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One of the events showcased during this year’s open week at the Czech Academy of Science’s was a contest where young scientists pitted their presenting skills against each other in a bid to entertain and educate the audience about important scientific questions. The event was presented by a man who lies at the forefront of popularising science in the country.

Every third Czech lives in a „panelák“. These blocks of flats made of prefabricated parts are a typical feature of all the former Soviet satellite countries. They were built to last only for two or three generations. Now, their inhabitants are doing their best to prolong their life-span. However, they still pose a serious housing problem for the future.

Jakub Žák is a photographer who spent more than five years in South-East Asia documenting the work of the Czech Development Agency and other NGOs active in the region. On his return from Cambodia, he visited Radio Prague’s studio to talk about his work there, the remote areas he visited and how the experience changed him as a photographer. I began by asking him how he came to work in Asia.

Since the country joined the European Space Agency (ESA) 10 years ago, the Czech space industry has seen a growth both in size and capabilities. Now the director of the Czech Aeronautical Research Institute says the groundwork in expertise and resources has been laid for the country to take the next step.

There is a long-term water shortage in the Czech Republic. After several years of unusually low precipitation, it is not just farmers and foresters who are noticing a lack of moisture in Nature. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute is warning that our attitude towards water needs to change.

One of the new books out marking the anniversary of the end of WWI is a collection of soldiers´ letters, diaries and memoirs giving a personal account of life in the trenches and on the battlefield. The book’s title Zum Befehl, pane lajtnant (which translates as At your command, lieutenant) is taken from the satirical comedy The Good Soldier Svejk by Jaroslav Hašek. I spoke to one of the book’s co-authors, Pavla Horáková, and began by asking how the idea arose to put together such a collection.

New York’s Bohemian National Hall brings together the most important Czech institutions in the city. The Czech Center, Consulate General and other organisations share the magnificent five-storey preserved building, which representatives of other mid-sized states must envy greatly.

Czech scientists are using the latest technology to study the ancient roads of the Bohemian kingdom. Unlike Western Europe, the area of present-day Czechia was not colonized by the Romans, who developed a sophisticated network of paved routes or “via Romana”. This means the road system was developed without any earlier blueprints.

Among the recipients of the state awards handed out by President Miloš Zeman on October 28, was Karel Lánský – a legend of Czech Radio broadcasting. For eight dramatic days after the Soviet led-invasion of Czechoslovakia Lánský and his team kept independent Czechoslovak Radio on the airwaves, broadcasting from secret locations in Prague and running the operation from his flat close to the radio’s Vinohrady headquarters.

To commemorate Czechoslovakia’s famous industrial prowess the National Technical Museum in Prague is currently holding an exhibition titled ‘Made in Czechoslovakia - the Industry that Ruled the World’. Tom McEnchroe decided to take a closer look at the exhibition asking director Hynek Stříteský to pick out a series of objects he believes represent the state’s industrial achievements best.