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UZH News

Archive Mathematics and Natural Sciences 2019

Article list Mathematics and Natural Sciences

  • Astrophysics

    Capturing Alien Comets

    There should be interstellar comets hiding in our Solar system after making a journey of many lightyears. Maybe we have already seen one but believed it was a “normal” comet formed in the solar system, says Tom Hands, astrophysicist at the University of Zurich and member of the NCCR PlanetS.
  • Saving the World

    The Hydrogen Society

    Hydrogen is a clean source of electricity, fuel and fertilizer. The problem is that hydrogen still isn’t produced very sustainably. This could change – thanks to artificial photosynthesis.
  • New National Center of Competence in Research at UZH

    The Power of Language

    A new National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) will be based at the University of Zurich. Entitled “Evolving Language”, it will investigate the origins and future of language. UZH linguist Balthasar Bickel will serve as co-director of the research network alongside Anne-Lise Giraud from the University of Geneva. The national network includes numerous other universities and research institutes within Switzerland.
  • Protein Research

    Trendsetter for New Top Technology

    Biophysicist Ben Schuler will serve as a fellow at the Biophysical Society starting early next year. The US-based organization has recognized Schuler’s innovative contributions to protein research, marking the first time a researcher at the University of Zurich has received this honor.
  • Robotics

    UZH Drone Wins Silver

    Robotics professor Davide Scaramuzza and his research group finished in second place at the AlphaPilot international drone race. Among the nine finalists, the first three places were all won by university teams.
  • Jane Goodall at UZH

    Advocating for Animal Welfare

    Jane Goodall visited UZH and looked back on her eventful life with wild chimpanzees. The famous 85-year-old primatologist remains an energetic campaigner for animal welfare and environmental protection, and considers young people to be the biggest hope for the future.
  • Infrastructure

    Kantonsschulen temporär am Campus Irchel

    UZH is making its chemistry building on Irchel Campus available to three Zurich upper secondary schools from 2023 to 2032. In return, the University will be able to start constructing much-needed new buildings sooner than planned.
  • Plant Biology

    Fading Petunias

    Through heat, saline soil or aridity, the environment can directly influence the activity of genes. As the biologist Ueli Grossniklaus has demonstrated, in plants these epigenetic changes can sometimes be inherited.
  • Portrait: Artur Avila

    Beyond Facts

    He got booted from school in his home country of Brazil. Today Artur Avila is an award-winning mathematician teaching at UZH. The research he's conducting picks up roughly where Isaac Newton long ago left off.
  • The Abundance of Nature

    Fertile Ground

    We have to make use of the abundance of nature, says Bernhard Schmid. The environmental scientist is calling for more biodiversity in agriculture, as crop mixtures produce better yields and are more sustainable than monoculture farming practices.
  • Artifical Intelligence

    Artificial intelligence improves biomedical imaging

    Scientists at UZH and ETH Zurich are using artificial intelligence to improve the quality of images recorded through a relatively new biomedical imaging method. Their work paves the way for more accurate diagnoses and cost-effective devices.
  • Trainee Program

    Local experts for global reports

    Climate change and its consequences pose even greater challenges to developing countries than industrialized countries. But these countries are severely underrepresented in bodies assessing the relevant science. A training program for early career researchers at the Department of Geography takes counteraction.
  • PRIMA Grantees

    Springboard to Success

    The Swiss National Science Foundation’s PRIMA grants support outstanding female researchers on their way to obtaining professorships. Three recipients of the grant have chosen UZH as the host institution for their research projects.
  • Open Access

    Information Campaign on Open Access

    Open access is gathering pace. The Swiss National Science Foundation’s strategic objective is for all the research findings it funds to be freely accessible from 2020 onward. The University of Zurich is stepping up the advice and training it offers on open access.
  • Open Science

    New Zurich-Made Microscope Proves Popular

    Neuroscientist Fabian Voigt couldn’t find the perfect microscope to suit his needs – so he built one himself instead. His special light-sheet microscope (mesoSPIM) has since garnered interest from researchers all over the world.
  • Scientifica 2019

    Is it Possible to Clone a Voice?

    Come and find out at the Scientifica festival from 30 August to 1 September. Get a sneak preview with our teaser video.
  • Scientifica 2019

    Will the Aletsch Glacier turn into a lake?

