positives —reduced fuel consumption—

electrical units supplied to them.

Today, air conditioners have become

Focus

long hours throughout the year. Used

demand was during winter due to

were also attractive.

In the early 1990s peak electricity

at Oakland University. The 3.2 litre

Now, the ‘inverter’ air conditioning system has become mainstream.

indispensable. In Maltese cars,

Identical to the vapour compression

homes, and commercial buildings,

system, the inverter has the added

standard systems are typically ‘vapour

function of being able to vary the

compression’ systems, which see the

speed of the compressor, meaning that

working fluid (refrigerant) transitioning

the cold produced can be reduced.

between liquid and gaseous states

Inverter technology was tested and

and being compressed by an engine

compared with conventional systems

or electrical motor (depending on its

at the thermodynamics laboratory

context), which results in cooling.

(Faculty of Engineering, University of

There is no denying that the electricity

Malta). Through various experiments,

required to run air conditioners is

together with a simulation of a typical

considerable. The power cuts during

Maltese year, it was found that

summer months are a testament to

inverters are beneficial in commercial

that. But this was not always the case.

applications when they are used for

Mario Farrugia Photo by Jean Claude Vancell

Focus

Green

Prof. Ing. David Zammit Mangion has been spearheading research in aviation at the University of Malta for two decades. With a focus on improving fuel burn, reducing emissions, and better flight management systems for pilots, the one overarching aim is safer air travel. optimisation tool. This software

should be taken into consideration?

stood at €127 billion. It was

was then used by partners to

One extreme would result in a

responsible for nearly a fifth

identify a more environmentally

highly complex and computationally

of the airline industry’s total

friendly manner of flying.

demanding task that may take several

operating costs of €740

Commercial planes fly from one

days to solve. The other would provide

billion. And that was a good year.

airport to another through set paths,

a quick result which would likely be

Only three years earlier, the price of

avoiding military airspace or no-fly

way off the mark. The answer lies in

crude oil stood at over $100 a barrel,

zones. These routes may not be the

finding what one can get away with.

meaning the fuel bill was nearly

fastest or shortest way of getting from

double that of 2016, while other costs

point A to B, and optimising them is no

ground-based studies on how

remained stable. With these sobering numbers, it comes as no surprise that aircraft manufacturers and airlines are seeking to improve fuel efficiency. Commercial aircraft burn fossil fuels, generating man-made greenhouse gases. While the aviation industry contributes only a modest 2% to the global figure, it is one of the most rapidly growing contributors. As a result, industry leaders worldwide have been driving legislation, technology, and research to reduce the impact of air travel on the environment. In 2006 the European Commission and the major European aviation manufacturers

In Clean Sky, our task focused on theoretical studies, more specifically

Our work saw us developing and proposing new routes in and out of Malta International Airport to allow for lower noise disturbance

best to fly the airplane in complex operational conditions such as flying from Heathrow to Malta with typical traffic, and weather that represents real conditions. This meant we were hard on the complex side of the scale. The partners developed many detailed software models of the airplane, its engines, the operational environment, and airline business models together. We also had to develop state-of-the-art computational techniques for fast and accurate optimisation and a software framework that allows the user to integrate the different components in order to to run the software tool

created a €1.6 billion Joint Technology Initiative called Clean Sky to address

trivial matter. Complications include

to carry out theoretical studies. At

the challenge. The resulting activities

adhering to the desired duration of

UoM, we were primarily involved

take place throughout the lifecycle

flight, bad weather, wind variations,

with the design and development

of an aircraft, from reducing waste

and the presence of other traffic in

of the integration framework and

at the manufacturing stage, to

the vicinity. The scope of optimisation

software quality management. Using

operating the aircraft in a greener

is to find the best way around these

the tool, we then participated in the

manner, to recycling of materials.

complications with minimal impact on

optimisation studies on flights to

The University of Malta (UoM) was

operational cost and the environment.

reduce noise, emissions, and fuel burn.

one of the project partners involved

From a technical perspective, the

from the very beginning, and it

question of optimisation is always the

the UoM, its students, and staff an

worked on the development of an

same: how many of the known factors

excellent opportunity in terms

The Clean Sky experience afforded

Focus

ast year the global fuel bill

of funded, collaborative industrial

then full time academic, Kenneth

computer rarely has the latest

research. Through the project, the

Chircop’s doctoral research studies.

technology, primarily due to safety

University strengthened its established

In his research, Kenneth addressed

and industrial requirements. In fact,

ties with European partners and built

the challenge of fast optimisation

computers on board an aircraft would

new ones. It offered opportunities

to allow trajectories to be altered

be considered obsolete by most. These

for academics and research officers

optimally during flight. Planes are

hardware limitations ‘force’ software

to work in a European collaborative

highly computerised, with a Flight

programs to be relatively simple

environment, which is always exciting

Management System (FMS), managing

from a computational perspective,

and extends our horizons. Clean Sky

the entire flight from take-off to

and this poses a challenge when

has also led to further initiatives,

landing. This system calculates

attempting to perform multi-parameter

diverting the experience we gained

runway distances, climb and descent

trajectory optimisation within FMSs.

in the project to address challenges

profiles, fuel burn, time of flight, and

that are related to the same theme.

so forth. However, its computational

that allows just this—with the

capacity to perform optimisation

calculation of an optimal trajectory in

of trajectories is limited. A plane’s

a complex operational environment

It was Clean Sky that led to Malta

Focus

Air Traffic Services (MATS) CEO,

Kenneth developed a new technique

being executed in only a matter of

led to Kenneth receiving the RTCA’s

used by MATS in their work to

a few minutes. Some ‘thinking out

prestigious William E. Jackson Award.

introduce new and sophisticated

However, the value of trajectory

approach and departure procedures. Under CLEAN FLIGHT, we also

by studying closely the behaviour

optimisation is not restricted to the

of aircraft in complex operational

flight deck. Nor is it complete without

developed a tool to allow air traffic

conditions as if they were free to fly

further consideration of other aircraft

controllers to identify optimal

optimally and unhindered. We then

in the vicinity. Air traffic controllers

trajectories that aircraft can fly along

put in constraints and found that

have a more holistic view of air traffic

the published routes. This tool, again

aircraft tended to adopt strategies

needs, being responsible for separation

built on technology we developed,

for particular conditions to achieve

between aircraft and for routing aircraft

gives the air traffic controller a clear

the most efficient flight path. We

along their way. In this context, it is

picture of how exactly an aircraft

went on to characterise these

important to first establish efficient

will be expected to fly optimally and,

strategies carefully and applied

routing schemes. Our work, funded by

crucially, provides a look into the future

that knowledge to identify how the

the MCST National R&I Programme

to provide confidence that the aircraft

aircraft should fly in any new, given

under the CLEAN FLIGHT project and

will indeed remain clear of all other

environment. This breakthrough

led by Kenneth, saw us developing

traffic as planned. This is a key function

approach allowed us to achieve our

and proposing new routes in and

of value to air traffic controllers as it

target of generating a result that is

out of Malta International Airport

will allow them to confidently issue

just as accurate as the most complex

to allow for lower noise disturbance

aircraft with clearance instructions in

of optimisations within a fraction of

to the local population as well as

excess of thirty minutes in advance,

the time it would normally take and,

less fuel burn and lower emissions.

a practice that is currently difficult

therefore, applicable to FMSs. It also

These proposals have already been

to carry out whenever traffic is

Focus

of the box’ was required. He started

Meet the Team: Dr Ing. Kenneth Chircop, Dr Ing. Brian Zammit, Dr Robert Camilleri, Prof. Ing. David Zammit-Mangion, Dr Jason Gauci, Andrew Spiteri, Kevin Theuma, Matthew Xuereb, Captain Alan Muscat. Photography by Jean Claude Vancell.

expected to converge simultaneously

even more complex operational

there. Aircraft are very efficient

towards a waypoint or airport.

situations. The in-trial operations are

aerodynamically and, perhaps

exciting from a research perspective,

contrary to common belief, struggle to

very promising from an industrial

as we are preparing to put the

descend to earth steeply, even under

perspective and led us to a second

technology into industrial use with real

no power. Since it is more efficient for

project, in which we are preparing to

aircraft, pilots, and air traffic controllers

jet aircraft to fly at high altitude, they

put the technology of CLEAN FLIGHT

in a real air traffic control environment.

are typically flown at the preferred

The results of CLEAN FLIGHT were

into in-trial operation and to extend Focus

the optimisation function to consider

But our efforts in flight management do not stop

cruise altitude, ideally starting descent at the latest moment to just

Aircraft are very efficient aerodynamically and struggle to descend to earth steeply, even under no power.

let the aircraft glide down to the

to recover from a potentially unsafe

the University has, through the

airfield. The descent profile, however,

condition with excessive energy.

