October 2019

The School for Continuing Education is adding new courses. Six new CAS programmes will be kicking off next year, including three for (future) managers with non-technical backgrounds.

On behalf of a German ship operator, a team from ETH Zurich mapped out “routes” towards emission-free shipping. To this end, they investigated shipping activities in the North and Baltic Seas as well as the infrastructure, costs of new fuels and storage options.

Today’s new buildings could easily last until 2050 and beyond. That's why we now need binding climate targets in the construction sector, argues Guillaume Habert. 

ETH researchers have recently been able to monitor the corrosion of bioresorbable magnesium alloys at the nanoscale over a time scale of a few seconds to many hours. This is an important step towards accurately predicting how fast implants are resorbed by the body to enable the development of tailored materials for temporary implant applications.

For her doctoral thesis at ETH Zurich, Mariana Popescu developed a novel method to create a low-cost, lightweight and more sustainable formwork system for concrete structures. Her method using machine-knitted technical textiles has led to the young architect being included in the prestigious global list of “Innovators under 35”.

Snow is disappearing, the supposedly “eternal” glacial ice is melting, mountains are crumbling. Mountainous regions are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Take our quiz to get ready for the upcoming public event ETH Klimarunde on the topic “climate change in the mountains”.

A number of researchers have published critical comments in the journal Science about an ETH Zurich study that generated a lot of interest with its quantitative assessment of the technical potential that reforestation holds for reducing CO₂. In the following interview, Professor Detlef Günther, Vice President for Research and Corporate Relations, explains why he welcomes this discourse.

Gerd Folkers was the first head of Critical Thinking ETH (CTETH) and left an indelible mark on the initiative. After retiring from his professorship last year, he has now handed over leadership of CTETH to the next generation. As one of ETH’s most multifaceted intellectuals, Folkers could always be counted on to hold up a mirror to the scientific community.

Two ETH Zurich projects and one with ETH involvement have been awarded one of the coveted ERC Synergy Grants. These EU grants offer up to EUR 14 million to promote interdisciplinary collaboration on research projects.

Clay minerals suspended in seawater binds sedimentary organic carbon to their mineral surfaces. But the quantity of carbon that is bound and the source of that carbon very much depends on the clay mineral in question. A research team from ETH Zurich and Tongji University have shown this by studying sediments in the South China Sea.