Archive – Science

Market reforms spark political electricity

This content was published on Dec 23, 2004 However, in an interview with swissinfo, energy policymaker Dori Schaer says the impetus for reform is unprecedented – despite popular misgivings and a new legal setback. The liberalisation process hit an unexpected stumbling block on Thursday when the competition authorities announced a probe into plans to set up a new national grid operator. The probe…

Summit fails to progress on climate change

This content was published on Dec 18, 2004 swissinfo spoke to Switzerland’s environment minister, Moritz Leuenberger, who warned that global warming could only be slowed with appropriate measures. Leuenberger was one of 90 government ministers who attended the meeting in the Argentine capital where the European Union and the United States struggled to break a deadlock on Friday. Washington resisted Europe’s interest in…

Winter smog causes health risk

This content was published on Dec 16, 2004 Experts warn that the high concentrations of fine particles in the air pose a serious health hazard. During the winter months, the skies over Switzerland’s low-lying regions are regularly covered by a thick layer of fog whereas the mountain resorts bask in glorious sunshine. The air quality in many towns and cities has worsened with…

Switzerland tops longevity league in Europe

This content was published on Dec 14, 2004 Researchers at Lausanne University said the country had the highest life expectancy in Europe. Proportionally, Switzerland is thought to be second only to Japan in terms of the number of people who have reached 100. According to the study conducted by the Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, about 40 out of every 10,000 people…

Elections fail to spark interest in politics

This content was published on Dec 8, 2004 But the number of those favouring more direct democracy is on the rise. The Univox survey, carried out by researchers at Bern University, found that 63 per cent of those polled were “moderately interested” in politics, just two per cent more than two years previously. Last year’s elections resulted in gains for the right-wing Swiss…

Food giant bets on healthy metabolism

This content was published on Dec 7, 2004 Researchers are hoping that by recommending an appropriate diet, consumers will be able to delay or prevent some diseases and generally have a healthier life. Metabolic diseases, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and hypertension are slowly becoming major health issues all around the world. According to scientists who gathered recently at Nestlé’s research centre above…

Cheer for pupils’ progress might be premature

This content was published on Dec 7, 2004 The second “Pisa” study of 41 countries was released on Tuesday and came as something of a relief to Swiss educationalists, after the country’s poor showing in the first, conducted in 2000. The results, from the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), showed that 15-year-olds in Switzerland had climbed in the international rankings in science…

Education heads urge continuation of reforms

This content was published on Dec 7, 2004 They said the general improvement showed that reforms were working and should be continued. The official findings of the Pisa report for 2003 were released on Tuesday. The report was based on tests carried out among 15-year-olds in OECD countries and other nations. The cantonal education heads expressed their satisfaction with the good results achieved…

Better marks for Swiss students in Pisa study

This content was published on Dec 5, 2004 In a report leaked to the media on Saturday, the Swiss students came in the top nine in maths, science and problem solving, and finished 13th in reading. The trend is positive. Switzerland has been able to maintain its strong position in maths, which was the focus of the 2003 study. The Swiss scored 527…

UN pricks pharma’s conscience

This content was published on Dec 3, 2004 Paul Hunt was speaking at a conference in Basel hosted by the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development (NFSD). His comments come as the pharma sector faces increasing attacks over issues ranging from drug prices to scandals such as the recent market withdrawal of the painkiller, Vioxx. A US opinion poll published last week showed that…

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Archive – Science

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Market reforms spark political electricity

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Summit fails to progress on climate change

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Winter smog causes health risk

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Switzerland tops longevity league in Europe

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Elections fail to spark interest in politics

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Food giant bets on healthy metabolism

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Cheer for pupils’ progress might be premature

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Education heads urge continuation of reforms

More

Better marks for Swiss students in Pisa study

More

UN pricks pharma’s conscience

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