February 2022
The best of ETH Zurich news from journalists around the globe.
This month's top story
external pageWhy Scientists Are Sticking Microphones Underground -- The Atlantic
The following international news content features in digital, English-language platforms. ETH Zurich also appears in numerous broadcast television shows, films, and print publications. Some publications may require a subscription to view content (noted by the symbol here), while others allow free access to a limited number of articles.
Why soil is a surprisingly noisy place
external pageMarcus Maeder, an ETH Zurich Alumnus who just finished his PhD in Environmental Sciences at ETH Zurich’s D-USYS in 2021 is eavesdropping on creatures that live in the soil. Ecologists have long known that the ground beneath our feet is home to more life, and more diverse life, than almost any other place on Earth. To a layperson, soil seems little more than a compact layer of dirt. But in fact, the ground is a labyrinthine landscape of tunnels, cavities, roots and decaying litter.
China Banished Cryptocurrencies. Now, ‘Mining’ Is Even Dirtier
New research shows that China’s Bitcoin ban has sent the process of creating new coins, known as mining, to countries where it uses far less renewable energy. external pageResearchers, from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Technical University of Munich, ETH Zurich and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, estimated that Bitcoin mining may be responsible for about 65 megatons of carbon dioxide a year, comparable with the emissions of Greece.
The Future of Using the Air and Sun to Produce Sustainable Aircraft Fuel
Shipping and aviation combined account for around 8 percent of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions. external pageSwiss researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a rooftop refinery that turns sunlight and air into fuel. The aim is to produce carbon-neutral fuels for transportation, with an emphasis on aviation, because it is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize.
A Fantastic Feeling - Lightweight Exoskeleton
The Myosuit is an exoskeleton for people who need extra strength and support in everyday life. It is a training device for people with movement restrictions in their legs, resulting from an accident, a chronic disease such as MS, or age-related muscle weakness. A certain degree of residual muscle function is a prerequisite for using this soft exoskeleton, which was external pagedeveloped by ETH Zurich spinoff, MyoSwiss.
Swiss population in favor of strict food waste rules
external pageETH Zurich researchers have shown that the Swiss population is willing to pay more to reduce food waste. It is in favor of government regulations that set strict reduction targets and ensure transparent monitoring of implementation.
Spanish Dancer Galaxy Twirls into View from NSF’s NOIRLab in Chile
Located in the constellation Dorado and lying around 70 million light-years away, NGC 1566 is a grand-design spiral galaxy with two arms that appear to wind around the galactic core, just like the arms of a dancer as they spin around and around in a furious twirl. DOE-funded Dark Energy Camera captures a trove of celestial phenomena in one shot. external pageETH Zurich scientists are among 400 from 26 institutions and 7 countries supporting the Dark Energy Survey.
Russia-Ukraine crisis: Should UK be worried about an escalating cyber conflict?
Responding to the question: Can cyber warfare achieve strategic objectives? external pageDr. Lennart Maschmeyer, a researcher at the Centre for Security Studies in ETH Zurich told Sky News that he thought escalating cyber conflict to be extremely unlikely.
AI Overcomes Stumbling Block on Brain-Inspired Hardware
Algorithms that use the brain’s communication signal can now work on analog neuromorphic chips, which closely mimic our energy-efficient brains...“external pageIn analog lies the beauty of the brain’s core computations. Emulating this key aspect of the brain is one of the main drivers of neuromorphic computing,” said Charlotte Frenkel, a neuromorphic engineering researcher at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich.
Why collaboration is key to scientific discovery
external pageWe need more, not fewer, researchers collaborating to solve today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. By closely working with Swiss and British researchers, who have long played key roles, Horizon Europe projects will benefit – as they have in the past. This is the motivation behind ETH Zurich...leading the Stick-to-Science campaign.
Why Scientists Are Sticking Microphones Underground
Subterranean life isn’t as quiet as you might think. external pageThe first time that Marcus Maeder (PhD student in biodiversity, ETH Zurich) stuck a noise sensor into the ground, it was on a whim. A sound artist and an acoustic ecologist, he was sitting in a mountain meadow and pushed a special microphone he’d built into the soil. “I was just curious,” says Maeder.
