News
Venus: Dead? Far from it
Simulations conducted by researchers at ETH Zurich suggest a strong likelihood that Venus’s rift valleys are still geologically active rather than being mere relics of a bygone era, as had been previously believed. This finding reshapes our understanding of Earth’s sister planet and will influence future missions to Venus.
Breath, not blood: device measures fat burning in exhaled air
Researchers from ETH Zurich have developed a portable measuring device that detects the metabolic marker acetone in breath almost as accurately as a mass spectrometer. It can be used by laypeople and detects when the body starts burning fat when dieting or during exercise.
New funding programme helps ETH graduates bring their start-up ideas to market faster
ETH students and recent graduates with a promising business idea and a functional prototype can now access dedicated support. The new UPortunity program helps them to launch their start-up and bring their innovations to market quickly.
ETH Zurich centralises climate and Earth observation data for the research of tomorrow
AI models are playing an increasingly important role in weather forecasting and the early detection of natural hazards. Training these models requires vast amounts of climate and Earth observation data. Over the past few months, ETH Zurich has therefore copied openly available datasets from NASA to the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) in Lugano.
Phytoplankton apply the onion skin principle
The interactions between microscopic algal cells and bacteria in the oceans play a pivotal role in the global carbon cycle. Researchers at ETH Zurich have now taken an important step towards deciphering the chemical language that brokers these interactions.
Inside this computer chip, the memory vibrates
Quantum computers still face limits when it comes to storing information. Researchers at ETH Zurich are now turning to mechanical vibrations rather than electromagnetic memory. Their new vibrating memory can store significantly more information in a smaller volume. Combined with a suitable computer architecture, it also enables the efficient solution of complex computational problems.
Simulating cloud conditions for more accurate climate models
Every cloud droplet starts as an invisible particle, but the precise process of its formation remains unclear. Mayur Sapkal has created an instrument to study this process and is using it to improve the accuracy of climate predictions.
ETH Zurich inaugurates campus in Germany
Approximately two years after signing a joint letter of intent with the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, ETH Zurich is inaugurating a new campus in Heilbronn, with numerous guests from politics, industry and academia in attendance.
A 3D scanner for electromagnetic fields
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a method that uses a single ion to detect electromagnetic fields above a surface and to create a three-dimensional map of them. In the future, this approach can be used to improve chips for quantum computers and quantum sensors.
Alexander Mathys and Ferdinand von Meyenn, how can the protein hype be made more sustainable?
Proteins are often regarded as the key to good health and well-being. However, nutrition and food science experts Alexander Mathys and Ferdinand von Meyenn argue that an exclusive focus on protein is too narrow. They emphasise that the source of proteins and the composition of the overall diet are more critical factors influencing bodily health and the climate.
When new nuclear power plants are worth it in Switzerland
In order for new nuclear power plants to be competitive in the future, the government would have to support nuclear energy – alongside renewables – and bear a portion of the financial risks. In return, new nuclear power plants could reduce electricity imports during winter. These are the conclusions drawn by a new study from ETH Zurich and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI).