Research
Our visual perception is more rational than we think
Research
ETH Zurich
Our visual perception depends more strongly on the utility of information than previously thought. This has been demonstrated in a series of experiments conducted by researchers at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. Cognitive biases can begin at the retina.
A furnace for safe timber buildings
Research
ETH Zurich
Timber construction is undergoing a renaissance in Switzerland. ETH researchers at the Hönggerberg campus are using a fire simulator to test timber components for the construction of buildings of all sizes. The custom-built oven permits simulations of realistic fire scenarios.
Storms 2022 – Minor damage, no fatalities
Research
WSL
Floods, debris flows, landslides and rock falls caused damage of around CHF 45 million in 2022 - ten times less than in 2021. There were no fatalities. This is the result of the annual evaluation of the Swiss flood and landslide damage database by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL).
Researchers unveil first Chat-GPT-designed robot
Research
EPFL
EPFL researchers have used Chat-GPT-3 to develop a robotic gripper for harvesting tomatoes, in a first demonstration of the artificial intelligence tool’s potential for collaborating with humans on robot design.
EPFL scientists unlock new horizons for cryogenic microscopy
Research
EPFL
EPFL scientists have developed a new research instrument for observing biological tissue samples prepared using a method discovered about forty years ago by Nobel Prize winner Jacques Dubochet, emeritus professor at the University of Lausanne. Their instrument – the only one of its kind in the world – opens up promising new avenues of research.
“Sea ice and snow act like a protective shield”
Research
WSL
8 June is World Oceans Day. The SLF is also conducting research in the ocean, namely on sea ice. In a short interview Ruzica Dadic, head of the research unit Snow and Atmosphere at the SLF, talks about the motivation for and the goals of these studies.
Rethinking wastewater management
Research
ETH Zurich Eawag
Sewer systems and centralised treatment plants are not a sustainable solution for managing the world’s wastewater. Environmental engineers at ETH Zurich and Eawag have been helping to develop decentralised, closed-loop modular systems.
A contested resource
Research
ETH Zurich
The expansion of hydropower generation often leads to conflicts of interest, both in Switzerland and beyond. Researchers from ETH Zurich are trying to find a basis for compromise that serves the public interest.
Take a deep breath
Research
ETH Zurich
Pulmonary surfactant is a special fluid released by cells in the lungs. For premature babies and COVID-19 patients in intensive care, it can mean the difference between life and death. An ETH materials scientist hopes to shed some light on this complex substance.
A world in flux
Research
ETH Zurich
Heavier rain, longer droughts, melting glaciers: climate change has a dramatic impact on the global water cycle.
Traces in the water
Research
ETH Zurich
How we are contaminating our waters with microplastics and a multitude of chemicals.
PSI researchers use extreme UV light to produce tiny structures for information technology
Research
PSI
Researchers at PSI have refined a process known as photolithography, which can further advance miniaturisation in information technology.
Slow electrons for more efficient reactions
Research
ETH Zurich
Researchers have managed to produce slow electrons in a solution. In the future, such electrons could help make certain chemical reactions more efficient.
Rapid test for sepsis
Research
Empa
In the case of blood poisoning, the bacteria in the blood must be identified as fast as possible so that a life-saving therapy can be started. Empa researchers have now developed "sepsis sensors" with magnetic nanoparticles that detect bacterial pathogens within a short period of time and identify suitable candidates for antibiotic therapies.
Droughts increasingly reduce CO2 uptake in the tropics
Research
ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich researchers have found that droughts and land water variability have had an increasing effect on the carbon cycle in the tropics over the last sixty years. Most climate models fail to capture this observation. This could mean that terrestrial ecosystems could absorb less CO2 than expected in their role as carbon sinks in the future.
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