Concurrent Droughts Worldwide Likely to Threaten Global Food and Water Security in Near Future: Study
Many of the regions that our analysis shows will be most affected are already vulnerable, and so the potential for droughts to become disasters is high," said external pagelead author Jitendra Singh, a former postdoctoral researcher at the WSU School of the Environment, now at ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
The women changing science in Switzerland
external pageMargarita Chli: the champion of robotic vision, ETH Zurich. “The idea of contributing even a little to improving quality of life and changing the common vision of robotics is a very important inspiration.” Margarita Chli is a professor and head of the Vision for Robotics Lab at the Swiss federal technology institute ETH Zurich
external pageSonia Seneviratne: the climate change guru at ETH Zurich. “Climate change is now. We are at the beginning of a new climate regime, but not everyone is aware of it.” Sonia Seneviratne is a climate scientist and professor at the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science at ETH Zurich.
external pageLavinia Heisenberg: the gravity-buster, ETH Zurich. “I am convinced that the physics we do today will have practical implications tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. We cannot yet say in which areas: new sources of energy, new ways of moving, things we cannot yet imagine...” Lavinia Heisenberg is professor of physics and theoretical cosmology at the Institute of Theoretical Physics at ETH Zurich.
An Interview with Women in the Clean Technology Sector
external pageNadia Shardt - Postdoc at the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science at ETH Zurich, investigating ice nucleation in atmospherically relevant systems using microfluidics. She says, "Equal educational opportunities and mentorship in science are two important ways to help achieve equal access."
external pageNúria Casacuberta Arola - Oceanograprapher at ETH Zurich studying water circulation using radionuclides to understand the role of the oceans in mitigating climate change. She says, "To get more women in the scientific community, women will need to feel that there is more support from the research institutions."
Building Toward Change: Conversing with Women in STEM
external pageDr. Ing. Marianna Charitonidou is an architect-engineer, spatial planner, curator, educator, theorist, and historian of architecture and urban planning, as well as a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich, says "The circular economy is at the center of architectural engineering discourse at the moment. I am particularly interested in the relationship between building strategies and urban sustainability."
Engineering Innovation: Showcasing Women in STEM
external pageAthina Anastasaki, an assistant professor at ETH Zurich focusing on the next generation of polymers and their recycling, says "My advice to young women and girls is to embrace their female nature. The reason why we want more women in STEM is to be represented by different voices."
external pageDr. Yurena Seguí Femenias holds...a doctorate in Civil Engineering from ETH Zurich. The co-founder and CEO of DuraMon GmbH, says "...the successful promotion of science among women is only possible in a safe environment. A culture of equality, open communication, and zero harassment must be a “must”."
external pageNicole Aegerter, Ph.D. student in the field of thermoplastic composites for structural applications at ETH Zurich, says "Today, our societal structures still keep many young women from following their scientific interests, which leads to a vicious circle because fewer women become role models for the next generations."
Catalyzing Innovation; in Conversation with Women in STEM
external pageDr. Nako Nakatsuka, Senior Scientist, Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics (LBB), ETH Zurich says, "... I made the connection between what I learned in the classroom and applying this knowledge to clinically relevant applications, which has been my motivator in scientific research since."
Want to impress on Valentine’s Day? Then make sure to wear red
external pageAnne Berthold, Senior Researcher, Consumer Behavior, Dept of Health Sciences and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich writes, "...Being attractive feels crucial for increasing one’s chances of romantic relationships. Wearing red, especially on Valentine’s Day, might be helpful when people want to impress."
See also All Africa, "external pageAfrica: Want to Impress On Valentine's Day? Then Make Sure to Wear Red"
Compound droughts could increase food security crisis
There could be around 120 million people across the globe simultaneously exposed to severe compound droughts each year by the end of the century," said external pagelead author Jitendra Singh, a former postdoctoral researcher at the WSU School of the Environment now at ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
See also external pageCompound Droughts Could Exacerbate Food Insecurity
Life in the soil was thought to be silent. What if it isn’t?
A handful of scientists, including external pageETH Zurich biodiversity student Marcus Maeder, have started to train their ears to the worms, grubs and roots underground. They were not prepared for what they heard. “They were very strange. There was thrumming and chirring and scraping. You need a whole new vocabulary to describe it.” Maeder was eavesdropping, he realized, on creatures that live in the soil.
