Career - Aug 10
Analysis: Furlough had a protective effect on mental health - but it wasn't as good as working
Analysis: Furlough had a protective effect on mental health - but it wasn't as good as working
Social Sciences - Aug 10
From fixer to reporter: After escaping the Taliban, University of Toronto's Jalal Nazari is on his way to becoming a journalist
From fixer to reporter: After escaping the Taliban, University of Toronto's Jalal Nazari is on his way to becoming a journalist
Environment - Aug 10
U-M study: Local renewable energy employment can fully replace U.S. coal jobs nationwide
U-M study: Local renewable energy employment can fully replace U.S. coal jobs nationwide
Sport - Aug 10
High school athletes in contact sports more likely to misuse prescription stimulants throughout their 20s
High school athletes in contact sports more likely to misuse prescription stimulants throughout their 20s
Social Sciences - Aug 9
Q and A with the experts: The role of Indigenous women in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge
Q and A with the experts: The role of Indigenous women in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge
Health - Aug 9
Most older adults ready to roll up sleeves this fall for updated COVID-19 boosters, U-M poll shows
Most older adults ready to roll up sleeves this fall for updated COVID-19 boosters, U-M poll shows
Astronomy - Aug 9
Invitation to media - Viewing Europe's MTG-I weather satellite before launch in Cannes
Invitation to media - Viewing Europe's MTG-I weather satellite before launch in Cannes
science wire
« BACK
Earth Sciences - Materials Science - 16.03.2017 
The dream of building bridges
The French geologist Matthieu Galvez is one of the winners of the Branco Weiss Fellowship 2016. We discuss how he will be using this fellowship, how it will benefit him and why he chose a career as a researcher.
Materials Science - Environment - 14.03.2017
Environment - Materials Science - 28.02.2017 
Sustainable ceramics without a kiln
ETH material scientists have developed a new method of manufacturing ceramics that does not require the starting materials to be fired. Instead, they are compacted under high pressure at room temperature in a significantly more energy-efficient process. The manufacture of cement, bricks, bathroom tiles and porcelain crockery normally requires a great deal of heat: a kiln is used to fire the ceramic materials at temperatures well in excess of 1,000°C.
Materials Science - Innovation - 26.01.2017 
‘Additive Manufacturing’ speeds up
Empa offers Switzerland a platform to exchange information and knowhow in the field of Additive Manufacturing: During a technology briefing held at Empa Academy on January 18, experts from industry a
Physics - Materials Science - 12.01.2017 
Creating the tiniest structures on
Nanotechnology is regarded as the key technology of the 21 st century, delivering the fundamental methods, which allow objects just a few hundred nanometers in size to be produced in any required shape.
Environment - Materials Science - 10.01.2017 
Summer heat for the winter
Can thermal solar energy be stored until wintertime? Yes, this is possible, using a cheap material like sodium lye.
Microtechnics - Materials Science - 16.12.2016
Materials Science - Innovation - 13.12.2016 
A golden era for "fashionistas"
The gold thread developed at Empa is having extensive repercussions. Hot on the heels of a dessous collection being refined with the new technology, scarves and luxury watches are now also available.
Physics - Materials Science - 09.12.2016 
Eight professors appointed at ETH Zurich
Upon application of ETH President Lino Guzzella the ETH Board appointed a total of eight professors and awarded the title of professor to one individual.
Materials Science - Innovation - 08.12.2016 
Space age material for the masses
Aerogel is the perfect material for many insulation purposes. It is heat-resistant up to 600 degrees, ultralight, non-toxic - and provides excellent thermal insulation.
Materials Science - Administration - 01.12.2016 
Energy hybrid: Battery meets super capacitor
Researchers from the universities of Montpellier, Bordeaux and TU Graz demonstrate that it is possible to combine the high-energy density of batteries with the high-power output of super capacitors in a single system - thanks to liquid energy storage materials.
