2023 climate, tech and women lead - 27th December 2023

With the environment being the hot topic of 2023, the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, one of the world's northernmost inhabited areas, took drastic new measures to safeguard its fragile ecosystem. The transport sector was obliged to curb its carbon footprint.

Børre Haugli: "The tourist industry themself in Svalbard want to have sustainable industry and they develop themself into more sustainable activities."

The discourse extended to the role of women in historical narratives, with an Italian artist restoring 'Allegory of Inclination', a remarkable Baroque oil painting by Artemisia Gentileschi, a rare female artist of her era. Her status as one of the few acknowledged women artists of her time translated into significantly higher remuneration compared to her male peers, a testament to her exceptional talent and influence.

Linda Falcone: "She had to know how to market herself, and that's what she's actually doing with the painting because not only is she tributing Michelangelo but she's saying, 'I as a woman have the inclination to paint'."

A major shake up in the political realm, Jacinda Ardern resigned as New Zealand's prime minister, citing depletion of her reserves. Assuming office in 2017 at the age of 37, Ardern made history as the youngest female head of government and becoming only the second woman to give birth whilst in office, leaving an indelible mark on political and gender narratives.

Lia Correa: "I think she'll leave behind a really good legacy, cause like, she's a woman prime minister who kicked ass. She was awesome. She did everything she could during the pandemic. Kept a lot of people safe. Yeah, I think she's gonna have a great legacy."

In Gabon, a technological intervention unfolded as wildlife conservationists deployed smart cameras to safeguard animals from the threat of poaching.

Thijs Suijten: "And this minicomputer downloads the images from the camera and then uses artificial intelligence to automatically classify whether there is an animal, an elephant or human on the photo."

The climate crisis spurred extensive Earth Day 2023 protests globally, mounting pressure on leaders with calls for heightened political commitment to address the issue. In London, the climate movement Extinction Rebellion alongside other climate activists staged a four day campaign in front of the Houses of Parliament, advocating for influential political action and the urgent implementation of greener measures.

Although scores of people poured onto the streets of London, not all crowds were protests, as the capital also witnessed the celebration of the coronation of the UK's new monarch, King Charles III, the first coronation in seven decades.

In the Mexican jungle, a team of Franco-Mexican scientists delved into diseases that transfer from animals to humans, also known as 'zoonoses', aiming to preempt another pandemic akin to Covid.

Meanwhile in the tech world, a groundbreaking synergy unfolded with the world of classical music. The US National Philharmonic Orchestra and NASA collaborated on 'Cosmic Cycles', a Space Symphony merging music by Henry Dehlinger and visuals from the James Webb Space Telescope.

Henry Dehlinger: "I think the music written for a lot of those space movies, space films are, is, is fantastic. But what we're seeing tonight at this premiere is not science fiction. It's the actual science. It's the real deal. We're actually looking at the Sun. We're actually looking at the solar system. We're actually looking at the origins of the universe."