Scandit raises $150M to automate inventory scanning with computer vision
Growing in the supply chain automation space is Scandit, which offers a platform that helps capture data from barcodes, text, objects, and IDs. The company — external pagean ETH Zurich spinoff which claims to have over 1,700 customers worldwide, including FedEx, Levi’s Strauss & Co., and Sephora — today announced that it raised $150 million in a series D funding round that values the company in excess of $1 billion.
Igniting the human spirit through movement: running brand ON at engadin art talks 2022
From the initial hosepipe prototype, the ON team developed their innovative CloudTec® technology, creating multi-directional cushioned soles for soft landings and explosive take-offs. ETH Zurich confirmed the effectiveness of the technology in a 2011 study that demonstrated test runners wearing ON shoes ran at significantly lower pulse rates and lower blood lactate levels.
Water Supplies From Glaciers May Peak Sooner Than Anticipated
Raymond Zhong, Climate reporter quotes external pageDaniel Farinotti, a glaciologist at ETH Zurich who commented: “The thickness of the glacier controls how fast it moves...and so, vice versa, if you know how fast it moves, you can say something about the thickness.”
The UnXplained and The Proof is out There
Two television series on the History Channel, featured research from ETH Zurich and the University of Miami publised in the journal Nature (2013) on the discovery of many circular-shaped ocean patterns in the Southern Ocean thought to have an important role in driving glacial/interglacial changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.
external pageThe UnXplained - Narrated by William Shatner (Star Trek actor)
Intervention doubles worm lifespan, even given in old age
external pageFlipping a genetic switch, even at old age, can rejuvenate elderly worms. Collin Ewald, ETH Zurich explains to Chris Smith, would worms in which an ageing-linked gene is deactivated later in life still benefit?
Ukraine Considers International Cyber Help
Ukrainian officials have a technology wish list as they continue probe of Jan. 14 cyberattack on government websites. external pageStefan Soesanto, a senior cyber defense researcher at the ETH Zurich, said...“To get hands-on, on-the-ground intelligence and then feed it back home so you can use it in your intelligence assessments and your defensive posture is super interesting, if you can get that access.”
Ice Cores Tell the Tale of an Incredibly Powerful Solar Storm That Hit the Earth 9,200 Years Ago
For decades, climate researchers and Earth scientists have used cores from ice sheets in the Arctic and Antarctic to better understand Earth’s climate history. In a recent analysis of ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica, a research team led by Lund University in Sweden, the external pageLaboratory of Ion Beam Physics at ETH Zurich, and the Ice Dynamics and Paleoclimate team (part of the British Antarctic Survey) found evidence of an extreme solar storm that occurred about 9,200 years ago – when solar activity was believed to be one of the Sun’s more “quiet” phases.
Researchers discover how long-term memory T cells are formed after Covid-19
Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 by infection or vaccination generates immune cells that provide long-term immunity. These long-lived memory T cells play a key role in preventing severe cases of Covid-19. external pageResearchers at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich have now discovered how these memory T cells form.
The first electron counts – how anaerobic microbes ‘breathe’ iron
Life has a way of adapting to challenging environments. While humans – as well as animals and plants in general – rely on oxygen to burn their nutrients, external pagesome microbes in low-oxygen habitats have learnt to rely on iron-containing minerals as a substitute. Scientists at ETH Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology have now reported...
Machine-Learning System Can Rapidly Predict the Way Two Proteins Will Bind
As experts continue to fight SARS-CoV-2, the virus that triggered COVID-19, one possible defense route is a synthetic antibody that binds with the spike proteins of the virus to stop the virus from penetrating a human cell. external pageScientists at MIT and co-lead author, Xinyuan Huang, a graduate student at ETH Zurich developed a machine-learning model that can directly predict the complex that will develop when two proteins stick together.
Earth Has 14% More Tree Species Than Previously Thought: Why Does Diversity of Forests Matter?
New global estimate of trees suggests an estimated 73,300 species of trees on Earth, wherein 9,200 of them are yet to be discovered. Researchers used the second world war codebreaking techniques called the Good-Turing Frequency Estimation that Alan Turing developed at Bletchley Park to identify many undiscovered tree species. Prof. external pageThomas Crowther at ETH Zurich who co-authored the study said that rare species are especially vulnerable, and losing them will have a ripple effect on ecosystems.
