ETH News
All stories that have been tagged with ETH News
Inspiring future engineers
News
In this year’s innovation projects, ETH students had to develop an engineering kit that can be used to spark adolescents' interest in engineering.
Tunable quantum traps for excitons
News
Researchers at ETH Zurich have succeeded for the first time in trapping excitons - quasiparticles consisting of negatively charged electrons and positively charged holes – in a semiconductor material using controllable electric fields. The new technique is important for creating single photon sources as well as for basic research.
Shelter, stability and beauty
News
After 15 years as Professor of Architecture and Construction, Annette Spiro recently retired to become professor emerita. Her lectures and publications inspired a whole generation of architecture students at ETH Zurich.
The chaotic early phase of the solar system
News
An international team of researchers led by the ETH Zurich and the National Centre of Competence in Research PlanetS have reconstructed the early history of several asteroids more precisely than ever before. Their results indicate that the early solar system was more chaotic than previously thought.
A state-of-the-art solution for hydrocephalus
News
The VIEshunt student team aims to benefit patients by developing an intelligent shunt able to regulate the intracranial pressure.
Slovak President visits ETH
News
Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová and President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis visited ETH Zurich today. The Slovak President is currently on a two-day state visit to Switzerland and made a stop at the university.
Swiss Science celebrates Hansjörg Wyss
- News
- Press release
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Hansjörg Wyss is one of the major private donors for Swiss science. Today, Wyss was celebrated as the laureate of the 2022 Gallatin Award of the Swiss American Chamber of Commerce.
Autonomous water purification
News
ETH News has been videoing three student teams working on focus projects. One of these is the Sowa team.
Precursor of spine and brain forms passively
News
Researchers at ETH Zurich have conducted a detailed study of neurulation – how the neural tube forms during embryonic development. They conclude that this happens less actively than previously thought. This also has implications for understanding defects such as spina bifida.
Robot dog on the way to the moon
News
The robotic explorer GLIMPSE, created at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich, has made it into the final round of a competition for prospecting resources in space. The long-term goal is for the robot to explore the south polar region of the moon.
Drone and soft gripper become best friends
News
Focus projects allow mechanical and electrical engineering students to put what they have learned into practice. ETH News accompanied three student teams with a video camera – one of which was the “Raptor” team.
“Neutrality is only one means among many”
News
The war in Ukraine poses some major challenges to Swiss security policy. Andreas Wenger, Director of the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich, explains why we will need to broaden our understanding of defence in the future – and why international cooperation is becoming increasingly important.
KITE Award for physics experiments at home
News
This year’s ETH award for particularly innovative teaching projects goes to a course that brings physics experiments for students right into their home. The project was up against 24 others competing for the KITE Award 2022.
Helping robots feel more human
News
For his doctorate, Johannes Weichart is developing an artificial skin that could give robots a sense of touch similar to humans. This would make them much more adept at handling objects.
An opportunity for refugees – and for ETH
News
ETH Zurich started offering pre-apprenticeships for refugees last August. How are things going for the first two participants in the programme? And what are the next steps for the pilot project?
"The EU won’t become a defense alliance like NATO"
News
In an interview with ETH News, ETH Zurich Professor Frank Schimmelfennig analyses how the war in Ukraine is affecting the European Union and whether Ukraine is likely to be granted membership.
Light amplification accelerates chemical reactions in aerosols
News
Aerosols in the atmosphere react to incident sunlight. This light is amplified in the interior of the aerosol droplets and particles, accelerating reactions. ETH researchers have now been able to demonstrate and quantify this effect and recommend factoring it into future climate models.
“Without risks, life would be unbearable.”
Globe magazine
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has suddenly shifted the debate on security policy. An interview for Globe magazine with ETH researchers Myriam Dunn Cavelty, Vally Koubi und Giovanni Sansavini on the subject of security and risk conducted in January has been overtaken by events and will therefore not go to print. We want to nevertheless make it available to you online. A lot of the questions and answers would be different today. Read it for yourself.