Environment - Materials Science - 23.11.2016 
Planning for new NEST units picking up
NEST, the modular research and innovation building by Empa and Eawag, is teeming with life. Since it opened its doors in May 2016, over 5,000 visitors have flocked to see the building.
Materials Science - Physics - 17.11.2016 
Switching off vibrations
Macroscopic crystal structures can absorb unwanted vibrations or filter noise - without any electronics or electricity whatsoever.
Materials Science - Microtechnics - 27.10.2016 
A Composite Thread that Varies in Rigidity
EPFL scientists have developed a new type of composite thread that varies in stiffness depending on its temperature.
Materials Science - Physics - 24.10.2016 
Under the chemical microscope
with Daniel Grolimund At the Swiss Light Source SLS, researcher Daniel Grolimund is responsible for a beamline where the arrangement of chemical bonds in different objects can be determined. These capabilities prove valuable to researchers in the most diverse disciplines: to battery researchers as well as biologists, archeologists, and many more.
Physics - Materials Science - 17.10.2016 
Peptides vs. superbugs
Several peptides have an antibacterial effect - but they are broken down in the human body too quickly to exert this effect.
Physics - Materials Science - 17.10.2016 
Nanowires as Sensors in New Type of Atomic Force Microscope
A new type of atomic force microscope (AFM) uses nanowires as tiny sensors. Unlike standard AFM, the device with a nanowire sensor enables measurements of both the size and direction of forces. Physicists at the University of Basel and at the EPF Lausanne have described these results in the recent. Nanowires are extremely tiny filamentary crystals which are built-up molecule by molecule from various materials and which are now being very actively studied by scientists all around the world because of their exceptional properties.
Physics - Materials Science - 10.10.2016 
Molten salt reactors – exploring an alternative
The Paul Scherrer Institute PSI was formed in 1988, in part from the Swiss Federal Institute for Reactor Research.
Materials Science - Chemistry - 06.10.2016
Transport - Materials Science - 06.10.2016 
Rapidly fueled for a long range journey
Empa has launched Switzerland's first hydrogen station for passenger cars on its campus in Dübendorf.
Materials Science - Chemistry - 06.10.2016
Materials Science - Chemistry - 06.10.2016 
Empa involved in Nobel research
Empa is delighted to acknowledge the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016 to Bernard L. Feringa, Fraser Stoddart and Jean-Pierre Sauvage - as it made a major contribution in 2011 to a research project carried out by Bernard L. Feringa.
Physics - Materials Science - 04.10.2016 
A "nano-golf course" to precisely assemble nanoparticles
The nanoparticles in the droplet encounter obstacles, they detach from the liquid and are captured by the holes©Valentin Flauraud/ 2016 EPFL 04. EPFL researchers have developed a method to place and position hundreds of thousands of nanoparticles very precisely on a one centimeter square surface. This will open new doors in nanotechnologies Whether it has to do with making pens or building space shuttles, the manufacturing process consists of creating components and then carefully assembling them.
Materials Science - Physics - 04.10.2016
Astronomy / Space Science - Materials Science - 30.09.2016 
Rosetta’s momentous end
Rosetta's mission is over: After the last signal at 13:20, the spacecraft was crash-landed on comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, with the ROSINA instrument from Bern taking measurements right until the very end.
Materials Science - Environment - 30.09.2016 
Rubidium pushes perovskite solar cells to 21.6% efficiency
30. EPFL scientists have stabilized perovskite solar cells by integrating rubidium into them. The innovation pushes power-conversion efficiency to 21.6%, ushering a new generation of perovskite solar cells.
Astronomy / Space Science - Materials Science - 09.08.2016 
Eureca? on yet another journey
The much-travelled European research satellite Eureca was taken from the aerospace exhibition in the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne and loaded onto a truck before setting off on yet another adventure.
