Inside out

Back page gossip from the 14 September issue of Research Europe

To whom it may concern It’s not often that Research Europe finds itself sharing common ground with the far right. But we think French National Front MEP Dominique Martin has a point in a written question he’s submitted to the Commission about an EU-funded research project. He asked why the Commission’s Cordis database provides no useful contact details for principal investigators, but only “useless, anonymous” postal addresses. “Why will the Commission not provide an email address for the director of the project?” he wants to know—and so do we.

High stakes Slush, a Finnish conference-cum-festival for start-up businesses, has hit upon a novel way for budding entrepreneurs to win the attention of potential mentors and investors. Those with a head for heights can secure a coveted seat on an all-star flight from San Francisco to the conference in Helsinki, by delivering a business pitch while free-falling in a skydive. We’ve heard of “elevator pitches”, but this is taking things to the extreme.