Knowledge Transfer Office, taken the

As part of his Ph.D. studies,

necessary steps to protect and exploit

including weather, terrain, traffic,

colleague academic Brian Zammit

the intellectual property generated

and winds, and it is quite possible for

developed a tool that helps pilots

through our activities. We have

several constraints to conspire and

recover from an inadvertent deviation

been granted a patent in the United

result in the aircraft approaching the

from the desired path. It identifies in

States for the invention of the ATC

airfield too high. This poses a safety

three dimensions a new path that the

tool, and our other inventions have

threat, as a continued approach may,

aircraft will need to follow to arrive at

applications pending grant. Our next

in severe cases, result in an unsafe

the final approach point, at the correct

ambition is to continue transferring

landing attempt. Consequently, what

height and speed, and at the right

these and other technologies for use

is called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;energy managementâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is today

time. This, again, involves trajectory

in the industry to further strengthen

considered important in the descent

optimisation and, given the variables

the contribution the University

towards an airfield. So now the focus

and uncertainties of the atmosphere, is

already provides to society, and to

is generally on the development of

technologically challenging to achieve

enjoy the work in the process.

tools that can provide confidence,

with the desired accuracy. Our work

from as early as top of descent, that

has resulted in the development of a

CLEAN FLIGHT was funded by the

the energy state of an aircraft on

software prototype that is still on-going

MCST National R&I Programme

landing will be as desired. We added

to allow us to improve the combination

(MCST project R&I 2001-021).

value to this by working on solving

of accuracy and fast execution speed.

CLEAN FLIGHT II was funded by

the issue of accurately identifying what needs to be done for the pilot

As our contributions to technology have a potential value to industry,

the MCST National R&I Programme (MCST project R&I 2013-025). Focus

depends on several constraints,

The

Future

Cockpit

In the near future, commercial airline pilots will be able to speak and use hand gestures to interact with an aircraft. But there is still a way to go before this technology becomes available. Dr Jason Gauci writes about the research that is being done by the Institute of Aerospace Technologies (University of Malta) to meet these challenges.

n 2016, 3.8 billion people travelled by

challenges associated with conventional cockpits

air, according to estimates from the

is the vast number of controls (such as switches

International Air Transport Association

and buttons) and indicators (such as instruments

(IATA). The figure is expected to nearly

and displays) that are physically separate from

double by 2035. With so many people

each other instead of being integrated. For

airborne, safety cannot be underestimated. Airline pilots are vital in keeping planes safe.

and then check the speed on another display in a

automation, the role of pilots is changing from

different cockpit area. The pilots end up looking

flying the aircraft to managing and supervising

like choreographed hand puppets stretching in

its systems. For this to be effective, pilots need

different directions to access the right controls.

to be aware of how the aircraft is behaving

New cockpit design solutions have been

and monitor what is going on around them,

proposed by leading avionics manufacturers.

a concept called situational awareness.

Most concepts revolve around replacing

increase pilot situational awareness and reduce crew workload. Current cockpits can be made simpler to use and more intuitive. One of the Focus

needs to access a control unit in one cockpit area

But with the continuous increase in aircraft

Improving the cockpit interface is one way to

instance, to change the aircraftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speed, the pilot

conventional displays with multiple large touchscreen displays in front of the pilots. Our team from the Institute of Aerospace Technologies (University of Malta), made up

Focus

Photo taken during one of the TOUCH-FLIGHT evaluation sessions

of myself, Prof. Ing. David Zammit

control, flight management, aircraft

stats (such as temperature and engine

Mangion, Matthew Xuereb, and

systems monitoring, and aircraft

RPM) in the same interface. In a

Kevin Theuma, in collaboration with

performance. The autopilot control

conventional cockpit, pilots generally

QuAero Ltd., have developed a novel

interface allows the pilots to both

monitor systems via an Engine

touchscreen interface concept which

make tactical changes to the aircraft’s

Indicating and Crew Alerting System

we believe has several advantages

flight path and monitor those

(EICAS) display and control them

over competing solutions. This

changes from the same system.

through switches on an overhead

concept was developed as part of the

The pilots could use a keypad or a

panel. TOUCH-FLIGHT’s fourth

avionics TOUCH-FLIGHT project.

speed tape as they adjust to using

interface is dedicated to aircraft

their fingers, an interface that

performance. It allows pilots to view

merges the Flight Control Unit

and adjust various performance

(FCU) and the Primary Flight Display

parameters related to different phases

(PFD) of conventional aircraft.

of flight, from take-off to landing. Our

ONE TOUCHSCREEN TO RULE THEM ALL Current touchscreen cockpit concepts

monitor a plane using four interface

the various kinds of information a pilot

plan. Normally, they modify waypoints

devices on one screen instead of

needs. The TOUCH-FLIGHT concept

along the route or, as in the case of

the many systems current cockpits

instead uses a single touchscreen

a delayed flight, select a different

have, streamlining the process.

to seamlessly meld all tools in one

runway at a destination airport. In our

Having one screen also lets us

place. The device can be placed on

system, the flight plan can be changed

overcome the challenge of using

a table in front of each pilot with

as normal through a keypad or through

touchscreen devices in turbulent

side-sticks. The setup allows pilots

touch by swivelling an on-screen

conditions. This common problem

to comfortably fly the plane, even

representation of the flight plan. Our

was addressed by placing the

in mild turbulence. With this device,

studies have shown that this is much

touchscreen device right in front of

the pilot can monitor and control

more intuitive than the current system

the pilot, where it is easier to grip

any avionic system using touch.

of modifying the flight plan through

the device and touch the screen

buttons on the Control Display

more accurately. However, this

we built a custom prototype in the

Unit (CDU) and viewing changes

solution is not sufficient, and our

Engineering Building on campus. The

on the Navigation Display (ND).

team is currently working on ways

prototype touch-screen interface focuses on four key areas: autopilot Focus

system allows pilots to control and

interface to adjust a plane’s flight

To show that the concept works,

Pilots use the flight management

use multiple touchscreens to access

The aircraft systems monitoring interface integrates a plane’s vital

to interact with the cockpit without the need to physically touch it.

The aircraft systems monitoring interface integrates a planeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vital stats (such as temperature and engine RPM) in the same interface.

THE REAL DEAL We tested the above cockpit on

great for normal plane flights, being intuitive and easy to use. The pilots finding the system

ten commercial airline pilots. We

intuitive and useful was a key

wanted to see how they reacted

challenge we wanted to overcome.

and whether they enjoyed using

This was the reason we teamed up

our system. The pilots virtually flew

with QuAero Ltd., who brought in

from Malta to Rome with issues

the commercial pilots we tested the

arising to test all of the functions

prototype on. We involved these

of the touchscreen interface.

pilots throughout the research project

Six of these pilots saw a clear

from developing the concept to

benefit of the touchscreen idea,

testing the product. This proved to be

with the other pilots finding

particularly useful when defining the

TOUCH-FLIGHT equally good.

requirements of the project and when

Considering that new technologies

testing out some early design ideas

need time and effort to get used

for the interface. By having QuAero

to, we saw this as an important

directly involved in the project, we

success. All pilots thought it was

could get quick feedback

Focus

Meet the Team: Prof. Ing. David Zammit Mangion (Director, Institute of Aerospace Technologies, UoM) , Dr Jason Gauci (Lecturer, Institute of Aerospace Technologies, UoM) , Mr. Matthew Xuereb (Research Officer, Institute of Aerospace Technologies, UoM), Mr. Kevin Theuma (Research Officer, Institute of Aerospace Technologies, UoM), Captain Alan Muscat (Director, QuAero Ltd), Captain Karl Falzon (Director, QuAero Ltd.) Other Researchers: Mr. Mateusz Jedruszek, Ms. Nathalie Cauchi. Photo by Jean Claude Vancell

on our designs and make alterations

at the University of Malta to

navigate through multiple menus on a

as necessary. This was essential,

commercialise the technology,

touchscreen display could be executed

as multiple design iterations were

all the while implementing the

with a single voice command.

required before the interface was

feedback we got from pilots to make

Furthermore, the use of voice

sufficiently mature for pilots to like it.

TOUCH-FLIGHT even better.

commands can overcome turbulence issues described previously.

