Innovation: Switzerland discovers

Research news

Behavioural economics Consumers more likely to prefer insect-based foods if they're expensive

A Swiss-led study shows that consumers might be more tempted by insect-based foods if they associate them with high quality via a hefty price tag.

Science Saturday Rising temperatures lead to new plant species in tundra

An international study has shown that warmer temperatures in the Arctic tundra are changing the type and size of plants growing in the region.

Technology in our lives

Energy innovation Why our cities aren’t as smart as they could be

By Celia Luterbacher in Geneva

Are low-consumption, high-efficiency ‘green’ technologies enough to create the kind of sustainable cities we’d like to live in?

Green light Intelligent traffic lights guide driverless buses through traffic

Thanks to intelligent traffic lights, SmartShuttles will be able to cross junctions without the help of a driver.

Future of Transport Geneva to test fleet of self-driving buses

The canton of Geneva is set to test a system of self-driving public buses as part of an international project part-funded by the EU.

New technologies Nobel Prize winning chemist voices AI concerns

Jacques Dubochet, the Swiss winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, has called for greater control over new technologies such as artificial ...

The business of innovation

Swiss innovation Welcome to the Drone Valley

By Luca Beti

Switzerland's "Drone Valley" is home to 80 startups in the field. What are the factors driving their success? And how can we avoid chaos in the skies?

Hyperloop Are super-fast Swiss railway plans gaining momentum?

By Christian Raaflaub, Lausanne and Zurich

Businessman and creative whirlwind Elon Musk wants to revolutionise transportation with a super-fast system that sends magnetic passenger pods ...

Space-age technology Swiss team comes third in Hyperloop competition

A team from the Swiss federal institute of technology Lausanne (EPFL) has won third place in Elon Musk’s “Hyperloop Pod Competition” in California.

Risky business A new model for Swiss innovation

By Celia Luterbacher

The World Intellectual Property Organization has again named Switzerland the most innovative country. Where is there room for improvement?

Doing science

Benoist science prize Conflict researcher wins ‘Swiss Nobel’ prize

Lars-Erik Cederman has won this year’s Benoist prize for his work showing how fairly distributed power and resources help reduce ethnic conflicts.

Switzerland-China comparison Why current air pollution limits only tackle half the problem

By Xudong Yang, Celia Luterbacher

A comparison of air samples from Switzerland and China suggests that setting pollution restrictions based on particle size alone may not be enough.

Science for all Switzerland takes top spot in global open access ranking

With 39% of publicly and privately funded research publications freely accessible, Switzerland occupies the top spot in a global comparison.

Alessio Figalli Swiss-based mathematician wins prestigious prize

Alessio Figalli of the ETH Zurich institute has been awarded the top award in mathematics, the Fields Medal, for his outstanding achievement in ...

Waste not, want not Urban Mining: a second life for building material

Enrico Marchesi, innovation manager of the NEST building at Empa, explains the concept of Urban Mining and shows some examples.

See in other languages: 7

Digging deep What does the snow layer tell us?

Snow physicist Charles Fierz and his colleague from the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) in Davos demonstrate the various tests and ...

See in other languages: 6

Podcast Meet the researchers challenging the scientific status quo

By Celia Luterbacher

Science is always a work in progress, and any theory or finding, published in even the most prestigious journal, could someday be turned on its head.

AI at WEF The human brain in machine form: a matter of when, not if

By Matthew Allen, Carlo Pisani

How close are scientists to recreating the human brain? What happens when machines become as intelligent as humans? Perspectives from Davos.

Mapping diversity Using planes and lasers for a biodiversity checkup

Researchers at the University of Zurich have developed a new system to measure the diversity and health of forests with a laser scanner mounted on ...

See in another language: 1

Nuclear emergency Measuring radiation in the air and soil

Spiez Laboratory is a key part of the monitoring and emergency task force set up to deal with a major nuclear or radiological event in Switzerland.

See in other languages: 8

Polluting petrol Swiss researchers dish up the dirt on petrol

Diesel vehicles are to blame for lots of particulate matter, but modern petrol engines produce 100 times more. That's the conclusion of ...

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