They say your first scientific conference is something you never forget. Mine? It came with a last-minute paper submission, a PhD interview, a vacation across Europe, a sick supervisor, a 13-hour flight, and a glass of water I downed mid-sentence. Here’s how it all unfolded.

DSII participants recently had the opportunity to visit Tammervoima’s waste power plant Tarastenjärvi, a key piece of energy infrastructure in Tampere region. The plant offers an example of how society’s unavoidable waste can be transformed into useful thermal and electrical energy.