Despite involving the pilots from the start, however, a psychological challenge reared its head. Convincing

Focus

Touchscreen and voice recognition technologies will inevitably become

some pilots of the benefits of using

The TOUCH-FLIGHT project is

part of the cockpit. The advances

touchscreen technology was, and

now being taken to the next level:

being made cannot be stopped. Pilots

still is, an issue. Experienced pilots

TOUCH-FLIGHT 2. This project

can look forward to the challenge of

were the toughest to convince, with

adds voice recognition technology

‘reprogramming’ themselves. No more

the main issues being discomfort

to the touchscreen interface,

waving hands all over the cockpit,

with the technology and safety

allowing pilots some redundancy for

a simple touch will be enough.

concerns—why fix something that is

which systems they prefer using. The TOUCH-FLIGHT R&I project

not broken? As expected, younger

The use of voice recognition in

pilots pick this technology up very

the cockpit has several potential

was financed by the Malta Council

rapidly. Pilot training will be key to

benefits. For instance, since pilots do

for Science and Technology

implementing touchscreen technology.

not need to use their hands or look

through the National Research and

at a particular display to interact with

Innovation Programme 2012 (Grant

FLIGHT has been protected by a

a particular system, they can focus

Agreement R&I-2012-065); TOUCH

number of international patents

on other tasks and spend more time

FLIGHT 2 is being financed by the

and we are now working with

with their heads up. Also, certain

FUSION R&I programme (Grant

the Knowledge Transfer Office

tasks which would require the pilot to

Agreement R&I-2015-015-V).

The concept developed in TOUCH-

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT

THE

POLITICS DISSENT OF

Some look at the state of global politics and say the world has gone crazy. But dissatisfaction with the status quo has long been brewing. Dr George Vital Zammit tells us how and why it happened.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Look out for those who still want to hang on Look out for those who live in the past Get out and listen to the whisper Because the times are changing fastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Feature

Mike and the Mechanics, Word of Mouth (1991)

ewind to July 2013.

proposals, not only step

Newly appointed Pope

forward to rattle the boat,

Francis is visiting the

but actually manage to win

most populous Catholic

elections. The implications

nation in the Americas,

of such wins require

Brazil. Millions greet him, as

deeper thinking. We have

expected. His security is ample, as

seen a rush to relegate such wins as the ‘new

expected. But the visit is tarnished by

malaise’ or the ‘new wave of

protesters who perceive the spending

populism’ in modern democracies.

to be excessive. A year later, Brazil is knee-deep in preparations for the

witnessing an uprising against the

And while this assessment may be

2014 World Cup it is set to host. At

political norm. Leaders who do

right, in a sense, I argue that it is

the same time reports about ‘the high

not represent the conventional

superficial. At best, it is a flawed

cost of the stadiums, corruption, police

power structures have become

understanding of a ‘post-liberal’ world.

brutality, and evictions’ abound.

more palatable with the electorate.

These two key occasions in Brazil’s history were characterised by anger

This is the ‘globalisation of rage.’ We are living in an age where

The theme of my argument is the politics of dissent: a state of conflict, intellectual and physical, individual,

and discontent. But such episodes

controversial candidates, at times

or in a group. Dissent, rather than

are neither irregular nor isolated.

with huge credibility gaps in their

a disruption of a state of order, can

Masses are moved by actions that

be considered a catalyst of change,

undermine their well-being and will

an awakening against conformity,

organise themselves to voice their

a protest against convention. Once

disagreement. Many recent examples

this is contextualised, the world

could be taken. From the protests in

around us makes more sense.

Venezuela against the Maduro regime, to the Women’s March on the morrow

BREAKING THINGS DOWN

Feature

of President Trump’s inauguration, to

the populist sentiments in Europe that

Lenin’s premise was that ‘politics

threaten the EU. There is no indication

begin where the masses are.’

that the curtain on public discontent

This notion of politics skews the

will be closed any time soon.

attention of politics away from the

The expression of change

individual and towards a collective

and desire for social justice can

representation of society. Various

take various formats, from the

political thinkers have contributed to

ballot to the bullet. We are now

the debate, offering conflicting views. Dr George Vital Zammit. Photography by Tufigno.com

Dissent CAUSE

Discontent

Social fractures

Ac on

Cogni ve libera on

Organised rebellion

EFFECT

Change/uproot poli cal system

Collec ve iden ty

A suggested framework

dangerous feelings of aggression and

that ‘too many countries (in the EU)

of nations and the birth of their

resentment against the social order

are not doing what was promised—

institutional architecture was subject

arise.’ Whereas we expect democracy

implementing reform.’ Why are we

to important political debates. As the

to be a political system that produces

then so surprised that different

dust settled, less attention has been

equitable and fair governments,

segments of European populations

devoted to the relevance of these

we are also witnessing a number of

are protesting against the EU?

structures. Some scholars argued

political processes where democracy is

that revolutions enjoy a ‘marginal

considered the ‘culprit’ of unfavourable

most significant historical development

existence’ in international relations

outcomes—take Brexit and the

after the Second World War. It has kept

literature, a vacuum now mitigated

election of Donald Trump for instance

the peace throughout the continent,

by a plethora of reflections on how

(see schematic above). However,

albeit not without turmoil, and opened

phenomena like the Arab Spring or the

dismantling an accepted convention

an era of neoliberal institutionalism,

Euromaidan revolution (also referred

like democracy comes with a number

that is, the functioning of ‘institutional

to as the Revolution of Dignity)

of perils. Is there an alternative? The

machinery to facilitate cooperation

inferred on the international system.

answer is no, even when it gives us

among members in the security,

its fair share of disappointments.

economic, social, or related fields.’

To understand resistance is to

The EU has undeniably been the

understand the exchange of power.

What we are witnessing now is an

Society remains ‘the expression

increase in the disenfranchisement

of power relations.’ According to

of the EU and what it represents.

Michel Foucault, the problem with

My belief is that the antidote is not

contemporary notions of democracy

more, but less Europe. An increasingly

is that power now appears kind when

federal model (a United States of

it is not, whereas in the past, power was cruel, encouraging rebellion by the masses. This reflection still holds. However, it is also true that while revolutions can be subtle, as in the case of Brexit, protests can now take both

We are now witnessing an uprising against the political norm.

Europe), is more likely to increase resentment and discontent. In her essay On Violence, Hannah Arendt treats bureaucracy as an alienating variable in the nation state. She describes it as ‘an intricate system […] in which no man, neither one

a physical dimension (in public spaces)

UNDERSTANDING RAGE

nor the best, neither the few nor the

People react when they perceive that

which could be properly called rule

According to the American political

their dignity is being breached. During

by Nobody.’ If we shift this accusation

scientist Jack Goldstone, ‘when

his intervention in the Davos Summit

to the EU, we are left with a gigantic

one expects a better life, and

of the World Economic Forum, Dutch

bureaucratic structure, with which

those expectations are frustrated,

Prime Minister Mark Rutte claimed

people cannot easily identify.

and a virtual dimension where people converge online to perpetuate dissent. Society resents domination.

many, can be held responsible, and

Feature

The tumultuous foundation

Moreover, the notion that the EU is a gravy train has gained currency in recent years. In 2016 a multi-nation survey from Pew Research Center showed that Euroscepticism is on the rise across Europe. Sociologist Anthony Giddens argued that the EU is a ‘functionalist enterprise, driven by results rather than affection, let alone passion.’ It will either ‘move closer to its citizens [...] or it will not survive in recognisable form at all.’ But, wait. Not all is lost. According to Joonas Leppänen, dissent is ‘positive and constructive for many reasons: it fosters democratic citizenship, it aims to remove injustices, and it may improve the institutional framework and strengthens participatory parity in society.’ The view here is that dissent should be welcomed, rather than disdained. Political leaders need to heed signals where possible, avoiding

Views of EU

blackmail if key values are challenged.

SOLUTIONS? In her recent work Agonistics, Chantal Mouffe posits that the search for consensus ‘and the hope for a perfectly reconciled and harmonious society’ is futile. Thinking can never be homogenised, and a pluralist society can never ascribe to a hegemonic political platform. What Mouffe postulates is that the wave of protests ‘should be seen as reactions to the lack of agonistic politics in liberal democracies’ calling for ‘a radicalisation, not a rejection, of liberal democratic institutions.’ The paradox today is that we have

Unfavourable Poland

Favourable

22%

Hungary

37%

Italy

39%

22% 61% 58%

Sweden

44%

Netherlands

46%

51%

Germany

48%

50%

Spain

49%

47%

48%

44%

France Greece

61% 71%

54%

38% 27%

more tools to communicate, yet less

Feature

predisposition to listen to each other.