What the young think about the natural sciences
News
How much do children and adolescents really understand about what constitutes scientific knowledge? According to a new study by researchers from ETH Zurich and the University of Tübingen, this has less to do with intelligence – and more to do with the academic background of their parents.
Enhancing deep sleep
News
Researchers have developed a wearable device that plays specific sounds to enhance deep sleep. The first clinical study has now shown that the device is effective, but not at the same level of effectiveness for everyone.
Climeworks raises CHF 600 million
News
ETH spin-off Climeworks is specialised in technology that filters CO₂ directly from the air. The company secured CHF 600 million in investment in its latest equity round, allowing it to invest in new large-scale air capture facilities.
QS ranks ETH Zurich in world’s top 10 for 16 subjects
News
International higher education think tank, QS releases its World University Rankings by Subject. Sixteen ETH Zurich disciplines place in the top 10 contributing to Switzerland’s place as the third best in the world’s higher education sector.
A look into the magnetic future
News
Researchers at PSI and ETH Zurich have observed for the first time how tiny magnets in a special layout align themselves solely as a result of temperature changes. This view into processes that take place within so-called artificial spin ice could play an important role in the development of novel high-performance computers.
Ubiquitous nutrients suppress appetite and promote movement
News
In experiments on mice, researchers at ETH Zurich show that non-essential amino acids act as appetite suppressants and promote the urge to move. Their research provides insight into the neural mechanism that controls this behaviour.
A new dimension in transplantation
News
In a technological breakthrough, researchers at ETH Zurich have announced the development of a new technique that can transplant mitochondria – the tiny powerhouses of the cell – from one living cell to another with unparalleled efficiency.
The Dyatlov Pass mystery and what a research article can trigger
News
The slab avalanche modelling that Alexander Puzrin and Johan Gaume, two researchers from ETH and EPFL, used to explain the so-called Dyatlov Pass mystery has triggered a variety of responses around the world. In a follow-up article, the two researchers reflect on the impact of their research findings in science and the media and describe the follow up expeditions to the Dyatlov Pass that supported the slab avalanche theory.
Underground entrepreneur
News
Geophysicist Mauro Häusler is a Pioneer Fellow at ETH Zurich. He uses a seismic method to investigate rock instabilities and wants to establish himself as a service provider in the geoengineering industry.
Individual funding is history
Press release
Four researchers from ETH Zurich have been awarded a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). Since Switzerland is no longer fully associated, they will receive the approximately eight million francs in research funding from the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
Automatically filter and block cookies
News
Cookie consent banners only appear to give users control over their data. So researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a browser extension that uses machine learning to recognise and block unnecessary cookies.
Solving problems with intuition
News
In her research as a number theorist, Sarah Zerbes focuses on one of the oldest – but also most topical – branches of mathematics. Her work is closely tied to one of the great open mathematical problems, the solution for which carries a prize of one million dollars.
“We won’t see a second Cold War”
Globe magazine
Russia’s attack on Ukraine calls the security architecture in Europe into question. In an interview with Globe, ETH Professor Andreas Wenger explains the medium- and long-term consequences for international and Swiss security policy.
Traces of life in the Earth's deep mantle
News
The rapid development of fauna 540 million years ago has permanently changed the Earth - deep into its lower mantle. A team led by ETH researcher Andrea Giuliani found traces of this development in rocks from this zone.
When it comes to forecasts, politics fails more often than science
Zukunftsblog
Politicians and the media struggle with predictions. This is more a problem resulting from a poor understanding of uncertainties than from the reliability of models, argues Reto Knutti.
Like bacteria firing spearguns
News
Biologists from ETH Zurich have discovered speargun-like molecular injection systems in two types of bacteria and have described their structure for the first time. The special nanomachines are used by the microbes for the interaction between cells and could one day be useful as tools in biomedicine.
How we can adapt to climate change
Zukunftsblog
Thomas Bernauer contributed to the latest IPCC report on adaptation to climate change. He sees nature and good governance as our most important resources for coping with the effects of climate change.
