Archive – Science

The vicious circle of drug dependency

This content was published on Jun 3, 2004 Hans – not his real name – is 37, has been a drug addict for ten years and is on Zurich’s heroin prescription programme. He also gets Valium and Ritalin which, he says, helps him with attention deficiency, although the drug is also being tried as a treatment for cocaine addicts. But despite all the…

Canadians create stipend in the name of Swiss professor

This content was published on Jun 1, 2004 The honour has been given to Professor Urs Meier, of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (known here as EMPA). The stipend, in the field of civil engineering and intelligent sensing for innovative structures, highlights the influence of the EMPA deputy director on the origin of the ISIS Canada Research Network. The…

Education reform seen as key to doctor shortage

This content was published on Jun 1, 2004 The country has plenty of doctors in private practice, but experts say hospitals have to rely on foreigners to fill vacant posts. Switzerland has one of the highest numbers of doctors per inhabitant in the world with over 25,000 registered physicians for a population of seven million. But in hospitals more than 30 per cent…

Zurich Zoo celebrates 75th anniversary

This content was published on May 31, 2004 To mark the occasion, the zoo’s director, Alex Rübel, told swissinfo why zoos still have a role to play in giving people the chance to explore the animal kingdom. The zoo in Switzerland’s largest city first opened its doors to the public on September 7, 1929, and clocked up its first record just one week…

Universities hunt for academic inspiration abroad

This content was published on May 29, 2004 Their latest coup has been the hiring of one of the world’s top environmental scientists, Marc Parlange, who has been working in the United States. Lausanne’s Federal Institute of Technology announced this month that Parlange would be joining its Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering department. Parlange, who has been lured away from the prestigious Johns…

Swiss pioneers play important role in EU crypto plans

This content was published on May 25, 2004 The Swiss technology is Europe’s competitive advantage in a race against the US to make quantum cryptography as easy, reliable, and fast as other forms of secure encryption. The Applied Physics group of the University of Geneva, and its spin-off id Quantique, are playing a key role in a $13 million European project to produce…

Lausanne institute lures top scientist

This content was published on May 25, 2004 Marc Parlange, who teaches at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University in the United States, told swissinfo that he hopes to influence the next generation of policy makers. Parlange, an American citizen, is a leader in the field of environmental engineering, especially management and protection of water resources. swissinfo: What persuaded you to make the switch…

Swiss company expands horizons by tagging pets

This content was published on May 24, 2004 It hopes to boost sales when the European Union makes electronic tags for cats and dogs mandatory from the start of July. Microchips can be used to identify dogs and trace their owners. If a dog which has been embedded with a microchip is run over by a car, for example, police can quickly identify…

Poor education blamed for poverty gap

This content was published on May 24, 2004 The non-governmental organisation has called for targeted state aid to remedy the situation. “Poverty is a scandal in a country as rich as Switzerland,” said Jürg Krummenacher, head of Caritas. Recent statistics show that up to 850,000 people are affected by poverty, including 220,000 children. The Caritas study, published on Monday, warns that families with…

Families are changing but here to stay

This content was published on May 14, 2004 In Switzerland the marriage and birth rate is down, while the number of divorces and single people have increased. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the United Nations International Year of the Family in 1994. The UN says the day, held on May 15, is intended to reflect the importance that international communities attach…

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Archive – Science

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The vicious circle of drug dependency

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Canadians create stipend in the name of Swiss professor

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Education reform seen as key to doctor shortage

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Zurich Zoo celebrates 75th anniversary

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Universities hunt for academic inspiration abroad

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Swiss pioneers play important role in EU crypto plans

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Lausanne institute lures top scientist

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Swiss company expands horizons by tagging pets

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Poor education blamed for poverty gap

More

Families are changing but here to stay

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