More tolerance to diverse views and

Source: Spring 2016 Global Attitudes Survey. Q10c.

transparent political processes will

blind partisanship, would be able to

has succeeded in widening reach,

only make democracies stronger.

deliver much more. The political space

but often it narrows the grasp of the

is often ‘hijacked’ by mainstream

very message it intends to convey.

of dignity. We live in an age where

political parties allowing little space

Connectivity has been drastically

the state (and its people) is at the

for experimentation of new ideas. As

enhanced, but so has alienation and

service of the economy, and not

political scientist Andrew Heywood

detachment. The political reality of

vice-versa. This course needs to be

reminds us, ‘no tradition possesses

today gives more prominence to form

abandoned if we truly believe in

a monopoly of political wisdom.’

than to content, leaving our systems

The next step would be an injection

sustainable well-being. When the

We live in a reality where policies

of government weaker and unable

status quo becomes incomprehensible

are articulated (tweeted) in 140

to think and plan for the future.

to fathom, unbearable to withstand,

characters. Such communication

The adage ‘the future is now’ has

social disorder is inevitable. The

no place in politics. Past-present-

January Oxfam Briefing Paper An

future are separate compartments,

Economy for the 99% estimates that

connected, but not interchangeable.

just eight men own the same wealth as the poorest half of the world. The unrestrained race to enrichment has made globalisation a multiplier of inequalities rather than a means for development and well-being. Global politics professor Barry Gills argues that ‘the death of polities, via the death of our ideals [...] is the inevitable outcome of a process wherein capital and the market alone determine the restructuring of economic, political, and cultural life, making all other alternative values or

The paradox today is that we have more tools to communicate, yet less predisposition to listen to each other.

Politics is to remain a vehicle for social justice. Whenever dissent leads to seismic changes, we are never fully prepared for its ramifications. As Goldstone claimed, revolutions are like earthquakes, when one occurs, we try to make sense of it and why it happened. But when the next one happens, will we still be caught by surprise?  /politicsofdissent  george.v.zammit@um.edu.mt

institutions increasingly redundant.’

DEPOLITICISING POLITICS

FURTHER READING

Unless society is allowed to foster a truly democratic environment,

•

spectrum will find more fertile ground.

• • •

of Social Science, University of Helsinki, Finland.

Action, German sociologist Jurgen sphere of modern society does not

Leppänen, J. (2016), “A Political Theory of Dissent: Dissent at the Core of Radical Democracy”, Dissertation submitted at the Faculty

ideas. In The Theory of Communicative Habermas argues that ‘the public

Giddens, A (2014), Turbulent and Mighty Continent—What future for Europe?, Polity, pp. 4-5

of democracies yet their reach often suffocates the free exchange of

Arendt, H. (1972), Crises of the Republic, Harcourt Brace & Company, p. 137

Political parties (and their influence) play a crucial role in the functioning

Pankaj Mishra, ‘The Globalisation of Rage—Why today’s Extremism looks familiar’ in Foreign Affairs Magazine, 95(6), pp. 46-54

extreme views on the ideological

•

Heywood, A (2015), Political Theory—An Introduction, 4th ed., Palgrave, p. 4

Politics, if divested of excessive and

Feature

allow a genuine democratic debate.’

Feature

Tourism has long been an integral part of the Maltese economy. But a big dose of change is sorely needed if weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re to keep the money coming in without selling our souls in the process. Julian Christopher Zarb explains why.

hat does tourism

This comes despite the threats

mean to you?

of terrorism, natural cataclysms,

To many, the

and economic recession. Closer to

word conjures

home, the kind of tourist visiting our

images of

island has changed. Between 1925

idyllic beaches, fascinating historical

and 1939 the wintertime tourist

excursions, or even a long overdue

dominated Malta, seeking discovery

opportunity for retail therapy. But

and adventure. The post-war boom

what does tourism mean to the

years, between 1958 and 1987, saw

communities being visited? Are we

leisure markets maximising on tourist

aware of the effects it has on them?

arrivals. Now the Maltese Islands find

For the past six years, I (Julian Christopher Zarb) have been

themselves in the modern period, where tourists are more prolific during

developing a workable and effective process for implementing a tourism policy for the Maltese Islands. The biggest issues that could delay, or even scuttle, such a project are: commitment, shorttermism, and the commoditisation of the tourism experience.

TOURISM: THE BRIEFEST OF HISTORIES Tourism has developed greatly over the past few centuries. It is no longer an activity reserved to the elite. In 2015 traveller totals reached 1.18 billion globally, a rise of 52 million from the previous year. Of those, more than half (53%) travelled for leisure purposes.

The local community, the politicians, and the businesspeople need to work together, [...] to foster this sense of responsibility in our tourism industry.

summer months and the culture of

Malta and Gozo’s population density

in front of the communities—the

is one of the highest in Europe. In

employment opportunities—is not

summer tourism can become invasive

quite as fresh and enticing as it once

against absolute numbers, a kind of

to the local lifestyle and character.

was given that many of the jobs in

short-term analysis that has many

Major examples are areas like Sliema

hospitality and tourism are being

shortcomings. Principal stakeholders—

and Bugibba. The ‘carrot’ many

taken up by non-residents. So, given

politicians and business people—need

business people and politicians dangle

these challenges, how can we make

leisure packages is deeply entrenched. Today tourism success is pegged

practically instant, tangible returns on investment, a modus operando that is simply unsustainable.

tourism work for the Maltese Islands? Collaboration between stakeholders is key to answer this question. The local community, politicians, and business people need to work together, pooling their individual expertise and resources to foster this sense of responsibility in our tourism industry. And this cannot be a reactive strategy, a result of market forces or legal requirements. It has to be a move that is understood to be the way Malta avoids that commoditisation and development which reduces the very character and uniqueness which attracted tourists at the outset.

A QUALITATIVE CONCEPT FOR TOURISM The business community and local authorities have at times strong-armed the local community when taking decisions in the tourism industry. This is detrimental for many reasons. The most obvious is that the community includes those people who truly create that diverse experience for the visitor through hospitality and service. Hospitality and service are two

Feature

of the most basic qualitative factors

in the tourism industry. Today the

Marketing is the final issue.

terms are used rather mechanically

here is to build strong synergies

instead of referring to genuine

based on trust and honesty

Cutting into the market share of any

human interaction. Policymakers

between all stakeholders and to

established tourism industry means

who are serious about implementing

maximise those skills which each

looking for that potential client

sustainable tourism have to place

group or organisation can provide

who wants to be at a destination

those elements in focus. One practical

the project or initiative with.

rather than the one who happens

example of sustainable tourism is

The short-term strategic approach

to be there. The challenge here is

community-based tourism. This form

discussed previously brings with it

to persuade practitioners that new

of tourism could work worldwide

the second problemâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;stakeholder

and diverse experiences can offer a

for all stakeholders including local

fatigue. Any project or initiative

broader perspective of a destination

communities and was developed

that is undertaken needs to happen

and reduce the uncertainties of

over thirty years ago as a method for

within a specific timeframe and

the mainstream markets. This also,

making the activity more responsible

produce an outcome with little

however, feeds into the first issue

and beneficial to the host community.

flexibility, leaving stakeholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

of financial resources. Malta would

hands tied when new, potentially

need to rebrand to attract a different

unproven opportunities come along.

kind of touristâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not cheap.

Community-based tourism is challenging to implement. Financial resources are a common barrier. However, human resources need to

The solution here is to build strong synergies based on trust and honesty between all stakeholders and to maximise those skills which each group or organisation can provide the project or initiative with.

Feature

be bolstered as well. The solution

The next stage consists of the

LOOKING TO COMMUNITIES

development of itineraries and maps together with local councils, local

marketing for the itineraries and

The research project to develop

businesses, and the local community.

maps. Online and social media are key,

community-based tours, which is

These itineraries list those places

as well as up-to-date, informative,

being spearheaded by the Institute

of interest in any locality (town or

and attractive printed material.

for Travel, Tourism, and Culture and

village) that have socio-cultural value

This stage also involves meetings

The Malta Tourism Society at the

as well as a living history. These

with the industry stakeholders,

University of Malta, will provide the

itineraries serve as a guide for visitors

including incoming travel agents

basis for developing a strategy or

who would like to learn more about

and hoteliers. It is vital that a close,

policy document on the Introduction

the locality but are also a vehicle

collaborative, and continuous

of Community-Based Tourism for the

through which the local community

relationship is established between

Maltese Islands and may even serve

can develop a sense of awareness

all the stakeholders at this point.

as a template for other destinations.

and belonging, a vital element in

The project has been developed

the creation of a sustainable and

development of community-based

authentic visitor experience.

tours, activities where the visitor

in five stages. We started with the

The third stage involves the

has the opportunity to meet the locals rather than simply look at

Feature

Implementing this programme will require a shift in perspective, a change in the way we look at tourists and tourism as well as Maltese citizensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; roles within that transaction.

the places they inhabit. This whole process will mirror the development of the itineraries and maps, turning it into a collaborative effort that meets the needs of all involved. At the next stage, the communitybased tour will undergo a marketing process that is unique. Rather than

looking at promoting this tour for

a change in the way we look at

All we have to do is work

groups, it should offer an opportunity

tourists and tourism as well as

together. Not too hard, right?

for one-to-one personalised hospitality

Maltese citizensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; roles within that

and service. Besides an online presence,

transaction. This shift is a challenge.

