Extraterrestrial life, AI and more: these are the most-read Leiden Science articles of 2025
Speculation about alien life, a new nitrogen map, AI as a thesis supervisor, groundbreaking telescopes and multi-million-euro investments to combat antimicrobial resistance – the diversity of these topics shows that our readers are just as broadly interested as our researchers. Discover the most-read articles of 2025 here.
These are the most-read articles of 2025
- Speculations about extraterrestrial life peak in news articles (and in scientists' quotes)
- Updated nitrogen map and new strategy: How can we meet the nitrogen targets?
- Experiment: Leiden University student writes thesis with just AI tools for supervision
- Over a million euros for two studies on solutions to antimicrobial resistance
- Special telescope measures neutrino with the highest energy ever
Note: This Top 5 reflects the most-read Dutch-language articles.
#1 Extraterrestrial life: examining speculation and expectations
Research into nearly 30 years of communication about astrobiology shows how both press releases and media speculate about alien life. And it’s not just journalists who do so…
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Speculations about extraterrestrial life peak in news articles (and in scientists quotes)
#2 Updated nitrogen map: how can we meet the goals?
Nitrogen professor Jan Willem Erisman and Gispoint advisor Ton Brouwer have published a new report outlining scenarios for how the agricultural nitrogen targets for 2030 can be met. Their message to The Hague: ‘Look at this approach — it’s possible.’
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Updated nitrogen map and new strategy: How can we meet the nitrogen targets?
#3 AI supervises master's student during unique thesis experiment
As an experiment, student Alicia Cai wrote her thesis under the sole supervision of AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude. Only after completing and presenting her thesis did professor Bas Haring, who designed the experiment, evaluate it. What insights have emerged so far?
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Experiment: Leiden University student writes thesis with just AI tools for supervision
#4 Over one million euros for Leiden research on antimicrobial resistance
Two Leiden research consortia received more than one million euros in total to develop innovative solutions against antimicrobial resistance. Their work focuses on new biological targets and improving existing candidate drugs, with the aim of developing therapies for global use.
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Over a million euros for two studies on solutions to antimicrobial resistance
#5 Leiden physicists contribute to detection of record-breaking neutrino
A cosmic neutrino with unprecedented energy has been detected for the first time. Leiden particle physicists played an important role in this international project, which offers new insights into the universe and the origins of extreme cosmic phenomena.