April 2015

ETH Zurich's earth scientists performed especially well in the QS Rankings by Subject, achieving the top ranking among all universities worldwide. ETH's environmental sciences faculty also rank among the best in the world.

In order to halt climate change, we need to transform our transportation system. Although people have voiced doubts about whether plug-in electric cars will live up to their promise of convenient, CO₂-free transportation, the technology has already improved markedly and will continue to advance.

At “Meet the Talent 2015” last Tuesday evening, the patrons of the “Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme” were able to make the personal acquaintance of their scholarship holders and their research projects.  

Torrential rains and blazing heat have been mentioned even in the oldest manuscripts and have always been part of the climate. A substantial proportion of today’s extreme high-temperature and heavy rainfall events, however, can be attributed to the observed warming.

A research collaboration spearheaded by ETH Zurich has shed light on the genome of two commercially important species of bumblebees. The findings provide unexpected insights into the ecology and evolution of bumblebees and honeybees.

In Sachen Essen wäre in Industrieländern weniger oft mehr: Übergewicht und ungesunde Ernährung machen viele Menschen krank. Macht es da Sinn, die heute verschwendeten Nahrungsmittel auch noch zu essen? Oder müssen wir den Hebel gegen die Verschwendung anderswo ansetzen?

Geoscientists are using a new simulation to condense a period lasting millions of years to explain the formation of the high-lying valleys in the south-eastern end of the Tibetan Plateau: the true Shangri-La. In doing so, they are turning previous ideas on their head.

Over the last year, palm oil prices have dropped drastically. Has oil palm turned from blessing to curse for small-scale farmers? Depending on the region, this development may hold some opportunities for smallholders.

Thanks to a special computer programme, researchers from ETH Zurich are able to simulate electronic nanocomponents and help materials science and industry in the development and production process.

In the Polybahn-Pitch, Detlef Günther, Vice President Research and Corporate Relations, answers this question in one minute.