August 2014

Yesterday the canton of Zurich presented its development study for the planned innovation park in the grounds of Dübendorf Air Base. Now the revised master plan must be approved by the cantonal parliament and federal government, and the federal government must decide on the future use of the air base.

Scientific evidence shows that our society is on a perilous trajectory. Fundamental lifestyle changes are urgently needed, but we consume more, we travel more, we talk more about unavoidable collapse, while we think less about alternatives.

ETH Zurich formalizes collaboration with Stellenbosch University in South Africa to advance science and technology for the benefit of society in the areas of sustainable production systems, human nutrition, and conservation ecology among other areas of mutual interest.

Industry Day 2014: with passion and technical expertise, ETH professors presented their research topics to representatives from industry and SMEs – from big data and additive technologies to computer graphics. The interest of the companies was greater than ever.

Gesamtwirtschaftliche ökonomische Modelle, mit denen man die Wirkung von energiepolitischen Instrumenten abschätzen kann, basieren auf vielfältigen Annahmen. Ein wichtiger Baustein dafür ist das Verhalten von Konsumenten bei Energiepreisänderungen. Doch aktuelle Schweizer Literaturwerte dazu sind rar.

ETH researchers have realised a long-held dream: inspired by an industrial assembly line, they have developed a nanoscale production line for the assembly of biological molecules.

In a new illustrated book, ETH-Bibliothek is presenting fascinating images from the Swissair Aerial Photography Archive. The view from above reveals the changes to Switzerland’s landscape and culture over the years.

Bridges become an infrastructure problem as they get older, as de-icing salt and carbon dioxide gradually destroy the reinforced concrete. A new robot can now check the condition of these structures, even in places that people cannot reach.

Fruchtbarer Boden ist ein wertvolles Gut, dessen Verlust sowohl für uns als auch für zukünftige Generationen weitreichende Folgen hat. Doch das Wissen um die Empfindlichkeit dieser Ressource allein reicht nicht aus, um Boden zu schützen. Warum fällt es so schwer, den umfassenden Bodenschutz auf die (inter)nationale Agenda zu setzen?

Writing text messages or emails in Swiss German on mobile phones or tablets will soon be simpler, thanks to an app developed by ETH.