Archive – Science

Poverty campaigner wins “alternative Nobel”

This content was published on Sep 26, 2013 Hans R Herren, founder of the Biovision Foundation for Ecological Development, was one of four people to be made a Laureate this year by the Swedish-based Right Livelihood Award Foundation. The 65-year-old was cited for “his expertise and pioneering work in promoting a safe, secure and sustainable global food supply”. Herren is credited with saving…

Behind the scenes in Geneva

This content was published on Sep 24, 2013 Over the past two years photographers Christian Lutz and Mark Henley have become well-known figures in the corridors and meeting rooms of the Palais des Nations complex. Together they take a behind the scenes look at some of the 2,700 international conferences and other gatherings held every year in Geneva. This work is being carried…

Balancing punishment and rehabilitation

This content was published on Sep 20, 2013 What should one do with violent teenagers: punish them or rehabilitate them? A bit of both? In Switzerland, the official priority is to “protect and educate” young offenders (see info box). “In the Swiss system, rehabilitation and reintegration are valued very highly,” Allan Guggenbühl, a psychologist and founder of the Institute for Conflict Management, told…

Radar could protect birds from deadly wind farms

This content was published on Sep 19, 2013 “It manages to pick out a swarm of mosquitos from a distance of five metres.” Urs Seiffert, manager of the Swiss BirdScan radar project, has no doubt about the radar’s potential. But he is not interested in insects – instead, he’s pinpointing the migrating birds that fly twice a year over Switzerland. “There are tens…

Giving advice and pleasure to the disabled

This content was published on Sep 18, 2013 “Can I give you a hug?” asks the tall, blond man. This irritates – and even frightens – the women he approaches on the street. The young man is a stranger to them, and he’s mentally impaired. Does he want more than hugs? Or is this just an awkward attempt to make friends? The anecdote…

From blackened hillside to colourful diversity

This content was published on Sep 13, 2013 This year, the Swiss have been recalling one of the country’s biggest forest fires in living memory: the 2003 fire above the village of Leuk in the southern canton of Valais. Switzerland is a small country, which means that its forests are also tiny in international comparison. The Leuk fire destroyed “only” 300 hectares. But…

Climate models clouded by uncertainty

This content was published on Sep 12, 2013 Climate models are never right. Like most scientific theories, they can never give the complete picture. And it’s not just the climate sceptics who say this, but also the researchers studying the climate. But there is no inherent contradiction, reckon the experts. “The results from climate modeling give us important indications. They help us understand…

Expert says climate change is up to us

This content was published on Sep 12, 2013 Although the fight against global warming has not yet been lost, it becomes more and more difficult with every year that passes without reducing emissions, Stocker told swissinfo.ch. A physicist at the University of Bern, Stocker serves on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He is head of IPCC’s Working Group I, which compiles the…

Re-establishing protein activity could slow cancers

This content was published on Sep 11, 2013 Cells have the capacity to literally renovate themselves. The process is known as autophagy, a form of self-digestion that can help healthy cells survive by removing debris. “There are constantly proteins or organelles that are damaged in cells due to exposure from toxins or inflammatory responses, for example,” said Hans-Uwe Simon, professor of pharmacology at…

‘Space janitor’ gets a boost from local launcher

This content was published on Sep 10, 2013 S3 and Lausanne’s Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) announced the deal on Tuesday at the launch company’s headquarters in Payerne. “What was an idea has become concrete with S3’s participation,” said Volker Gass, director of the Swiss Space Center at EPFL. “The company’s concept should ensure the success of the mission.” The CleanSpace One satellite…

Archive – Science

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Archive – Science

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Poverty campaigner wins “alternative Nobel”

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Behind the scenes in Geneva

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Balancing punishment and rehabilitation

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Radar could protect birds from deadly wind farms

More

Giving advice and pleasure to the disabled

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From blackened hillside to colourful diversity

More

Climate models clouded by uncertainty

More

Expert says climate change is up to us

More

Re-establishing protein activity could slow cancers

More

‘Space janitor’ gets a boost from local launcher

Popular Stories

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