Materials Science - Chemistry - 04.07.2016 
Rechargeable batteries that last longer and re-charge more rapidly
Materials researchers at the Swiss Paul Scherrer Institute PSI in Villigen and the ETH Zurich have developed a very simple and cost-effective procedure for significantly enhancing the performance of conventional Li-ion rechargeable batteries.
Physics - Materials Science - 30.06.2016
Chemistry - Materials Science - 15.06.2016 
High-performance catalytic converters for natural-gas vehicles
An ingenious measurement chamber Natural-gas vehicles are on the way, and they need catalytic converters for the exhaust too. So far, catalytic converters for gasoline-powered vehicles have been modified to fill this gap; however, these are not geared towards removing the climate-harmful methane that the exhaust from natural-gas vehicles contains.
Materials Science - 15.06.2016
Physics - Materials Science - 14.06.2016 
At the atomic level: Lecture by Fritz Prinz on 22 June
Fritz Prinz from Stanford University wants to convert and store energy more efficiently using new materials and methods.
Materials Science - 08.06.2016
Physics - Materials Science - 27.05.2016
Physics - Materials Science - 27.05.2016
Materials Science - Physics - 24.05.2016 
Graz as a centre for tailor-made materials
Materials research as a foundation for innovative products. More than 1,200 experts in high-performance materials of the future are coming to Graz for the THERMEC convention starting on 29 May.
Materials Science - 13.05.2016
Materials Science - Innovation - 04.05.2016 
Using nanostructured filters to reduce shipping pollution
04. Cargo ships are among the leading sources of pollution on the planet. Starting in 2020, however, stricter sulfur emission standards will take effect.
Materials Science - Health - 21.04.2016
Materials Science - Innovation - 13.04.2016
Physics - Materials Science - 07.04.2016 
Looking inside plutonium
Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories have recently conducted plutonium experiments using Sandia's pulsed power Z Machine. "With Z we have very carefully reached pressure, temperature and density regimes that are relevant to those seen during a nuclear weapon detonation," said Russell Olson.
Materials Science - Electroengineering - 06.04.2016 
Silicone films for artificial muscles
Researchers of the University of Basel and Empa have gotten a step closer to engineering artificial muscles: they have developed a method to generate nanometer-thin silicone films.
Materials Science - Electroengineering - 05.04.2016 
Electrosprayed artificial muscles
Researchers from Empa and the University of Basel have developed a new method of electrospraying which enables artificial muscles to be fabricated from nanometer-thin silicone layers.
Materials Science - 05.04.2016
Materials Science - Life Sciences - 05.04.2016
Materials Science - Environment - 05.04.2016
Materials Science - Environment - 05.04.2016 
Fireproof hybrid wood
For centuries, wood has been a popular light, solid building material. Moreover, it is a renewable and easily recyclable raw material - with one drawback: wood burns. But this doesn't necessarily have to be that way, as researchers from Empa demonstrate. Ecological construction is all the rage. Aspects such as the sustainability and energy efficiency of buildings are crucial.
Materials Science - Environment - 05.04.2016
Physics - Materials Science - 04.04.2016
Materials Science - Environment - 01.04.2016
Materials Science
Results 601 - 650 of 695.
The French geologist Matthieu Galvez is one of the winners of the Branco Weiss Fellowship 2016. We discuss how he will be using this fellowship, how it will benefit him and why he chose a career as a researcher.
ETH material scientists have developed a new method of manufacturing ceramics that does not require the starting materials to be fired. Instead, they are compacted under high pressure at room temperature in a significantly more energy-efficient process. The manufacture of cement, bricks, bathroom tiles and porcelain crockery normally requires a great deal of heat: a kiln is used to fire the ceramic materials at temperatures well in excess of 1,000°C.
Empa offers Switzerland a platform to exchange information and knowhow in the field of Additive Manufacturing: During a technology briefing held at Empa Academy on January 18, experts from industry a
Nanotechnology is regarded as the key technology of the 21 st century, delivering the fundamental methods, which allow objects just a few hundred nanometers in size to be produced in any required shape.
