The magazine of the European tech scene

Independent since 2024

EuropaNow

Section

Future

Future on Europa Now: AI, climate tech and the long bets that will decide what Europe builds next.

In January 2026, the largest human–AI creativity comparison yet tested language models against 100,000 people. GPT‑4 beat the average person at generating unexpected associations — but even the most creative half of humanity outperformed every model

AI

GPT-4 Outpaces Average Humans at Word Association, But Creative Elite Still Leads

A landmark study comparing 100,000 people with leading language models on a divergent-association task reveals a nuanced picture: while GPT-4 surpasses the median human, the most creative half of humanity outperforms every AI system tested.
Why looking away during a skin prick may carry a physical cost — in one pre-registered experiment the welt at its peak averaged 3.5 mm when people kept their attention on their own arm and 5.0 mm when they watched video clips

AI

Watching Your Skin React to a Prick Makes It Worse, Study Finds

A trio of controlled experiments shows that directing attention inward during a histamine skin test produces noticeably smaller welts than distraction does, suggesting the mind influences local immune responses in real time.
Pitch deck: Boldr raises $5M from Unconventional Ventures to turn HVAC contractors into grid infrastructure

Climate Tech

Boldr Secures $5M to Scale HVAC Platform as Grid Infrastructure Play

The London-based climate tech startup has closed a Pre-Series A round led by Unconventional Ventures, positioning HVAC contractors as distributed energy assets across North America.
Sixty Frames for the Record: A Three.js Game, Seven Fly-Throughs, and a Wall of CRTs

AI

Building Cinematic Experiences in the Browser: Three.js Lessons from Music and Code

A developer working across music production and web graphics shares the technical decisions behind three ambitious Three.js projects—a 3D space shooter, a series of architectural fly-throughs, and an interactive wall of CRT monitors.
Across 37,073 European Research Council applications, the same proposal scored higher with reviewers who shared the applicant's citizenship and country of work — and that match moved the score about seven times as much as a shared gender did

AI

Study finds European Research Council reviewers score proposals higher when applicants share their nationality

Research by two economists reveals that European Research Council panelists award substantially higher scores to applicants from their own country, an effect seven times larger than gender-based scoring differences.
A Chat With Mark Boost, CEO And Co-founder Of Civo, On Data Sovereignty And The Case For A UK-First Cloud Strategy

AI

Mark Boost on Civo's Push for UK Cloud Independence: Why Data Sovereignty Matters

The CEO of Civo, a sovereign cloud platform, argues that the UK's reliance on US hyperscalers threatens both AI ambitions and digital autonomy. True sovereignty requires open standards, domestic infrastructure investment, and treating compute as a strategic national asset.
Female-founded SnerpaPower raises €3.4M to expand its grip on Europe’s industrial electricity

Climate Tech

SnerpaPower secures €3.4M to scale industrial electricity optimization across Europe

The Icelandic climate tech startup, founded by two energy sector veterans, has closed a Series A round led by Luxembourg's Encevo to expand its real-time power management platform across the continent.
The Fluid Human

AI

Rethinking Humanity: How Embodied AI Is Reshaping Our Self-Image

As artificial intelligence moves beyond screens into robots and physical systems, the Ars Electronica Center's new "Hello Worlds!" exhibition asks a fundamental question: what does it mean to be human when machines can replicate abilities we once considered uniquely ours?