Science is also a collection of stories that unfold in various ways: in simulations that take days to run, in experiments that fail before they succeed, and in the discussions among researchers trying to answer questions with no immediate solutions. These stories also reflect the determination of those trying to understand how stars shine and how that same energy might one day be reproduced on Earth.

This ‘Universe’ will bring the Colombian journalist Stefany Hernández to Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, as part of the 4th edition of the FRONTIERS Science Journalism in Residency Programme. Over five months, from October 2026, she will closely follow the research carried out at the Group of Lasers and Plasmas (GoLP), Institute for Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion (IPFN), making Técnico the only Portuguese institution to host a journalist in this latest round of the European programme.

“I’ve always been fascinated by astrophysics”, she shares. “But rather than simply admiring this science, I’m interested in understanding how the knowledge we gain from observing the stars can help address societal challenges, from climate change to the development of new healthcare technologies”.

On arriving at Técnico, Stefany Hernández is not merely seeking to “understand how high-intensity lasers work” or how to recreate, in the laboratory, “conditions similar to those inside stars”. She wants to understand how science is done when “nobody is watching”. “I’d like researchers to share the challenges, the setbacks and even the most unexpected stories from the laboratory”, she explains. “That’s where real learning takes place”.

According to Luís Oliveira e Silva, a professor at Técnico and a researcher at GoLP, the “human side of research” reveals an aspect that “rarely reaches the wider public”. “I hope Stefany manages to capture the enthusiasm of scientific endeavors and show the atmosphere where experiments, technology, simulations and theory converge”. Beyond just presenting results, he is eager for the residency to express “why science continues to be a frontier waiting to be explored”.

This closeness between researchers and journalists is, in his view, essential for bringing research closer to society. “Journalists help us to explain complex topics and to show that fundamental research is not isolated from the world’s problems”, adds Luís Oliveira e Silva. “In the case of nuclear fusion, we are facing a challenge that could transform the way we produce energy and, at the same time, help us to understand how stars shine”.

Born in Colombia, Stefany Hernández joins Técnico with a strong “sense of responsibility”. She aims to “accurately convey the importance of research for society and to highlight the dedication of researchers and the entire team”. This will be her first experience with immersive journalism “in a completely new country”.

Over the coming months, “Taming the Light” will be the image chosen by Stefany Hernández to give its name to the project that brought her to Técnico. Amid lasers, simulations and questions that remain unanswered, there will be another look inside the laboratory. Not to do science, but to tell the story of those who do it every day. Because there are stories that do not fit into a scientific article: they need time, a listening ear and someone willing to tell them.

Created by the European Research Council (ERC), the FRONTIERS Science Journalism in Residency Programme funds immersive residencies for science journalists at European research institutions, providing the conditions for the production of in-depth reports on frontier science. In this latest edition, Técnico is part of the select group of eight European institutions chosen to host journalists in residencies.