Can thermal solar energy be stored until wintertime? Yes, this is possible, using a cheap material like sodium lye.
A drone that flies (almost) like a bird
A drone has been equipped with feathers to increase its precision during flight. The bio-inspired device can spread or close its wings while flying, making it easier to maneuver and more resistant in high winds.
A drone has been equipped with feathers to increase its precision during flight. The bio-inspired device can spread or close its wings while flying, making it easier to maneuver and more resistant in high winds.
The gold thread developed at Empa is having extensive repercussions. Hot on the heels of a dessous collection being refined with the new technology, scarves and luxury watches are now also available.
Upon application of ETH President Lino Guzzella the ETH Board appointed a total of eight professors and awarded the title of professor to one individual.
Aerogel is the perfect material for many insulation purposes. It is heat-resistant up to 600 degrees, ultralight, non-toxic - and provides excellent thermal insulation.
Researchers from the universities of Montpellier, Bordeaux and TU Graz demonstrate that it is possible to combine the high-energy density of batteries with the high-power output of super capacitors in a single system - thanks to liquid energy storage materials.
NEST, the modular research and innovation building by Empa and Eawag, is teeming with life. Since it opened its doors in May 2016, over 5,000 visitors have flocked to see the building.
Macroscopic crystal structures can absorb unwanted vibrations or filter noise - without any electronics or electricity whatsoever.
EPFL scientists have developed a new type of composite thread that varies in stiffness depending on its temperature.
with Daniel Grolimund At the Swiss Light Source SLS, researcher Daniel Grolimund is responsible for a beamline where the arrangement of chemical bonds in different objects can be determined. These capabilities prove valuable to researchers in the most diverse disciplines: to battery researchers as well as biologists, archeologists, and many more.
Several peptides have an antibacterial effect - but they are broken down in the human body too quickly to exert this effect.
A new type of atomic force microscope (AFM) uses nanowires as tiny sensors. Unlike standard AFM, the device with a nanowire sensor enables measurements of both the size and direction of forces. Physicists at the University of Basel and at the EPF Lausanne have described these results in the recent. Nanowires are extremely tiny filamentary crystals which are built-up molecule by molecule from various materials and which are now being very actively studied by scientists all around the world because of their exceptional properties.
The Paul Scherrer Institute PSI was formed in 1988, in part from the Swiss Federal Institute for Reactor Research.
Empa has launched Switzerland's first hydrogen station for passenger cars on its campus in Dübendorf.
Empa is delighted to acknowledge the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016 to Bernard L. Feringa, Fraser Stoddart and Jean-Pierre Sauvage - as it made a major contribution in 2011 to a research project carried out by Bernard L. Feringa.
The nanoparticles in the droplet encounter obstacles, they detach from the liquid and are captured by the holes©Valentin Flauraud/ 2016 EPFL 04. EPFL researchers have developed a method to place and position hundreds of thousands of nanoparticles very precisely on a one centimeter square surface. This will open new doors in nanotechnologies Whether it has to do with making pens or building space shuttles, the manufacturing process consists of creating components and then carefully assembling them.
Rosetta's mission is over: After the last signal at 13:20, the spacecraft was crash-landed on comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, with the ROSINA instrument from Bern taking measurements right until the very end.
30. EPFL scientists have stabilized perovskite solar cells by integrating rubidium into them. The innovation pushes power-conversion efficiency to 21.6%, ushering a new generation of perovskite solar cells.
The much-travelled European research satellite Eureca was taken from the aerospace exhibition in the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne and loaded onto a truck before setting off on yet another adventure.
Materials researchers at the Swiss Paul Scherrer Institute PSI in Villigen and the ETH Zurich have developed a very simple and cost-effective procedure for significantly enhancing the performance of conventional Li-ion rechargeable batteries.