For the past six years academic

there also need to be hospitality

Financial means are another

Julian Christopher Zarb (Institute

meetings with potential visitors who

hurdle as are the differing aims of

for Travel, Tourism, and Culture,

prefer this more individual experience.

organisations. However, consistent

University of Malta) has been

and continuous commitment by all the

working on a research project

continuous study to monitor the

key stakeholders through dialogue,

to promulgate the concept of

progress of the community-based

trust, and synergy combined with

community-based tourism on

tour and itineraries. The monitoring

rigorous planning and implementation

the islands. He has collaborated

should be used to tweak and

of a long-term plan that satisfies the

with local councils, communities,

perfect the original project.

needs of all involved is the only way

NGOs, and industry practitioners.

towards an integrated, holistic, and

All are invited to participate. More

TOURISM THAT WORKS

inclusive tourism strategy. It needs

information about the project

to be sustainable and responsible

can be found on the Facebook

Implementing this programme

to offer the quality destination

page: DiscoveringMaltaGozo or

will require a shift in perspective,

the Maltese Islands deserve.

by calling +356 9916 7805.

The final stage consists of a

am Language Studio Wants You!

DO YOU WANT TO EARN EXTRA CASH NEXT SUMMER? DO YOU LIKE WORKING WITH FOREIGN STUDENTS? DO YOU HAVE AN OUTGOING PERSONALITY? ARE YOU BETWEEN 17 AND 24 YEARS OF AGE? IF YOU HAVE ANSWERED YES TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS, AND POSSESS THE FOLLOWING ATTRIBUTES: 1. A strong command of spoken English 2. Are smart in appearance 3. Are responsible and mature 4. Possess problem solving skills 5. Have a sound knowledge of Malta and its history 6. Knowledge about Sliema and the surrounding areas 7. Possess a pleasant personality 8. Ability to work ďŹ&#x201A;exible hours as needed 9. Are motivated to work on your own initiative Please send your CV and covering letter to: The Leisure Manager, am language Studio, 299, Manwel Dimech Str., Sliema SLM 1054 or email to leisure@amlanguage.com

START-UP

Start-up

There was once a group of sharp young teens looking for some fun. But all the games they toiled to purchase had a plethora of plot holes and problems. They joined forces and gave themselves one mission: to make the best game in the history of games! They called themselves Mighty Boxâ&#x20AC;Ś and this is their story. Words by Cassi Camilleri.

reason. And the Mighty Box guys

to pursue further study, reading for a

Casha, Fabrizio

tick a fair number of those boxes.

PhD in Games Design at the University

Calì, Prof. Gordon

‘We’ve been into board games since

of Copenhagen. It was with Calleja’s

Calleja, and Thom

we were young,’ says Zammit with

return to Malta and a very interesting

Cuschieri—these

a smile, ‘We had a board game club:

proposal, that those fateful embers

are the men behind the Kickstarter

The Guild. It’s where Mark, Gordon,

sparked and things took a turn.

success story that is Mighty Box. What

and I met over twenty years ago’.

began as a humble startup’s attempt

Rift, Cyberpunk 2020, anything with

to raise $25,000 and print 1,000

the Generic Universal RolePlaying

copies of a little post-apoc game called

system, they played them all to

Calleja returned from Denmark

Posthuman ended up snowballing

tatters. Natural progression would

as a professor and founder of the

into a nationwide phenomenon that

see them build their own systems

Institute of Digital Games, full of

travelled well beyond home shores.

‘to make up for shortcomings in the

ideas. The old team came together

The project has amassed a whopping

games [they] bought,’ adds Casha.

again with the aim of making a

pot of around $350,000, resulting in over 8,000 copies sold (and counting). Now, Mighty Box is reaping the rewards of virality, with a captive audience eagerly awaiting their

The kindling of what was to come were clearly glowing

SOLID FOUNDATIONS

game. Brainstorming ensued. ‘We came up with a lot of ideas,

early on. But the road to Mighty

but we couldn’t agree on any one,’

Box was long and winding.

reveals Casha, ‘We were trying to find

Following their respective times

a project to use as a testing ground,

next release. The challenges that

at the University of Malta (UoM)

to see if we could work together.

stemmed from the hype around

the three took very different paths.

We didn’t want to go for something

Posthuman have become lessons

Zammit’s physics background led

too serious. Then a friend of ours

learnt. But let’s not rush ahead.

him to Methode, where he led an

applied for the Malta Arts Fund.’ That

Let’s start from the beginning.

engineering team. Casha went on

friend was Steffi deGiorgio and the

to become a lecturer in Visual Arts

project was Will love tear us apart?

YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBOURHOOD GAME GEEKS The title of ‘game designer’ comes with a series of stereotypes attached. They are the guys who continue to play Dungeons & Dragons way beyond the intended age bracket. These are the guys who laugh in the face of ‘reasonable’ gaming hours per week; the guys who post those extravagant game conference hauls on Instagram. It’s a stereotype. But it exists for a

at the Faculty for Built Environment (UoM). Meanwhile, Calleja left Malta

Will love tear us apart? was Calleja’s brainchild. His idea was to adapt the

On Will love tear us apart?: ‘Some hard core fans were upset about it. Some called it ‘the most depressing game ever’. Considering the subject matter though, we took it as a compliment.’ Mark Casha

Start-up

arvin Zammit, Mark

legendary Joy Division track into a game that would elicit the same feelings.

A couple of award nominations

The team pushed on, trying with

later, and the team was meeting labels

all their might to tie up the project

and 3D modeller, and Cuschieri as

to create the next game inspired by

but it wasn’t quite working. ‘We

composer and sound designer. What

music. This is where Mighty Box truly

stopped because it wasn’t the thing

they ended up with was a haunting art

began. ‘We were still working on

we wanted to do,’ says Casha. What

piece about love and the devastating

separate jobs at the time so we met

they wanted to do was Posthuman.

loss it can leave behind when it ends.

at weekends, eating expired food, and hashing things out,’ Zammit recalls,

THE BIG BOY

Casha. ‘PC Gamer, Rolling Stone, even

laughing. ‘We were trying to find our

Joy Division endorsed the game.

feet at that stage. We spent a full six

Posthuman was originally

They shared it on their page.’ The

months sending out proposals, trying

conceptualised as a digital game. The

best compliments they received were

to get a foot in the industry. But it

idea was more akin to Posthuman:

from players describing it as ‘the most

soon became clear that it wasn’t going

Sanctuary. But the team’s attempts

depressing gaming experience ever.’

to work. Projects kept dropping and

to fund the game were fraught with

Of course, there were naysayers,

we were just burning money coming

scepticism. It was considered ‘too

admits Zammit, but that was to be

up with ideas for other people.’ They

ambitious to produce in a year (the time

expected. ‘Some hardcore fans were

needed to focus on themselves

span afforded for project development),’

upset about it, telling us that the song

and what they wanted to do.

recalls Zammit. ‘In hindsight, they

We started building our own systems ‘to make up for shortcomings in the games we bought.’

Start-up

was never to see the light of day.

Casha brought in Calì as illustrator

‘The press snapped it up,’ notes

was sacred and shouldn’t be touched.’

Granarchy gameplay scenarios by Mighty Box

Granarchy was the next project

were probably right,’ admits Casha.

they sank their teeth into. A mobile

The team took the rejection of

platformer, the player is in control of

their digital game and embraced it.

a granny chasing kids across roofs,

They took a step back and squeezed

avoiding all sorts of BBQ paraphernalia

out what they could for the next step

Maltese people tend to keep on

forward—the Posthuman board game.

their roofs. They used this game as a

At that point, artwork for the digital

platform for more funding; cue Invex

game was already being produced,

and Malta Enterprise. It was at this

so it was also a case of keeping the

point that Mighty Box got its first

same team and reusing resources. ‘We

two full-timers. Zammit and Calì quit

also thought [a board game] could be

their previous jobs in a do-or-die

a marketing stunt that could bring

moment. Unfortunately, Granarchy

people in on the Posthuman world’ and

Stills from the game Will Love Tear Us Apart? by Mighty Box

later. With that decision, they acquired

ISSUES

the shipping would be more expensive. And we didn’t want to do that.’ Most surprisingly, the game’s viral

the Malta Digital Games Fund, and

‘Posthuman was not a perfect game’,

everything began falling into place.