"This is a historic rupture"
News
Russia attacked Ukraine on Thursday night. ETH researcher Benno Zogg from the Center for Security Studies on President Putin’s goals, the effectiveness of sanctions and the consequences of the invasion for European security.
Artificial intelligence listens to the sound of healthy machines
News
Sounds provide important information about how well a machine is running. ETH researchers have now developed a new machine learning method that automatically detects whether a machine is "healthy" or requires maintenance.
Gabriela Hug on the topic of energy supply
News
In the video series "Ask the Expert", experts from ETH Zurich answer questions from the community. In this episode Gabriela Hug talks about energy supply.
Momoyo Kaijma and Yoshiharu Tsukamoto receive Wolf Prize
News
Momoyo Kaijima, Professor of Architectural Behaviorology at ETH Zurich, and her partner Yoshiharu Tsukamoto have been honoured with this year’s Wolf Prize for their ethnographically inspired approach to architecture. According to the jury, the work produced by their studio, Atelier Bow-Wow, is characterised by a great sensitivity towards local contexts and the social impact of architecture.
ETH graduates reinvent the user manual
News
No sooner had David Shapira and Kordian Caplazi finished their studies than they set about creating a start-up. Rimon develops virtual user manuals for industrial companies, enabling users to quickly and intuitively learn how to operate complex machines with the aid of AR glasses.
Science needs more women
News
To mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we take a look back at a year shaped by strong women. Although there’s still a long way to go in achieving a gender balance in research and education, ETH Zurich has no shortage of female role models.
Doctoral school picks up speed
News
Through its new doctoral programme, the MaP Doctoral School, ETH Zurich plans to train specialists in materials and processes who will work across disciplines to tackle the big challenges of our time, such as climate change, sustainable development and personalised medicine.
Exploring the architecture of tumours
News
ETH researchers have used computer simulations to show that tissue structure in different types of cancer is decisive in determining how a tumour develops. This information could make it possible to treat patients in a more targeted manner in future.
The Congo tropical forest is simply different
News
Until now, research assumed that the vast forest area of the Congo Basin, like other tropical forests, releases large amounts of nitrous oxide and binds methane. Researchers at ETH Zurich have now shown that it behaves differently: methane is released, while nitrous oxide emissions are smaller than thought.
Mathematics, diplomacy and the art of negotiation
News
After nine years as ETH Professor of Negotiation and Conflict Management, Michael Ambühl is soon to become a professor emeritus. We look back at the remarkable career of a former State Secretary who was determined to translate practice into theory.
How robots learn to hike
News
ETH Zurich researchers led by Marco Hutter have developed a new control approach that enables a legged robot, called ANYmal, to move quickly and robustly over difficult terrain. Thanks to machine learning, the robot can combine its visual perception of the environment with its sense of touch for the first time.
Software to speed up training of neural networks
News
When working with neural networks, their training is the single most resource-demanding and costly process. Scientists at the ETH Zurich have now developed a software that considerably speeds up training. This will be especially relevant for scientific applications of future users of “Alps” at CSCS.
Earth’s interior is cooling faster than expected
News
Researchers at ETH Zurich have demonstrated in the lab how well a mineral common at the boundary between the Earth’s core and mantle conducts heat. This leads them to suspect that the Earth’s heat may dissipate sooner than previously thought.
Are these the last ERC grants for ETH?
Press release
In the last application process for the sought-after ERC Starting Grants, the European Research Council made 11 awards to ETH researchers worth about CHF 17 million. Due to Switzerland’s non-association, however, the researchers will not receive these grants. The funds will now be provided by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
Shaping the future together
Globe magazine
The idea behind rETHink is to cement the university’s position as a world-leading institution. President Joël Mesot, Vice President Julia Dannath and transformation coach Dieter Schmid reflect on ingrained habits and inspiring moments.
What will it take to achieve a climate-neutral energy system?
News
From a technological and economic perspective, the Swiss energy system could be climate-neutral by 2050. There are various challenges when it comes to implementation, however. Deployment of photovoltaics, for example, would have to increase at a faster rate. Academia and industry discussed possible energy scenarios at ETH Zurich.