The interplay between adhesion and
An international team of researchers headed by the University of Zurich and with participation of Empa has developed a system that enables them to electrically switch back and forth between adhesion and stiction (static friction) of a water drop on a solid surface.
An international team of researchers headed by the University of Zurich and with participation of Empa has developed a system that enables them to electrically switch back and forth between adhesion and stiction (static friction) of a water drop on a solid surface.
An ingenious measurement chamber Natural-gas vehicles are on the way, and they need catalytic converters for the exhaust too. So far, catalytic converters for gasoline-powered vehicles have been modified to fill this gap; however, these are not geared towards removing the climate-harmful methane that the exhaust from natural-gas vehicles contains.
Subduction controls the distribution and fragmentation of Earth’s tectonic plates
Numerical simulation of the movement of the mantle and the surface of a virtual Earth. The boundaries of the calculated surface plates are white.
Numerical simulation of the movement of the mantle and the surface of a virtual Earth. The boundaries of the calculated surface plates are white.
Fritz Prinz from Stanford University wants to convert and store energy more efficiently using new materials and methods.
L’EPFL a décroché 50 millions d’euros de «grants» malgré les écueils
27. La course aux «ERC Grants» a souri à l'EPFL ces deux dernières années. Entre 2014 et 2015, onze chercheurs ont reçu un «Advanced grant» dans le cadre du programme «Horizon 2020». Ils obtiendront chacun un financement de l'ordre de 2,5 millions d'euros sur cinq ans. C'est peut-être une forme de baroud d'honneur, tant l'avenir de la participation de la Suisse aux programmes de recherche et de financement européens est incertain.
27. La course aux «ERC Grants» a souri à l'EPFL ces deux dernières années. Entre 2014 et 2015, onze chercheurs ont reçu un «Advanced grant» dans le cadre du programme «Horizon 2020». Ils obtiendront chacun un financement de l'ordre de 2,5 millions d'euros sur cinq ans. C'est peut-être une forme de baroud d'honneur, tant l'avenir de la participation de la Suisse aux programmes de recherche et de financement européens est incertain.
Nearly 50 million euros of ERC grants for EPFL, despites obstacles
27. EPFL fared well in the competition for European Research Council (ERC) grants in 2014 and 2015 within the Horizon 2020 framework, with 11 researchers winning an Advanced Grant. That translates into 2.5 million euros over five years for each of them. This may be Switzerland's last stand, since its eligibility for European research and funding programs is in jeopardy.
27. EPFL fared well in the competition for European Research Council (ERC) grants in 2014 and 2015 within the Horizon 2020 framework, with 11 researchers winning an Advanced Grant. That translates into 2.5 million euros over five years for each of them. This may be Switzerland's last stand, since its eligibility for European research and funding programs is in jeopardy.
Materials research as a foundation for innovative products. More than 1,200 experts in high-performance materials of the future are coming to Graz for the THERMEC convention starting on 29 May.
04. Cargo ships are among the leading sources of pollution on the planet. Starting in 2020, however, stricter sulfur emission standards will take effect.
Asphalt’s miraculous cure
Empa scientists have developed a technique that can repair old, cracked asphalt. They got their inspiration from a method used in cancer treatment based on nanoparticles.
Empa scientists have developed a technique that can repair old, cracked asphalt. They got their inspiration from a method used in cancer treatment based on nanoparticles.
Opening of Empa’s Coating Competence
At Empa's new Coating Competence Center, which has just opened, tailor-made surface technologies find their way from the research labs to marketable industrial applications.
At Empa's new Coating Competence Center, which has just opened, tailor-made surface technologies find their way from the research labs to marketable industrial applications.
Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories have recently conducted plutonium experiments using Sandia's pulsed power Z Machine. "With Z we have very carefully reached pressure, temperature and density regimes that are relevant to those seen during a nuclear weapon detonation," said Russell Olson.
Researchers of the University of Basel and Empa have gotten a step closer to engineering artificial muscles: they have developed a method to generate nanometer-thin silicone films.
