DUBLIN ‑ Europe's biggest scientific carnival is pitching its tent beside the River Liffey this week. Dublin is playing host to the Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF) 2012 meeting and, thereby, assumes the mantle of Europe's City of Science for the year. Conceived as Europe's answer to the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, ESOF has become an increasingly visible element in Europe's efforts to foster a shared scientific identity. Although different European countries have vastly differing scientific heritages, their scientific futures are converging, thanks to an increasing level of recognition, both in Brussels and across...