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EDITORIAL
December 2021 ESRFnews
Editor Jon Cartwright Tel +44 (0)117 2303080 E-mail jon.a.cartwright@ icloud.com
Editorial committee Nick Brookes Delphine Chenevier Andy Fitch Michael Krisch Gordon Leonard Joanne McCarthy Edward Mitchell Stéphanie Moncao Qing Qin Harald Reichert Francesco Sette
Subscription Chantal Argoud For subscriptions to the digital version of ESRFnews (print subscriptions are no longer possible), visit www. esrf.eu/UsersAndScience/ Publications/Newsletter
ESRFnews is produced for the ESRF by: IOP Publishing Temple Circus Temple Way Bristol BS1 6HG, UK Tel +44 (0)117 929 7481 www.ioppublishing.org
Head of media Jo Allen Production Alison Gardiner Kyla Rushman Technical illustrator Alison Tovey Display advertisement manager Edward Jost
Advertisement production Mark Trimnell Marketing and circulation Evie Palmer
ISSN 1011-9310 ©2021 ESRF
ESRF news
This year, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of complex systems to Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann for the physical modelling of Earth s climate, quantifying variability and reliably predicting global warming and to Giorgio Parisi for the discovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems from atomic to planetary scales . Understanding complex systems is at the heart of much ESRF research, ranging
from glass and liquid-system behaviour at different length- and time-scales, through structured nano-materials for applications in high-density energy storage and information technology, to the behaviour and function of materials in living systems as well, of course, to experimental modelling of atmosphere formation processes and their relation to climate change. At a time where our society is facing complex
and pressing challenges, including climate change, overcoming epidemics, ensuring sustainable and clean energy production, and protecting the environment, we should remind ourselves of the crucial role of fundamental research. Although it is the first step in the innovation process, fundamental research is essential for improving our understanding of the world, with a profound impact on our lives. In this issue, you will discover how fundamental research at the ESRF is helping us
understand the deep-carbon cycle, which could open new routes to negative carbon emissions (p14); ESRF studies of batteries (p8) and high-temperature superconductors (p9) also have potential benefits for the climate. Meanwhile, an ERC-backed project getting underway on the new BM18 beamline is tackling an age-old societal peril: earthquakes (p19). All this is proof once again of how a big science facility such as the ESRF, by providing cutting-edge technologies and facilities, can contribute to the advancement of knowledge and help solve the complex challenges of our society.
Francesco Sette ESRF director- general
In praise of the science of complexity
Understanding complex systems is at the heart of much ESRF research
