science wire

Switzerland may soon be facing a shortage of railway ballast. ETH geologists are heading into the wilds to track down new sources of crushed rocks.

From genetics and personalised medicine to health insurance and climate change: at ETH Week 2021, 120 students from all degree programmes and from 31 countries grappled with the topic of "Health for Tomorrow".

We often hear that Swiss consumers want their agriculture to be free from genetic engineering. But consumer acceptance of genetically modified crops is likely to be higher than the media leads us to believe, Angela Bearth says. The ban on growing genetically modified crops in Switzerland is set to expire at the end of this year.

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.

Many everyday activities rely on electricity. As we look to 2050, this dependence is set to increase, with demand for electricity in Switzerland likely to rise to 50 percent. The increased demand can only be met by transforming the energy system. Switzerland has set itself the goal of ending its greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

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.

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.

From the factory hall and not the field: ETH spin-off YASAI should soon be harvesting 20 tonnes of herbs a year from an indoor facility.

Artificial intelligence can help predict the three-dimensional structure of proteins. Beat Christen describes how such algorithms should soon help to develop tailored artificial proteins.

ETH Zurich spinoff, Verity AG deploys a new fleet of drones primed to transform warehouse operations and support more sustainable supply chains.

Climate researcher Sonia Seneviratne contributed to the latest assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

We know that CO2 is warming the planet. But if we want to understand its consequences and avert risks, more accurate weather and climate models are crucial, says Nicolas Gruber.

Following the termination of negotiations for a framework agreement, researchers outline a three-stage plan for the further development of a constructive partnership between Switzerland and the European Union.

ETH professor and molecular biologist Ernst Hafen retires at the end of July. We look back at the colourful career of a leading scientist with many different interests beyond the narrow world of molecular genetics.

3D printing can be used to build load-bearing concrete structures that require significantly less material and no steel reinforcement or mortar.

Rea Lehner has been running the "Future Health Technologies" research programme at the Singapore-ETH Centre since 2020.

The more connected the world becomes, the greater the demands that data traffic places on communications infrastructure.

This summer, students from ETH Zurich will test various technologies on the Limmat for the automatic removal of waste. The Autonomous River Cleanup project is starting with rivers to tackle the global problem of marine pollution. Millions of tonnes of waste end up in the world's oceans every year. Plastics account for the largest share, decaying very slowly and threatening not only marine life and ecosystems, but also our health.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are key technologies for science, business, and society - but how transparent are their decisions?

From robots that offer solace to algorithms that help judges make fact-based decisions, robotics and machine learning are entering new domains that were once the preserve of humans. Five years ago, while studying in Pennsylvania for a Master's degree in robotics, Alexis E. Block was asked to choose a topic for her thesis.