For a number of years now, dr Jacek Stańdo, TUL professor, has been interested in researching the popularity of different search queries with the aid of Google Trends. One of his recent studies conducted with application of the tool has gained international recognition. The article 'The COVID-19 pandemic and the interest in prayer and spirituality in Poland according to Google Trends data in the context of the mediatisation of religion processes' was listed in 2022 in the top 10 of Digital Religion Research publications.

Written by Jacek Stańdo, Centre of Mathematics and Physics, TUL, Andrzej Adamski, Gabriela Piechnik, the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow and Żywilla Fechner, Institute of Mathematics, TUL

Air travel is an important complement to other modes of regional transport. In some regions, it is the only viable option. Yet, typical of these short flights are high CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions, which reduces their competitiveness against, for example, high-speed trains or the increasingly popular electric and hybrid cars.

Written by Ewa Chojnacka, editor-in-chief

HECATE is a brave and ambitious EU project and one of which Lodz University of Technology will be a part. The EUR 40 million project is coordinated by Collins Aerospace, with aviation industry strongly represented in the consortium of 37 partners from 11 countries. The industry aims for climate neutrality by 2050, and the key to success is the development of small regional hybrid-electric aircraft. That is the focal point of the undertaking: to develop new technologies for supplying electricity. The acronym HECATE is derived from the words Hybrid-ElectriC regional Aircraft distribution Technologies.

Written by Ewa Chojnacka editor-in-chief

In the latest Webometrics ranking, Lodz University of Technology was ranked 10th in Poland (up from 13th) and 963rd in the world (up from 994th).

There is no doubt that the 180-year-old Oak Fabrykant, which was announced the Tree of the Year in the 2022 Polish edition of the contest organized by Klub Gaya, rules supreme in the park located on TUL campus. This month, however, the oak from Łódź is vying with another 15 trees across Europe for the title of the 2023 European Tree of the Year.

Written by Ewa Chojnacka, editor-in-chief

Tree Hunter - Robe McBride visited the campus of Lodz University of Technology on February 1, the day of voting in the European Tree of the Year 2023 competition. He came to see our oak. He met with representatives of the authorities of Lodz, Lodz University of Technology, Klub Gaja, numerous media and residents of Lodz to support our efforts to win the title.

Watch the next episode of the series 'Around the University', in which Prof Krzysztof Jóźwik summarises the first month of Lodz University of Technology's activities in 2023.

Safety is a key issue in the construction industry. The responsibility of constructors for the buildings they commission requires sound theoretical knowledge reinforced by experience gained on site. This two-pronged approach benefits both theory and practice, and is led by Rafal Bredow, M.Sc.

1 challenge, 11 teams, 48 hours to crack a case! Although it does sound like it could be a storyline of the latest Netflix hit, it is not. It is the scenario of VEOLIA MECHATON 2023 a competition for students of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Lodz University of Technology.

Written by Grzegorz Liśkiewicz, Institute of Turbomachinery and Bartłomiej Zagrodny, Department of Automation, Biomechanics and Mechatronics