Archive – Science

US-Swiss team announce leap in microarrays for genetics

This content was published on Dec 17, 2003 The progress of the Basel-based Zeptosens, a maker of new measurements systems for DNA and RNA research was based on the results of a study it carried out with ViaLogy Corp in the US. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. The Zeptosens product in the study is the SensiChip, which was developed…

Swiss set boundaries in Moscow

This content was published on Dec 16, 2003 The project, funded by the World Bank, is helping to resolve boundary disputes at a time of growing demand for land in the country. For the first time since 1917, land in Moscow is going under the hammer, with demand high for industrial sites around the metropolis of 13 million people. However, one of three…

De Botton returns to a different Switzerland

This content was published on Dec 14, 2003 The Zurich-born writer, who lives in London, received the award on Saturday for his exploration of the meaning of travel. The “Art of Travel” – which has sold over 400,000 copies worldwide since its publication last year – is the author’s seventh book. Earlier works include “The Consolations of Philosophy” – a look at the…

De Botton on the difficult art of writing

This content was published on Dec 12, 2003 But the Swiss-born author says writing is an uphill struggle. swissinfo: You’ve enjoyed great commercial success with your books. Do you find it hard to keep your feet on the ground? Alain de Botton: I think writing is an incredibly humbling, even humiliating job. Every book is a terrible struggle and it never gets any…

NGOs criticise draft summit action plan

This content was published on Dec 11, 2003 They have also complained that their ideas and opinions were not fully taken into account during the run-up to the conference. “The official draft documents represent the lowest common denominator of what could have been achieved,” Wolfgang Kleinwächter, a spokesman for civil society at the summit, told swissinfo. Confronting what they view as a lack…

Summit leaders put spotlight on human rights

This content was published on Dec 10, 2003 Global leaders were also warned of the need to ensure respect for human rights and freedom of expression and opinion. More than 50 heads of state or government and around 13,000 representatives of civil society, international organisations and the private sector are attending the three-day event. Swiss President Pascal Couchepin officially opened the summit at…

Summit delegates clear free speech hurdle

This content was published on Dec 8, 2003 During last-minute talks over the weekend, negotiators agreed on wording in draft documents to be presented to world leaders later this week. Throughout preparatory meetings ahead of the summit, the issue of free speech created deep divisions between government delegations. The United States, Switzerland and the European Union had been pushing for an information society…

ICTs give development aid a shot in the arm

This content was published on Dec 5, 2003 But they are hopeful that information and communication technologies (ICTs) could help turn this trend around. “For the first time, humankind now has the tools to redress the inequalities that divide us,” said Adama Samassékou, the president of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). “ICTs also vastly increase the potential for learning and…

Stem-cell research approved – with conditions

This content was published on Dec 4, 2003 But the new law governing this controversial area of scientific research bans the production of human organisms from non-fertilised eggs. On Thursday, the Senate ironed out its differences with the House of Representatives to approve the draft law. It contains a prohibition on developing unfertilised human eggs for the purposes of stem-cell research. This was…

Swiss reject blackout criticism

This content was published on Dec 2, 2003 On Monday, Italian and French energy regulators issued a joint statement accusing the Swiss authorities of failing to cooperate with an inquiry into the power cut. The Swiss Federal Energy Office said it was “astonished” by the accusations – including the claim that Switzerland was making statements it could not verify. “There are several players…

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