Zammit candidly notes. Development

status was also a problem. ‘We were

was mired with artist issues and having

reacting to the kickstarter day by

Posthuman started coming together.

to find new people to replace others,

day. People were burning through

However, more money was needed

slowing things down significantly.

the stretch goals like crazy, and we

to find the right market. Kickstarter

However, the team also admits that

needed to create more all the time,’

and the US beckoned. But for this, an

there are plenty of things they would

says Casha. ‘We should have charged

American account had to be acquired.

have done differently in hindsight.

more for the expansion. But those were

Work progressed well, and

Partnering with Mr B Games allowed

Casha calls out the high ratio of

all knee jerk reactions,’ he continues. There are no hard feelings, of course.

Mighty Box to launch Posthuman

text in the game right off the bat as a

on Kickstarter, a move that would

mistake that they will not be repeating.

Posthuman has given Mighty Box a

see the game gaining major traction

The time it took to proof all the text and

solid foundation upon which to build.

among board game fans the world

ensure that they had all the terminology

But lessons have indeed been learnt,

over. Mr B ended up managing the

correct was unprecedented. The size

and the team has kept them all up their

Kickstarter campaign with the team

of the box was also an issue. ‘The box

sleeves for when they need them.

and took over the responsibility of

was too small for shops,’ says Zammit.

shipping and handling the game.

‘People will pay more for a bigger

In December 2015 Posthuman

box. There’s a certain size that goes

THE ROAD AHEAD

started its journey to people’s

with a price range,’ he explains, ‘but

The journey towards Mighty Box may

homes, and the rest was history!

having a bigger box also meant that

have been long and winding, but

Start-up

allow them to make the digital game

Start-up

All images: Posthuman board game by Mighty Box

with all the experience under their

support from Arts Council Malta.

‘We need to set up structures that

belts, things have never been better.

This game comes with a twist

allow local companies to grow,’

The team’s next project, Vengeance,

thanks to an added dimension

Zammit notes. At the moment,

another board game designed by

and a level editor that players can

current regulations such as tax breaks

Calleja, was shown huge support

use to create their own levels and

favour foreign companies, Casha

on its own Kickstarter campaign

share them with other players.

adds. ‘What we want is to benefit from the same benefits,’ he says.

and will begin making its way into

There is no doubt that this team

homes in July of this year. But that

is going for the long haul. With that

is not the only project they have in

future in mind, they look forward

a little piece of advice, ‘know

the works. The 2D puzzle platformer

to changes being made in the local

what you want to achieve.’ Casha

Just Another Recon Mission has just

games industry: further legislation

smiles knowingly, then adds,

started development, thanks to

is needed to regularise the industry.

‘and stick to your guns.’

Zammit finishes things off with

Owning what we do RIDT

homas Huxley wrote, ‘The

Dr Gatt is convinced that the quality of what

medieval university looked

lecturers impart to their students depends on the

backwards; it professed to be a

extent to which they actively engage with their

storehouse of old knowledge.

chosen subject(s). ‘Our university is going through an

The modern university looks

interesting and exciting phase. It seems to me that

forward, and is a factory of new knowledge.’

research endeavours are being given greater priority

Research is undisputably an essential part

than they used to. But such endeavours cost money.

of any modern university. But research costs

While I certainly believe the state has a duty to invest

money. In Malta, this work is funded by the

in such activities, the current level of investment is

government, EU, private companies, as well

clearly insufficient. Perhaps this is simply a question

as communities all over the island. However,

of time: policy will eventually “catch up” with the

for those who want to play a part in building

culture change that has gradually been taking root in

the future of this country, the Research Trust

academia. Be that as it may, we cannot afford to wait’.

(RIDT) of the University of Malta (UoM) set up the Staff Contribution Scheme. Launched in January 2015, the scheme has

The RIDT plays a crucial enabling role in this respect. Its fundraising activities are based on the notion that research funding is a long-term

succeeded in persuading university staff to donate

investment by different players, be they social

and, in so doing, finance valid, ongoing projects.

or industrial partners. Dr Gatt iterates that,

Senior lecturer at the Institute of Linguistics,

in his view, the Staff Contribution Scheme is

Dr Albert Gatt, is enrolled in this scheme. On

another solid step in this direction. ‘Where our

the matter of research and contribution, he

research is concerned, we are all stakeholders

said, ‘I view research as an academic’s primary

and, the scheme is ultimately about “owning”

activity. Of course, this isn’t the only thing

what we do. This is why I support it’.

an integral part of the job, but research is the

The scheme is accessible to all UoM staff

fundamental property that distinguishes a

members online: http://researchtrustmalta.

university from, say, a training college or a school.’

eu/university-staff-contribution-scheme

Research

we do. Teaching and administrative duties are

Lab to Life

LAB TO LIFE

LOOK UPâ&#x2020;&#x2018; Iman Omar & Cassian Camilleri

arth is just one planet in a solar system that wanders around a galaxy. Each

seen using visible light by optical telescopes. The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project is

galaxy is unique in its own right, each

the largest project planned for the 21st century.

composed of its special ration of dust,

It will see thousands of radio telescopes built

gas, and endless stars. What unites

in South Africa and Australia. It will enable

them all is the mysterious dark sky that they float

unparalleled insights into the Universe. The

in: the Universe.

project is an international effort to build the

A constantly growing expanse of space and

world’s largest multi radio telescope that will

time, the Universe’s attractive gravitational force

have a total collecting area of approximately

is currently decreasing while its repulsive force

one million square metres. SKA’s developers are

is increasing. This repulsive force is referred to

building a system that would operate over a wide

as dark energy. It is pushing galaxies apart at an

range of frequencies, and its size would make

increasing rate, bringing up a flurry of questions.

it 50 times more sensitive than any other radio

Why is this happening? How does dark energy

instrument. It is set to be able to take images

work? What is the role of magnetism?

of the sky at up to 10,000 times the speed of

To answer these questions and more requires

current survey radio telescopes.

the right tools. Improvements in instrumentation up until now have enabled astronomers to unveil many mysteries, not only in the visible region of our Universe where human eyes are sensitive to electromagnetic waves, but also beyond. This is done through various means. Optical telescopes, such as the famous Hubble Space Telescope, detect the intensity of incoming radiation in the optical band of the spectrum. Fundamentally, all celestial objects emit electromagnetic radiation, among them radio waves. The observation of cosmic objects in these radio frequencies is defined as radio astronomy. Because radio waves penetrate dust, scientists utilise radio astronomy techniques to explore undetectable areas of space which cannot be

The project is an international effort to build the world’s largest multi radio telescope that will have a total collecting area of approximately one million square metres.

The University of Malta’s (UoM) contribution to the

version of the array (funded by the Technology

Space Sciences and Astronomy (ISSA). ISSA Founder

Development Programme of the Malta Council for

Prof. Kristian Zarb Adami, Faculty of Science Dean Prof.

Science and Technology and Malta Communications

Charles Sammut, and Iman Farhat are developing an

Authority). The Malta array demonstrator is an

antenna which can be printed like a newspaper and can

implementation of two antenna arrays. Each array

be rolled out like a carpet.

consists of 5,000 elements covering an area of

Unlike conventional antennas which are designed

100 m2. The main aim of this is to test the array in

to work optimally at one frequency, the engineering

an environment close to its real world conditions.

prototype developed at the UoM can sense a large range

The characterisation of the antenna array radiation

of frequencies and is capable of running applications

pattern is being investigated using a far-field flying

such as TV, wireless, Bluetooth, and near-field

source. The system makes use of drones equipped

communications. This was also important because ISSA

with a transmitter and a dipole antenna that

researchers are trying to detect the first atoms and

communicates with the array on test. The team is

molecules that were formed at the earliest stages of the

now working on this antenna to ensure a seamless

Universe. This antenna is also intended to serve as a cost-

performance.

effective element to cover remote locations for SKA. The SKA project is scheduled to be built in phases,

SKA is a behemoth of a project, involving about 100 organisations across 20 countries. With it,

starting in 2018 and finishing in 2024. Even before

scientists and researchers all over the world will

the SKA is online, several thousand combined radio

be able to conduct transformational science in

telescopes will be collecting and processing data

astronomical observation, breaking new ground with

equivalent to 100 times today’s global internet traffic

every step and redefining our understanding of space

per [unit of time].

as we know it.

The first small scale prototype antenna ISSA built

ISSA has now embarked on building a large-scale

SKA project is being spearheaded by the Institute of

Key goals include challenging Albert Einstein’s

had 256 elements and met SKA’s application and

theory of relativity to have a closer look at how the

requirements. This was immensely motivating, especially

very first stars and galaxies formed moments after

when considering the high standards of this world-

the Big Bang. It could also potentially provide an

wide consortium. The initial success drove home the

answer to one of the greatest mysteries known to

possibility of further in-depth studies.

humankind—are we alone in the Universe?

