Archive – Science

Preserving an “incredibly exotic” country

This content was published on Jan 19, 2013 “Switzerland is a country of contrasts – you can either love it or hate it. You can see patriotism clashing with anarchism, and the throwing of flags into the air. For a foreigner, it’s hard to form an opinion without resorting to clichés. The book aims to shatter the usual links and portray a country…

Tiny fossils hold clues to ancient ocean network

This content was published on Jan 17, 2013 As there are similarities between the newly discovered fossils and others found thousands of kilometres away, the tiny specimens are thought to be plankton from a network of ancient sea beds that may have extended as far as modern China. On the other hand, based on the exceptional condition of the many fossils that have…

Trauma in youth makes lasting imprint on brain

This content was published on Jan 16, 2013 Carmen Sandi, who leads the research team in the Laboratory of Behavioural Genetics at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), says a link between a traumatic childhood and violent tendencies in adulthood has long been examined and accepted from a psychological perspective. However, her team found for the first time physical evidence of…

Political cartoonist sharpens his pen

This content was published on Jan 16, 2013 Even in his most acerbic caricatures, Chappatte displays sensitivity: he pointedly brings out people’s characteristics without ever ridiculing them. Born in Pakistan to a Swiss father and Lebanese mother, his trademarks are situations, conflicts or contradictions – he never takes direct aim at people. A book has been published with 100 selected cartoons.

Anti-doping official denies Armstrong charge

This content was published on Jan 11, 2013 Martial Saugy called a news conference on Friday to deal with the claim made by Travis Tygart, head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), on the US television programme “60 Minutes Sports” two days earlier. Tygart maintained that Saugy had acknowledged giving Armstrong and his team manager Johan Bruyneel “the keys to beating EPO…

How the law protects rare species – or not

This content was published on Jan 4, 2013 Lörtscher is head of conservation of species at the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office, and since 2004 he has been one of the scientific experts on the Animals Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites). swissinfo.ch: What was the most shocking thing you have had to deal with…

Museum mourns migrating Max

This content was published on Dec 27, 2012 The museum of natural history in Fribourg, which had tracked her since she was two months old, said in a press statement on Thursday that by the time the body was found it had been half eaten, making it impossible to determine the exact cause of death. However, since it was close to a power…

Modern art preserved for posterity

This content was published on Dec 26, 2012 Synthetic materials make their way into works of art, as do combinations of used materials like paper, wood or terracotta with modern lacquers and glue. Using scientific methods the students set up an artificial ageing process and document and analyse the chemical and physical reactions of the materials. All part of their special training. (Pictures:…

Open door policy – for fridges

This content was published on Dec 23, 2012 (Pictures: Thomas Kern, swissinfo.ch)

Too much food going to waste

This content was published on Dec 23, 2012 There are estimates, but no reliable figures for how much food actually goes to waste in Switzerland. Claudio Beretta, a research associate at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and president of the group foodwaste.ch, devoted his master’s thesis to an examination of 43 companies in the food industry and a review of international…

Archive – Science

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Archive – Science

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Preserving an “incredibly exotic” country

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Tiny fossils hold clues to ancient ocean network

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Trauma in youth makes lasting imprint on brain

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Political cartoonist sharpens his pen

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Anti-doping official denies Armstrong charge

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How the law protects rare species – or not

More

Museum mourns migrating Max

More

Modern art preserved for posterity

More

Open door policy – for fridges

More

Too much food going to waste

Popular Stories

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