Researchers from Empa and the University of Basel have developed a new method of electrospraying which enables artificial muscles to be fabricated from nanometer-thin silicone layers.
Wood with additional functions
Wood is robust and versatile. But even the best material has its limits. Empa researchers are thus looking to transform wood into a high-tech material and broaden the range of applications for this natural resource. The trick: they give wood additional, unexpected properties. Over the millennia, our ancestors have improved the properties of wood by developing varnishes, paints or other methods.
Wood is robust and versatile. But even the best material has its limits. Empa researchers are thus looking to transform wood into a high-tech material and broaden the range of applications for this natural resource. The trick: they give wood additional, unexpected properties. Over the millennia, our ancestors have improved the properties of wood by developing varnishes, paints or other methods.
Germs don’t stand a chance
Enzymes from fungi, bacteria and plants render wood resistant to decomposing and pathogenic microorganisms.
Enzymes from fungi, bacteria and plants render wood resistant to decomposing and pathogenic microorganisms.
Reaching for the sun
Wood has one particular property that tends to cause problems: it swells when it gets wet. As this occurs according to strict rules, however, a team of Empa researchers is looking to produce wooden building components that move automatically.
Wood has one particular property that tends to cause problems: it swells when it gets wet. As this occurs according to strict rules, however, a team of Empa researchers is looking to produce wooden building components that move automatically.
For centuries, wood has been a popular light, solid building material. Moreover, it is a renewable and easily recyclable raw material - with one drawback: wood burns. But this doesn't necessarily have to be that way, as researchers from Empa demonstrate. Ecological construction is all the rage. Aspects such as the sustainability and energy efficiency of buildings are crucial.
Skyscrapers made of bamboo concrete
Bamboo is a feat of nature. After all, this member of the grass family contains fibers that are as strong as steel.
Bamboo is a feat of nature. After all, this member of the grass family contains fibers that are as strong as steel.
The beaming Italian
About 18 months ago, Davide Bleiner took over the helm at Empa's Laboratory for Advanced Analytical Technologies.
About 18 months ago, Davide Bleiner took over the helm at Empa's Laboratory for Advanced Analytical Technologies.
Patrick Wäger becomes head of laboratory
There will be a new face at the helm of the Empa "Technology and Society" laboratory, with Patrick Wäger heading up the department from May 2016.
There will be a new face at the helm of the Empa "Technology and Society" laboratory, with Patrick Wäger heading up the department from May 2016.
Career - Aug 10
Analysis: Furlough had a protective effect on mental health - but it wasn't as good as working
Analysis: Furlough had a protective effect on mental health - but it wasn't as good as working
Social Sciences - Aug 10
From fixer to reporter: After escaping the Taliban, University of Toronto's Jalal Nazari is on his way to becoming a journalist
From fixer to reporter: After escaping the Taliban, University of Toronto's Jalal Nazari is on his way to becoming a journalist
Environment - Aug 10
U-M study: Local renewable energy employment can fully replace U.S. coal jobs nationwide
U-M study: Local renewable energy employment can fully replace U.S. coal jobs nationwide
Sport - Aug 10
High school athletes in contact sports more likely to misuse prescription stimulants throughout their 20s
High school athletes in contact sports more likely to misuse prescription stimulants throughout their 20s
Social Sciences - Aug 9
Q and A with the experts: The role of Indigenous women in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge
Q and A with the experts: The role of Indigenous women in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge
Health - Aug 9
Most older adults ready to roll up sleeves this fall for updated COVID-19 boosters, U-M poll shows
Most older adults ready to roll up sleeves this fall for updated COVID-19 boosters, U-M poll shows
Astronomy - Aug 9
Invitation to media - Viewing Europe's MTG-I weather satellite before launch in Cannes
Invitation to media - Viewing Europe's MTG-I weather satellite before launch in Cannes