Mnarja Band Club (MBC) (Nadur, Gozo). Photography by Sean Mallia

Setting A the stage

sk any practitioner of the performing arts in Malta what their biggest cross to bear is, and a veritable list comes pouring out like burning lava. However, once you plough

through the expected maladies that plague every small art scene—limited audiences, limited sources of funding available, unctuous reviews—in Malta, you’ll always arrive at this: a lack of viable spaces for productions and rehearsals. Finding the right location for their next

performance is a constant headache for producers. Popular venues are booked months and months in advance, leaving them wracking their brains to source a decent space. But is this truly happening because of a lack of spaces for this burgeoning arts theatrical spaces that people do not know about? This is not to say that the producer is to blame. Many of the spaces in Malta are almost completely undocumented and undiscoverable unless you, in typically Maltese fashion, ‘know a guy’. And while local production companies may be able to find a

Culture

The Valletta 2018 Foundation in collaboration with Arts Council Malta

scene of ours? Or is it that there are many more

THEAT way around this given the small size of the community, a foreign group would find the task not only daunting, but close to impossible. This is a big challenge faced by a country whose capital is soon to take the wheel as the European Capital of Culture for 2018. The Theatres Audit was created to address just this. The Theatres Audit, which grew out of the Cultural Mapping project and is commissioned by the Arts Council Malta, lists and describes the physical characteristics and technical equipment of many venues across the Maltese Islands that can be used to host theatrical or

I saw photos of ex-Prime Ministers watching shows, trophies of massive regional theatre competitions, posters of productions which featured some of our best actors in their early days, and more.

musical productions. The result is a wide-ranging and comprehensive profile for most venues, running the gamut from well-known spaces to hidden gems. The results of this study will be published in a catalogue titled Spazji Teatrali: A Catalogue of Theatres in Malta and Gozo in late March 2017, and will be available on the Valletta 2018 Foundation and Arts Council Malta websites. The study built upon an initial list of theatres compiled by the National Statistics Office and explored further spaces through a team comprised of architects

Culture

and engineers, thespians, and academics. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Some

theatres which were on the initial list did not really From left to right: Pjazza Teatru Rjal, St Aloysius' College Theatre, Teatru Aurora (Victoria, Gozo), Mnarja Band Club (MBC) (Nadur, Gozo), Teatru Astra (Victoria, Gozo) Robert Samut Hall, Mediterranean Conference Centre, Manoel Theatre

TRE fall within the description of a theatre,’ says Glen Farrugia, co-

productions which featured some of our best actors in their early days, and more. We would often end our days with a coffee with the managers, where we listened to the histories and anecdotes of

editor of the catalogue.

our theatrical past. Most of them expressed their

‘We were in constant

sadness that their theatre’s glory days had passed.’

search for other theatres

The stories of a gilded theatrical age are certainly

which were “forgotten”

inspirational, but Sean admits that the team found

and hidden, and which

it difficult when such tales were their primary

had great potential in

information. ‘The lack of documentation and

re-establishing their

archiving is a problem. We do not seem to take care

function within the

of our history. We have to realise that we are not

community. This often

starting all over again because so much has already

required some in-depth research, questioning and

been done. We just need to learn to preserve,

‘investigative’ work from our end.’ The team ended

not only produce.’ Furthermore, Sean observes

up auditing almost 80 theatres in almost a year.

that while the people in charge of these theatres

‘It was not always possible to follow the agenda

wanted change, they were also wary of shaking

I set up every week,’ admits Glen. ‘Most of the

up the status quo. ‘That is why we need to involve

theatre managers and custodians were volunteers,

more young people. Inspiration and change are

so the project team had to work around their

needed.’

schedules, often resulting in the cancellation or

The catalogue aims to help community theatres

postponement of appointments. But each site

by aiding their exposure and connecting with local

visit produced something important; from unique

communities. The more people know about these

architecture which is often found in foreign

spaces and their possible uses, the more likely they

theatres, such as the one at the Blue Arena in

are to seek them out as potential venues, not only

Zabbar, to stories of elderly custodians who

allowing them to diversify their audiences but to

provided important narratives on the theatres,

make money and reinvest .

which added to the value of the actual audit.’ ‘Visiting theatre spaces is always inspiring for a

In this way, perhaps, the glory days which seem so distant are actually yet to come.

appointed Artistic Director of Teatru Malta, who

The Theatres Audit project forms a part of the

co-authored and co-edited the catalogue. ‘During

Valletta 2018 Foundation Cultural Mapping

each visit, we would spend time experiencing

Theatres Audit research project. The project is

the theatre just by listening and observing the

coordinated by the Valletta 2018 Foundation

space before collecting data. I saw photos of

research department and is a publicly funded

ex-Prime Ministers watching shows, trophies of

research project commissioned by Arts Council

massive regional theatre competitions, posters of

Malta.

Culture

theatre-maker,’ concurs Sean Buhagiar, the newly-

BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE:

More than just buzzwords for Malta

Behavioural economics is on a global high, earning itself a prominent place in both public policy and business. Malta, however, doesn’t seem to be keeping up. Kora Muscat outlines why it should.

’m going to offer you some money.

vast majority of people pick €10 in

I’m also giving you a choice that

the first case, and €20 in the second.

will determine how much money

Why do people opt for less money in the first case? Even more importantly,

forward with important, potentially

In the first instance, I will offer

why does classical economics fail to

impactful choices based on little

either €10 today, or €20 next week.

predict what people will actually do?

to no information on probable outcomes. But there are many more

THE BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS REVOLUTION

such situations. Two psychologists,

between €10 in two weeks,

As students endlessly hear during

how people behave in consistent

or €20 in three weeks. Which

class, ‘classical economics’ is a

and predictably non-rational

option would you take?

normative subject, meaning it

patterns. With that, the ‘behavioural

describes what people would do

economics revolution’ commenced.

Made up your mind? Okay. On to the second offer. This time you need to choose

Classical economics, the school

Alumni

Men and women of all ages move

you get and when you get it.

Which option would you prefer?

People make irrational choices all the time. Love is the perfect example.

Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, compiled lists of them, demonstrating

‘Behavioural economics’ is a

of thought most quoted in the

given a vast array of assumptions.

news, would predict that everyone

It assumes that people are rational,

descriptive subject, seeking to

who is offered the above two sets

that they always have all the

describe how people actually

of choices, would end up with €40

necessary information at hand, and

behave in real life. It builds on

by the third week. It is rational

that they will follow their brain,

principles that have been the

to always pick more money over

seeking to optimise the objective

norm in psychology for decades to

less. However, numerous such

value of every outcome. But

inform classical economic theory.

experiments have shown that the

when is this actually the case?

It also aims to model the effect of

actual behaviour on market prices,

preferring to stick to the way things

returns, and resource allocation.

are. Policy makers in New Zealand

BUSINESS MATTERS

and the UK were among the first to

While local policy makers don’t seem

WHY BOTHER WITH BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS?

leverage the status quo bias in favour

to be jumping on the behavioural

of pension contributions by setting

economics bandwagon, perhaps

up the Kiwi Saver (New Zealand) and

the private sector will beat them to

Firstly, because it explains why we

NEST (UK) auto-enrollment schemes.

it. The application of behavioural

might end up with less money. Why

These schemes saw employees

economics in business is still in its

do most people pick €10 today, over

automatically enrolled into a pension

infancy, but it is growing rapidly,

€20 next week? The reason is present

scheme, and given the choice to opt

particularly in the UK and USA.

bias, and refers to the tendency

out if they so wished. Results were

for people to give more value to

very positive, showing that very few

in. I currently work at Innovia

payoffs that are closer to the present

people actually opted out. In fact, since

Technology, an innovation consultancy

time when considering trade-offs

the scheme was introduced in the UK

based in Cambridge, UK. Innovia is a

between two future moments.

in 2012, by mid-2014 occupational

multidisciplinary firm that works with

pension scheme enrollment rates

some of the largest organisations in

much concern among policy makers

rose by 17 percentage points (from

the world, and behavioural economics

across Europe. In Malta, for example,

32% in 2012 to 49% in 2014).

is a relatively new discipline within

the ageing population and declining

it. However, during the last fifteen

fertility rate have rendered the public

months, I have seen an interest and

pension scheme unsustainable. Viable alternatives are private or occupational pensions. Let’s consider the latter, where an individual pension is jointly funded by them and their employer. Most people understand the benefits: the importance of saving for retirement, tax incentives on pension

People make irrational choices all the time and love is the perfect example.