Growing carbon footprint of plastics
News
After analysing the global plastics value chain, ETH researchers have revealed that the impact of plastics on climate and health is bigger than originally thought due to the increased use of coal for process heat, electricity and as a raw material in production.
Harnessing the organisation of the cell surface
News
Scientists at ETH Zurich have developed a new method to determine how proteins are organised on the surface of cells. Insights gained with the technology could lead to the development of novel drugs to fight cancer.
A new Master's degree in brain sciences
News
ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich are jointly offering a new interdisciplinary Master's degree in brain sciences starting in the autumn of 2022. The programme combines biology, neuroscience and clinical methods.
Airy and efficient
News
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a new photocatalyst made from an aerogel that could enable more efficient hydrogen production. The key is sophisticated pretreatment of the material.
EPFL and ETH Zurich launch their first joint doctoral programme
News
Switzerland’s two federal institutes of technology have teamed up to offer a new joint doctoral programme in the learning sciences. It aims to train experts to draw on their technological and scientific knowledge in the interests of advancing the research, teaching and learning.
A new boost for the data highway
News
Increasingly large amounts of data are being sent back and forth around the world. To ensure that this exchange continues to function smoothly, new solutions are needed at the interfaces between chips and optical fibres. The ETH Zurich spin-off Lumiphase relies on a new material that efficiently converts electrical signals into optical ones.
ETH Zurich receives official accreditation
News
The Swiss federal government uses the institutional accreditation process to review the quality assurance systems of universities and colleges. An international group of experts has attested to ETH Zurich’s having a “distinctive and broadly internalised culture of quality” based on participation, trust and the ETH spirit.
One cat and three masters
News
Matteo Fadel is investigating the interplay between quantum mechanics and gravity as part of his Branco Weiss Fellowship. He wants to observe quantised sound waves with the help of a sapphire.
Scientists call for more ambition in climate negotiations
News
Climate scientists from around the world have just published an open letter on COP26.
Finding inspiration in starfish larva
News
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a tiny robot that mimics the movement of a starfish larva. It is driven by sound waves and equipped with tiny hairs that direct the fluid around it, just like its natural model. In the future, such microswimmers could deliver drugs to diseased cells with pinpoint accuracy.
Examining the skin with a vacuum
News
Biomechanical engineer Bettina Müller has developed a device that can improve examinations of how scars heal. She hopes her device will help doctors to diagnose skin diseases. “Nimble” is set to go to market within two years.
“The whole of Switzerland is losing out”
News
No access to prestigious grants. Limited opportunities to have a say in European research policy. Less interest from partners and researchers. These are just some of the ways in which ETH Zurich and Switzerland as a whole are being affected by the country’s exclusion from the Horizon Europe programme.
“I don’t like dogmas much”
News
These days, the cause of death in cancer patients often isn’t the primary tumour, but metastases. With his research, biochemist Nicola Aceto has found a new way to prevent the formation of such secondary tumours. To achieve this, the Latsis laureate had to repeatedly fight against the prevailing wisdom.
A molecular biologist with a fascination for sunburn
News
Human cells are like tiny, multi-purpose factories. In his research, ETH biologist Gabriele Alessandro Fontana investigates how cells repair damaged DNA. The mechanisms he has identified will help us to gain a better understanding of diseases and to develop new drugs.
Plankton head polewards
News
Ocean warming caused by anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions will prompt many species of marine plankton to seek out new habitats, in some cases as a matter of sur-vival. ETH Zurich researchers expect many organisms to head to the poles and form new communities – with unforeseeable consequences for marine food webs.
In conversation with “Digital Einstein”
News
Albert Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics a century ago. To mark this occasion, ETH Zurich has brought its most famous alumnus to life digitally. At 20 October, “Digital Einstein” will take up residence in ETH’s Campus Info Hönggerberg for one week.
