Archive – Science

Swisspirit prepares for rough ride in Australia

This content was published on Oct 16, 2009 Röösli enjoys the idea that he will not have to travel from Darwin to Adelaide lying down in the cockpit like his predecessors; he can sit in a seat like any normal car driver. But he admits that he is just a little nervous ahead of the World Solar Challenge. He’s been waiting since 2006…

Swiss help developing nations combat fake drugs

This content was published on Oct 12, 2009 Fake drugs are a growing public health problem, especially for developing nations. The World Health Organization (WHO) says over 30 per cent of medicines sold in many African countries, as well as parts of Asia and Latin America, may be counterfeit. According to the US-based Centre for Medicines in the Public Interest, counterfeit drug sales…

Biologist is first woman to scoop top award

This content was published on Oct 12, 2009 Françoise Gisou van der Goot runs the university’s public health centre and has studied the production of proteins and toxins in cells. Her research has helped understanding of certain illnesses such as cystic fibrosis and plays a role in the fight against bioterrorism, the interior ministry said on Monday. The 45-year-old taught at Geneva University…

Scientist receives top honour from Obama

This content was published on Oct 8, 2009 Rudolf Kalman, an American-Hungarian mathematics professor at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) from 1971-1997, was one of nine scientists given the National Medal of Science award by President Barack Obama in Washington DC on Wednesday The 79-year-old was singled out for his invention of the Kalman filter, a mathematical formulation widely used…

“Ardi” skeleton sheds light on common ancestor

This content was published on Oct 5, 2009 At 4.4 million years old, Ardi, or Ardipithecus ramidus, is one of our oldest ancestors from Africa; she also plays a vital role in understanding how both humans and the great apes have developed. According to extensive research published in the latest edition of the journal Science, Ardi was an adult female weighing 50 kilograms…

Metallic glass could help fix broken bones

This content was published on Oct 2, 2009 Mending broken bones for example with so-called metallic glass would not only do away with the need for implant-removal surgery, but also circumvent the long-term negative effects of permanent implants. “Materials researchers have been trying to develop biodegradable implants for osteosynthesis and cardiovascular intervention for several years,” Jörg Löffler, professor of metal physics and technology…

Birth control link to embolism investigated

This content was published on Sep 26, 2009 The embolism occurred ten months after the woman starting taking Yaz birth control pills produced by German firm Bayer. She died in mid-September. Swissmedic announced on Friday it would look into suspicions of a possible link. Bayer could not comment on the case but said it would take any possible link seriously. It expressed sympathy…

New treatment gets rats back on their feet

This content was published on Sep 26, 2009 The treatment, which targets the neural circuits in the spinal cord that control the muscles used for walking, could lead to clinical trials in humans in five years time, scientists hope. The spinal cord is the pathway through which signals from the brain reach the muscles. If it is damaged, transmission is interrupted, preventing muscle…

Man “not to blame” for early carbon emissions

This content was published on Sep 24, 2009 Some researchers have argued that ancient farmers could be to blame for a noticeable rise in greenhouse gases 6,500 years ago as they cleared primordial lands for agriculture. As it turns out, man had nothing to do with it, scientists argue in Thursday’s issue of Nature. The findings produced by researchers at the Bern-based Oeschger…

Carbon isotopes

This content was published on Sep 24, 2009 Generally speaking, an element’s defining characteristic is based on the number of protons an atom has. An atom with eight protons makes oxygen. An atom with nine protons makes fluorine, a poisonous gas. But an atom can have a varying number of neutrons without radically changing its properties. These atomic variations of the same element…

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Swisspirit prepares for rough ride in Australia

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Swiss help developing nations combat fake drugs

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Biologist is first woman to scoop top award

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Scientist receives top honour from Obama

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“Ardi” skeleton sheds light on common ancestor

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Metallic glass could help fix broken bones

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Birth control link to embolism investigated

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New treatment gets rats back on their feet

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Man “not to blame” for early carbon emissions

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Carbon isotopes

Popular Stories

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