services among these international companies grow exponentially. On the one hand, some organisations like Unilever are developing their own in-house behavioural science capabilities. Companies with a strong online presence are increasingly seeing the

contributions, and minimal salary reductions. Classical economics would

demand for behavioural economics

Through successes like the above

value of using behavioural economic

assume that this is a sure win. It is

example, behavioural economics

tools, like randomised controlled trials.

rational to sign up for such a scheme.

is gaining traction among policy

Such trials originated in medicine to

Nonetheless, uptake of occupational

makers. The UK has funded its

objectively measure the effect of a

pension schemes has been shown

own Behavioural Insights Team to

clinical intervention over a control

to be very low in countries where

redesign public services. The team

group. They have been adapted for

employees are given the opportunity

have branched out internationally and

use outside of clinics, and work in very

to join. Because of present bias, it

worked on projects in over fifteen

much the same way. In marketing,

is hard for people to actively decide

countries. They now have offices in

this is referred to as A/B testing.

to give up money they can get now

Sydney and New York. In 2015 the

Many large online retail and mobile

and put it aside for a future that is

White House issued an executive

gaming companies use this technique

too far away to even imagine.

order about the importance of using

to manipulate the way a web page

behavioural insights to serve the

looks to some viewers, while leaving it

called the status quo bias, whereby

people. Unfortunately, Malta does

unchanged for others. Using quick and

most of us tend to resist change,

not seem to have caught on yet.

simple page manipulations, they

Human beings also have another bias

Alumni

This bias has been the cause of

This is where my research comes

can test whether a small change

global market-leading pharmaceutical

(like changing the colour of the

company asked us to design a

clear that numerous local authorities

‘buy it now button’ on eBay) has a

program to increase medication

are speaking out about the issue,

significant effect on sales, and it does.

adherence so that its consumers can

and many plans are in the works to

get the full benefit of their drug.

rectify the situation. However, from a

Many markets have become

behavioural economics perspective, it

Testing online behaviours is easy, but retail outlets are also starting to invest in the infrastructure to

saturated, and consumers are more

is disheartening to see how unlikely it is

apply these kinds of tests in physical

sophisticated than ever. Businesses

that any of these plans will actually lead

contexts. Behavioural economics

realise that they must work harder

to significant improvements. Here’s why.

has further been credited with

to differentiate themselves and

expanding marketers’ toolkits. It has

offer value. Behavioural economics

of behaviour, the COM-B, people’s

given businesses the opportunity

supports these kinds of initiatives.

behaviour is driven by a combination of three broad sets of factors; namely

rather than what they say they do.

capability, opportunity, and motivation.

‘That’s just what we need, businesses finding new ways to exploit their customers!’ (and if you were not thinking it before, you sure are now). There are cases where businesses will cross lines and use insights from behavioural economics to consumers’ detriment. This is unethical, and must be tackled by the relevant authorities and institutions. However, I believe that if businesses embrace

A small change like changing the colour of the ‘buy it now button’ on eBay has a significant effect on sales.

Most of the plans being proposed or debated by different authorities, like infrastructural development, improvements to public transport systems and tax deterrents only provide for improved physical opportunity. Not to say that these interventions are useless; in fact, improving public transport to provide a viable substitute for driving, for example, is an excellent starting point. However, it is far from enough to make a difference because

behavioural economics, the potential

it does not target the complex and

benefits to consumers far outweigh

intertwined set of behavioural drivers.

the negatives. Marketing does a good enough job at driving sales—clients

APPLYING THIS TO MALTA

Let us take another example: carpooling. In April of last year, the

are coming to Innovia to ask for more

An issue that the vast majority of

Times of Malta reported that the

than that. One client asked how they

us struggle with every day is road

carpooling platform, Bum a Lift, was

can make the process of boarding

traffic in Malta. One study shows

not successful at a national level.

a plane less like herding cattle. We

that 93% of drivers think they drive

Although the platform provided the

studied the psychology of queuing

better than the median driver, which

physical opportunity to carpool, its

and the behavioural implications

of course, cannot be correct. This

creator correctly pointed out that a

of the uncertainty associated with

amusing effect has been called the

community-wide attitudinal shift was

airports to design a more pleasurable

overconfidence bias and it can be

required for it to be more successful.

experience for passengers.

observed in all kinds of situations.

Many readers probably know

Regardless of whether you think

that carpooling is good. But can

razors and other skincare products,

the traffic situation in Malta is your

you explain why exactly? How does

asked us to help them break Chinese

fault or somebody else’s, there’s

it impact the environment? How

men’s habits of dry-shaving (using

no denying that our roads are

many people does it take to make

rotary shavers), and convert them to

overly-congested most of the time,

a difference to congestion? These

wet-shaving (using razors), since the

and that the general population’s

questions are probably harder to

latter is scientifically proven to be

attitude toward driving normally

answer. We keep hearing that traffic

better for the skin. Furthermore, a

leaves much to be desired.

is a problem, but we are given much

Gillette, a leading brand of male

Alumni

According to a well-validated model

to see what people actually do I know what you must be thinking:

A quick Google search makes it

According to a well-validated model of behaviour, the COM-B, people’s behaviour is driven by a combination of three broad sets of factors; namely capability, opportunity and motivation. (Michie, Van Stralen & West; 2011)

less information about what will

bus as opposed to driving. Potential

level, it has been proven to

work and how and why. Education

carpoolers, like schoolchildren’s

significantly increase social welfare.

to increase general knowledge

parents, could be given letters

and awareness, or psychological

comparing their behaviour to that

and organisational levels. But that

capability, is an important enabler.

of their peers. Experiments have

doesn’t mean that we cannot start the

shown that telling someone that a

ball rolling individually. Let us study

still aren’t enough, as in most cases, the

proportion of their peers act in a

behavioural economics, discuss it, use

crucial determinant of a behaviour is

specific, socially desirable way, makes

it, teach it, and apply it so that we can

motivation. Bum a Lift has been more

it more likely that they will do so too.

drive change where it is needed.

THE WAY FORWARD

If you want to take part in

it easier for carpoolers to find parking

Behavioural economics is

group, “Behavioural Economics

on campus, targeting their reflective

relatively new, but is growing in

in Malta” on Facebook.

motivation (reflective processes

popularity, and has important

Kora Muscat graduated from the

including evaluations and plans)

implications for our wellbeing.

University of Malta with an honours

At an individual level, behavioural

degree in Economics and Marketing

that can be put in place to encourage

economics can help us understand

in 2014. She went on to do an MSc in

more people to drive less. Messages

why we act in the way we do, and

Behavioural & Economic Science at

could be printed on the back of bus

help us make better decisions. At an

the University of Warwick, graduating

tickets, informing passengers about

organisational level, it can enable

in 2015. She now works as a

how many fewer emissions are

businesses to get a competitive

behavioural economist and innovation

being released into the environment

advantage by creating unchartered

consultant at Innovia Technology, in

thanks to their decision to take the

value with consumers. At a national

Cambridge, UK.

However, capability and education

Malta is lagging behind at its national

successful with university students, to other interventions that also make

There are all kinds of interventions

current discussions, join the

Alumni

particularly because it has been linked

TO-DO LIST MOVIE

MUSIC

Rick and Morty. Do we need to say more?

Love by Lana Del Rey is everything we hoped it would This should come as no

be. Known for her dreamy, vintage vibes, she doesn’t

surprise, but we love

disappoint her loyal followers. But there seems to be

Hidden Figures. It tells

a sense of perspective on this, a renewed sense of

the story of three brilliant

vigour, turning her coos into action.

African American women whose math skills put NASA’s John Glenn in

BOOK

space.

YOUTUBE CHANNEL

PBS Space Time, hosted by Matthew O’Dowd. This channel takes a deeper look into the outer reaches

We couldn’t pick just one so we have a series of three by

of space, weird

Hugh Howie. Wool, Dust, and Shift, known collectively as the

astrophysics, the

Silo series, see humanity clinging to survival on a harsh, post-

possibilities of sci-fi, and anything else you can

apocalyptic Earth. Their only hope is the Silo, a subterranean

think of beyond Planet Earth.

city extending one hundred forty-four stories beneath the surface. PODCAST

INSTAGRAM

The Infinite Monkey Cage with asapscience

Brian Cox and Robin Ince. The

A dose of fun and

BBC describes it as a ‘witty,

interesting science

irreverent look at the world

provided on a daily

through scientists’ eyes’, and we

basis.

couldn’t have said it any better

To-do list

ourselves.

With you wherever www.um.edu.mt/think

THINK I D E A S

•

M A LTA

•

R E S E A RC H

•

P E O P L E

•

U N I V E R S I TY

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