How to better identify dangerous volcanoes
News
The more water is dissolved in the magma, the greater the risk that a volcano will explode. A new ETH study now shows that this simple rule is only partially true. Paradoxically, high water content significantly reduces the risk of explosion.
A fun approach to experiencing agricultural sciences
News
ETH Zurich is at Olma. Until 17 October, the family-friendly ETH booth will showcase “Research for Sustainable Agriculture” and introduce key issues in crops, livestock and agricultural policy through interactive games.
Transport pricing in practice
News
In the largest worldwide pricing experiment to date, researchers have demonstrated that road users change their behavior when they must pay for the social and environmental effects of their transportation. The study was led by researchers from the University of Basel, ETH Zurich and ZHAW.
The pandemic chips away at ETH student satisfaction
News
A survey of ETH students finds that just 62 percent are satisfied with their studies, down from 82 percent in 2015. The main reason for the decline is the pandemic. However, ETH has improved on many specific issues, such as teaching.
Commercially viable production of climate-neutral plastic is possible
News
By cleverly combining different technologies, manufacturers can produce plastic that is climate neutral over its entire life cycle. A new study by an international team of researchers has shown that this combination requires less energy than alternatives and costs the same – or even less.
The inspiring view from the car
News
ETH fellow Marianna Charitonidou examines the influence of social changes on architecture. She cites the experience of viewing the urban landscape while driving a car as an example.
Geologically vibrant continents produce higher biodiversity
News
Using a new mechanistic model of evolution on Earth, researchers at ETH Zurich can now better explain why the rainforests of Africa are home to fewer species than the tropical forests of South America and Southeast Asia. The key to high species diversity lies in how dynamically the continents have evolved over time.
“We’ve grown more realistic”
News
The NADEL Center for Development and Cooperation at ETH Zurich is celebrating its 50th anniversary. We sat down with NADEL co-directors Isabel Günther and Fritz Brugger to learn more about the effectiveness of development cooperation as well as the centre’s new missions and plans for the future.
A Glimpse into the ocean’s biological carbon pump
News
Oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through microscopic algae that carry out photosynthesis and then sink to the deep sea when they die. This sinking enhances the degradation processes, as ETH researchers have now discovered.
Rock shape should be given greater consideration in risk assessments
The shape of rocks is a key factor in assessing rockfall hazard. This is the conclusion of a new study from the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research and ETH Zurich.
COVID certificate requirement: the way back to in-person teaching
News
The announcement that COVID certificates will be compulsory has been welcomed by both students’ and lecturers’ associations at ETH Zurich as the best way back to in-person teaching. Implementation is a challenge, as Rector Sarah Springman explains.
Much more than just chocolate
News
He might have been known to the general public as the “Chocolate Professor”, but the newly retired ETH professor Erich Windhab was interested in much more than just indulgence. He also dedicated himself to issues of global food security and sustainability.
Laying the foundations for new cancer therapies
News
The Italian scientist Nicola Aceto will receive the Swiss Science Prize Latsis 2021 worth CHF 100,000. Aceto is an associate professor at ETH Zurich and is being honoured for his groundbreaking discoveries in the field of cancer research.
Acoustic illusions
News
ETH researchers have devised an ingenious method of using acoustics to conceal and simulate objects.
An insulator made of two conductors
News
At ETH Zurich researchers have observed a new state of matter: in graphene layers twisted relative to each other, two electrical conductors team up to form an insulator.
Batteries for transporting mobility into the future
News
High-performance batteries are key to the comprehensive roll-out of e-mobility. ETH Pioneer Fellow Paul Baade is looking into how to manufacture them more cost-effectively.
Fibres make chaotic turbulence more predictable
News
The chaotic behaviour of vortices is one of the things that makes weather forecasting difficult. Researchers at ETH Zurich developed a novel experimental method enabling accurate analyses of the movement and energy of turbulence in fluids with less effort.
Those who fail productively are all the wiser
News
Researchers from ETH Zurich have demonstrated the positive effects of productive failure on learning outcomes. The success rate for one of ETH’s largest courses was increased by 20 percent.
