Some problems are so complex and ambitious that they can only be addressed through interdisciplinary collaborations between different research teams. The Synergy grants awarded annually by the European Research Council aim precisely to foster synergies between various teams, enabling them to tackle these challenges. The projects selected in the latest call for proposals span diverse categories, from sociology and governance to molecular biology and cancer. Only 66 proposals were ultimately selected, among more than 700 submissions from institutions around the world. Two projects led by Catalan institutions, which aim to better understand the workings of the Sun and the expansion of the Universe, are among the winners.

The vast Universe remains a great mystery to humanity. Is there life outside of Earth? What would aliens be like or how would we communicate with them? We have been asking ourselves these kinds of questions for over 2,000 years and the answer, thanks to researchers, seems to be getting closer every day. To explain the knowledge we have so far about aliens and shed some light on scientific research, CosmoCaixa is launching the exhibition Extraterrestrials. Is there life outside of Earth?, this Tuesday, February 25.