As new school begins, get inspired for embracing new challenges

What do Tesla, Vrančić and Vučetić have in common?

Without Penkala we would not be able to write book reports and school essays, Tesla takes credit for the fact that we do not have to read in the dark, and more recently diligent Croatian inventors designed MP3 player, the fastest electric car, together with many other innovations in the field of robotics and technology. Let the Croatian inventors and their discoveries inspire you for new educational challenges at the beginning of a new school year!
We have singled out some of them, so let’s put first things first! And if you thought that we have forgotten about statistics in this presentation, you thought wrong.

A great deal of physics, a good measure of chemistry and biology and a little lesson in home economics

It is never too late for great ideas. In this case, we would say it is never too early, either. Back in the 17th century, when he made the first drawing of a parachute, Faust Vrančić was contemplating about flying, but also of landing. Years have passed since his sketches and prototypes, and the invention of a parachute has attained its rightful place in aviation, and in recent decades, parachute jumping has been regarded as a true adrenaline entertainment. According to the provisional data of industry statistics for 2022, the production of parachutes and rotochutes, parts and accessories amounted to 5 716 kg, which was significantly more than ten years earlier, in 2013, when 2 209 kg were produced. Data on trade in goods are also noteworthy. In particular, last year we exported 1.1 million euro worth of parachutes, mostly to Germany, Italy and Slovenia, whereas the import value amounted to 111 thousand euro. By comparison, in 2013, exports amounted to 401 thousand euro and imports to 193 thousand euro.

There is hardly any mystery novel in which carefully collected fingerprints do not contribute to solving the crime. Although it is mostly about fiction, the method that promoted criminology can be attributed to Ivan Vučetić – the father of dactyloscopy, or fingerprint identification. For the purposes of this text, we have peered into crime statistics. Notably, 16 824 larcenies and aggravated larcenies were filed in 2022, which accounted for more than a third (more precisely 36.5%) of all criminal charges.
In researching his biography, we have come across another curiosity – Ivan Vučetić, who spent most of his adult life in Argentina, was for years the head of the Department of Statistics in the Central Police Office there.

Induction motor, transformer, radio, remote control – these are just some of the inventions of the genius Nikola Tesla. However, he is best remembered for alternating current. Indeed, there are plenty of data that can be associated with electricity, as modern-day living is unthinkable without this invention by Tesla. Still, but we have extracted data on the total gross production of electricity from renewable sources. Thereby, in 2022, hydroelectric power plants produced more than half (more precisely 60.9%) of electricity, wind power plants produced a quarter of electricity from renewable sources (25.6%), while the remaining share was accounted for by thermal power plants (11.8%), solar power plants (0.9%) and geothermal power plants (0.8%).

A light bulb went off in another inventor’s head as he pondered. This time, literally. Namely, in the early 20th century, Franjo Hanaman invented a tungsten filament lamp. Despite the alterations over the years, light bulbs are still an indispensable part of any illuminated space. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that in 2022 we imported 17.4 million euro worth of lamps, while exports amounted to 4.2 million euro.

Still, inventions are not reserved for men only and for some ancient times. Zlata Bartl added an extra flavour to various dishes when in 1959 she created a recipe for an essential condiment in Croatian households. For this reason, we were interested in the figures on foreign trade in goods of condiments of the Republic of Croatia. In 2022, the import of condiments amounted to 14.4 million euro, while at the same the value of export amounted to 5.6 million euro.

Click on the interactive infographic below.


Inspired for a fresh start?

The classrooms of primary and secondary schools stand ready for students, perhaps future inventors and brainiacs. At the beginning of the 2022/2023 school year, 2 065 primary and 743 secondary schools provided a space for learning, imagination, research and hanging-out. These were attended by 305 602 primary school students and 147 126 high school students.
Of course, universities are also places where great ideas and important projects are born. Even though students will still have to wait for the start of the new academic year, let us note that 151 827 students were enrolled at the beginning of the winter semester of the last academic year 2022 /2023, of which 53 625 were enrolled in the first year of study. Hopefully, they have tackled the challenges they faced as freshers and are getting ready for yet another academic year with an open mind and with fresh ideas for new projects.

We wish all students, their parents, and teachers a happy start of a new school year!

And save the date for the end of September, which is reserved for researchers as the European Researchers' Night is marked on 29 September. Stand ready, full of ideas for new inventions and with some statistical data!
 

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