    Come and find out at the Scientifica festival from 30 August to 1 September. Get a sneak preview with our teaser video.
  • Artificial Intelligence

    Cuddling a Robot Seal

    Humans and machines have a long history of co-existence, but artificial intelligence (AI) threatens to disrupt this delicate balance. Will machines become more intelligent than we are? Will they ultimately take over and enslave us?
  • Astrophysics

    Giant impact disrupted Jupiter’s core

    New interior models of Jupiter based on data gathered by NASA’s Juno mission suggested that the giant gas planet might not have a small compact core but rather a diluted, “fuzzy” one. Now, an international team with researchers of the University of Zürich and the NCCR PlanetS has found an explanation for this surprising Juno result.
  • Structural Biology

    On the brink of a revolution

    Structural biology has long played an essential role in drug development. Thanks to enormous progress in recent years, the field is now on the brink of a revolution. A symposium is bringing the stars of the scene together in Zurich.
  • Criminology

    Telltale Bacteria

    DNA tracing has become an indispensable tool when it comes to solving crimes. And now microbes are expanding the possibilities. A research group at UZH has conducted a study in which they examined bacteria in tissue samples for use in forensics.
  • Geography

    At a Glacial Pace

    Even though glaciers react relatively slowly to rising temperatures, Switzerland will have to adjust to a future without these magnificent ice masses. We will manage – but the challenges facing Asian countries are far greater.
  • Artificial Photosynthesis

    Splitting Water

    UZH chemist Sandra Luber has set her sights on achieving artificial photosynthesis. A successful outcome could enable major climate issues to be solved in one fell swoop. However, there are still many hurdles to overcome.
  • Botanical Garden

    Please Touch!

    The edible and medicinal plants section at the University’s Botanical Garden has had a complete overhaul. A feast for the senses awaits, with plants to smell, touch and taste, and children are especially welcome.
  • Robotics

    Drone Olympiad Ready for Takeoff

    Robotics professor Davide Scaramuzza has qualified to compete in an international drone racing series that will pit autonomous quadcopters against drone pilots. A million dollars await the winner.
  • Recycling

    Floating power plants

    Huge floating solar islands on the ocean that produce enough energy to enable CO2-neutral global freight traffic - it sounds like science fiction, but researchers have now figured out how it might be possible.
  • Astrophysics

    Stolen comets and free-floating objects

    Our Solar System may contain alien comets that were stolen from another star flying past 4.5 billion years ago. Far away in a distant cluster of young stars, a similar close encounter might have also sent the inter-stellar visitor “Oumuamua” flying on its way towards us, and there must be many more of these free-floating objects in the Galaxy. These are results of a new study by astrophysicists at the University of Zurich.
  • Ecology

    Opening our eyes to nature

    With a range of grasslands, wetlands and woods, Irchel Park is rich in ecosystems and is habitat to a host of plants and animals. A new trail has been designed to give visitors to Irchel Campus the chance to discover the park’s natural environment. Marking International Day for Biological Diversity, the Irchel Nature Trail officially opens today.
  • Astronomy

    “A village on the moon”

    Fifty years ago, on 21 July 1969, humans stood on the moon for the first time. To celebrate the anniversary of the moon landing, UZH astrophysicist Ben Moore has written a biography of the moon. In this interview he tells us about the new space race, and explains how the Earth’s satellite came into being.
  • New Center of Competence

    Evolution

    How do animals communicate? How do humans acquire language? When humanities scholars and natural scientists join forces, groundbreaking answers to those questions become possible. The new Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution at UZH aims to deliver them.
  • Nanotechnology

    Water that never freezes

    Can water reach minus 263 degrees Celsius without turning into ice? Yes it can, say researchers from the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, if it is confined in nanometre-scale lipid channels.
  • Climate Change

    Andreas Linsbauer

    As teacher trainer and scientist at the Department of Geography, Andreas Linsbauer communicates on environmental issues with various target groups. The exhibition he has curated, Expedition 2 Grad (Expedition 2 Degrees), opens at the National Park Centre in Zernez today.
  • Gravitational waves

    At the limits of measurability

    The international large-scale project LIGO/VIRGO researches gravitational waves and will start its third measuring period in April. UZH postdocs Maria Haney and Shubhanshu Tiwari are involved in the project – a significant honor for them professionally and for UZH.
  • Leadership

    “I don’t believe in rigid hierarchies”

    Do women lead differently? How do they view employee leadership and what is their approach to management? Italian studies expert Tatiana Crivelli Speciale and natural scientist Nicole Joller each have different views on this topic – including on gender quotas.
  • Astrophysics

    All about Jupiter

    Jupiter is the most important planet in our solar system, says Ravit Helled, an astrophysicist who’s investigating how the round giant and other planets were formed.
  • Ergonomics

    Working flat out

    More lifestyle choices or total exhaustion: There are pros and cons to flexible working hours says ergonomist Georg Bauer. In this interview he talks about the effects of digitalization and how to feel healthy and satisfied at work.