Archive – Science

Swimming robot reveals evolutionary clues

This content was published on Mar 14, 2007 Inspired by a salamander, the robot is controlled by a system that imitates the amphibian’s spinal cord, enabling it to alternate between swimming and walking. Salamandra robotica, as the robot is called, has already been swimming in Lake Geneva and crawling along the lakeshore. The robot does not look much like a salamander – it…

Panel to calculate climate change impact

This content was published on Mar 13, 2007 The Advisory Body on Climate Change (OcCC) is expected to detail the effects rising temperatures will have on ecology, agriculture, health, tourism, water supply and infrastructure by 2050. The panel experts will base their findings on the climate scenarios of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Last month, the IPCC released the first volume…

Brains take a week off to show their research

This content was published on Mar 13, 2007 swissinfo caught up with Stephanie Clarke, president of the Swiss Society for Neuroscience, to discuss just how important it is for scientists to communicate their findings. Brain Week has taken place for the past ten years in Europe, organised by the European Dana Alliance for the Brain. The association’s goal is to help the public…

Is jet set resort going green?

This content was published on Mar 12, 2007 When it comes to global warming, the alpine resort has a lot to answer for, but swissinfo meets three men who are fanning the winds of change for a more sustainable future. In his late thirties, Markus Testa is a smartly dressed entrepreneur who runs the family business, the Testa Group, the largest of its…

Leuenberger warms to EU energy targets

This content was published on Mar 11, 2007 But Leuenberger told the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper that an agreement on cutting carbon dioxide levels by 20 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020 could be difficult to implement. EU leaders on Friday agreed to adopt a binding target of a 20 per cent increase in the use of green power, such as wind…

Railways drug tests meet with criticism

This content was published on Mar 10, 2007 According to a report on Swiss television on Friday, all train drivers and conductors under the age of 40 must undertake regular urine tests to check for the presence of cannabis. This is so that they can come to work with a “clear head”, Federal Railways spokesman Roland Binz told the 10vor10 news programme. According…

Winter sports fans threaten alpine fauna

This content was published on Mar 7, 2007 In cooperation with Vienna University and the Swiss Ornithological Institute, the researchers say that off-piste skiers, free-ride snowboarders, people who go on ski tours and those on snowshoes are the culprits. The study, released on Wednesday, is the first to quantify the physiological effects of winter sports on wild animals. The results show that sensitive…

Scientists get a fix on methadone risks

This content was published on Mar 6, 2007 A study presented on Monday revealed that one of the two components of the synthetic drug is cardiotoxic and should be removed. Methadone is used both as a painkiller and to wean drug addicts off opiates such as heroin and morphine. It was recently added to the Geneva-based World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of essential…

Ski region counts the cost of climate change

This content was published on Mar 5, 2007 According to a report released on Monday, the impact on the region, which includes resorts such as Interlaken and Gstaad, will be destructive but not devastating. By the year 2030, winter revenues will drop by around 30 per cent, and more than one-third of the region’s ski areas will cease to exist. The good news…

Research hit by row over animal “dignity”

This content was published on Mar 5, 2007 At least two experiments involving macaque monkeys have been put on hold amid confusion over how the law should be interpreted – even the Federal Veterinary Office says the issue is a grey area. Under Swiss law, scientists must submit a protocol involving all animal experimentation to a local evaluation committee. While the committee is…

Archive – Science

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Archive – Science

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Swimming robot reveals evolutionary clues

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Panel to calculate climate change impact

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Brains take a week off to show their research

More

Is jet set resort going green?

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Leuenberger warms to EU energy targets

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Railways drug tests meet with criticism

More

Winter sports fans threaten alpine fauna

More

Scientists get a fix on methadone risks

More

Ski region counts the cost of climate change

More

Research hit by row over animal “dignity”

Popular Stories

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