Software that helps us increase our mental strength
News
Which mental state do we need to be in to perform at our best? ETH Pioneer Fellow Marc Bächinger is working with Sarah Meissner to come up with the answer. Their technology, MyFlow, helps build mental strength. Together, they are about to launch their own start-up.
The mysterious, invisible object that keeps our galaxy in motion
News
What secrets are held by the black hole at the centre of the Milky Way? Andrea Ghez, astronomer and Nobel Laureate in Physics, will discuss this question as part of next week’s Paul Bernays Lectures 2021. The honorary lecture series on the philosophy of the exact sciences will take place for the tenth time.
New, high-resolution models merge weather and climate
Torrential rain and flooding have dominated the weather over the past few weeks. To forecast these weather events with greater accuracy and gain a better understanding of them against the backdrop of global climate change, ETH Zurich and partners are developing a new generation of high-resolution weather and climate models.
A promising breakthrough: Nanocrystals made of amalgam
News
Researchers at ETH have managed to produce nanocrystals made of two different metals using an amalgamation process whereby a liquid metal penetrates a solid one. This new and surprisingly intuitive technique makes it possible to produce a vast array of intermetallic nanocrystals with tailored properties for diverse applications.
Europe’s largest capacity research centrifuge
News
The most capable geotechnical research centrifuge in Europe is currently being built on the Hönggerberg campus. It will enable researchers to simulate geotechnical structures, such as foundations, dams and tunnels, and the effects of natural hazards, such as earthquakes, landslides, flooding and tsunamis. The centrifuge itself was installed on Wednesday with meticulous precision.
Martian moons have a common ancestor
News
Phobos and Deimos are the remains of a larger Martian moon that was disrupted between 1 and 2.7 billion years ago, say researchers from the Institute of Geophysics at ETH Zurich and the Physics Institute at the University of Zurich. In collaboration with the U.S. Naval Observatory, they reached this conclusion using computer simulations and seismic recordings from the InSight Mars mission.
Security flaw detected for the second time in credit cards
News
After finding a vulnerability in certain credit cards for the first time last year, ETH researchers have now found a way to outsmart the PIN codes for other payment cards.
Swimming upstream on sound waves
News
ETH researchers are among the first scientists to have succeeded in propelling microvehicles against a fluid flow using ultrasound. In future, these tiny vehicles are set to be introduced into the human bloodstream, thereby revolutionising the field of medicine.
We need a global science panel on chemicals and waste
Zukunftsblog
Chemical pollution is a global threat that demands for global action, says Zhanyun Wang. An interface body similar to the IPCC could help bridge the gap between science and policy.
Human impact on solar radiation levels for decades
News
Based on the long-term Potsdam radiation time series, ETH Professor Martin Wild and his collaborators have shown that variations in the intensity of sunlight over decades are down to ultra-fine, man-made dirt particles in the atmosphere.
On the quest for other earths
News
An international research team with members from ETH has developed a new method for directly imaging smaller planets in the habitable zone of a neighbouring star system. This opens up new possibilities in the search for extraterrestrial life.
Call for transparency
Zukunftsblog
The turbulence created by speculation in GameStop shares has highlighted the lack of transparency on trading platforms. Roger Wattenhofer thinks it is time for a change, and calls for more open data not just in financial transactions, but in many other areas.
Career planning for postdocs
News
There are more than 1,500 postdocs researching and teaching at ETH. Only a small portion of them will later become professors. In early February, ETH held a career week with numerous talks and workshops to provide even more support to its postdoc community.
Towards more fish-friendly hydropower plants
News
Over the course of the EU project “FIThydro”, research and industry partners studied the ecological impact of hydropower plants. ETH Zurich’s Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW) has developed a protection and guidance system that can help migratory fish to safely bypass hydropower turbines.
How cities can grow sustainably
Press release
A new five-year research collaboration between ETH Zurich and three Singapore universities will see scientists from both countries come together to develop solutions to help cities and their surrounding regions achieve sustainable growth.The collaborative venture launched on 1 December 2020.