Archive – Science

Scientists raise health fears over sun cream

This content was published on Jul 20, 2004 They say certain substances are thought to act like female sexual hormones and that they could be absorbed into the body. But despite the findings, both the scientists and the Swiss Cancer League are urging people to continue using sun cream to protect against the sun’s harmful rays. The research, which was carried out by…

Timber users take a sustainable approach to wood

This content was published on Jul 19, 2004 In future, Swiss door producers will only use specially labelled wood from forests which are sustainably managed. The accord was signed in Bern on Monday between the Swiss Door Manufacturers Association, and Greenpeace Switzerland and WWF Switzerland. The Swiss Door Manufacturers Association is the largest importer of tropical timber in Switzerland accounting for 30 per…

Sunglasses put dogs in the shade

This content was published on Jul 18, 2004 A Swiss optician claims his shop in Geneva is the first in the country to offer eyewear designed exclusively for man’s best friend. Raphaël Barber says dog owners have been rushing to kit their pets out in the designer wraparound shades. “It’s just gone mad. I’ve been doing phone orders from all corners of Switzerland,”…

Cyclists rise to alpine challenge

This content was published on Jul 16, 2004 Riders covered a total of 200 million kilometres in 2002 – roughly equivalent to cycling 5,000 times round the Earth. Switzerland is criss-crossed by nine national cycle paths, which wend their way over a distance of 3,300km. They run from Montreux to Lake Constance, Chiasso to Basel; along the banks of the Rhone, the Rhine…

Sunspot activity hits 1,000-year high

This content was published on Jul 12, 2004 Professor Sami Solanki said this could be compounding the effects of greenhouse gases and contributing to global warming. “We have to acknowledge that the Sun is in a changed state. It is brighter than it was a few hundred years ago, and this brightening started relatively recently – in the last 100 to 150 years.…

Maxon motors make Mars mission mobile

This content was published on Jul 10, 2004 The tiny drive units from the maxon motor firm are not only small, but also powerful and have even found a niche for themselves on planet Mars. Packed with technology and weighing in at next to nothing, the motors from Sachseln in canton Obwalden have performed vital roles on Nasa’s Mars rovers – Spirit and…

Biotech patents come under fire

This content was published on Jul 8, 2004 The government says the new legislation, which is currently under consultation in Switzerland, would help safeguard the country’s booming biotech sector. The proposal forms part of an overall revision of Swiss patent law. It was originally put forward in 2002 but was poorly received by the public. A second consultation period began last month and…

Volunteers play vital role in Swiss society

This content was published on Jul 7, 2004 And even though there’s little official recognition for the contribution they make to Swiss society, the trend for unpaid work is on the rise. Four out of ten people in Switzerland work as volunteers, or have done so in the past. Translated into money terms, such work is valued at SFr20 billion ($16 billion) a…

Swiss timber industry needs new impetus

This content was published on Jul 7, 2004 The agency says in order to increase the use of Swiss timber the industry has to become more competitive. On Saturday, the International Day of the Forest, the director of the Swiss environment agency, Philippe Roch, blamed the economic situation for the decline. “It is no longer possible to manage forests in a profit-making way,”…

Swiss birth rate lowest for 25 years

This content was published on Jul 6, 2004 Experts say the trend is likely to continue in the future, as family structures change and more women try to combine a career with raising children. Population figures published on Tuesday by the Federal Statistics Office show that 71,800 children were born in 2003 – 0.7 per cent fewer than the previous year. “The annual…

Archive – Science

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Archive – Science

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Scientists raise health fears over sun cream

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Timber users take a sustainable approach to wood

More

Sunglasses put dogs in the shade

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Cyclists rise to alpine challenge

More

Sunspot activity hits 1,000-year high

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Maxon motors make Mars mission mobile

More

Biotech patents come under fire

More

Volunteers play vital role in Swiss society

More

Swiss timber industry needs new impetus

More

Swiss birth rate lowest for 25 years

Popular Stories

Most Discussed