ETH-News

Here we present all News fron ETH Zurich!

1. “Education strengthens democracy”

   Approximately 600 guests celebrated ETH Zurich's 170th anniversary on Saturday. Federal Councillor Beat Jans, Rector Günther Dissertori and ETH President Joël Mesot emphasised the importance for academia of an open Switzerland, informed individuals and the courage to embrace uncertainty. 

2. Why some volcanoes don’t explode

   An international team of researchers including a scientist from ETH Zurich has shown that friction in magma leads to the formation of bubbles that influence whether a volcano erupts explosively or releases gently flowing lava.  

3. Gene scissors in camouflage mode help in the search for cancer therapies

   The CRISPR gene scissors are only of limited use to detect cancer-causing genes in animals because the method interferes with their immune system. Researchers at ETH Zurich, however, have now shown that a few tricks can be pulled to render the gene scissors invisible to immune cells. 

4. People who rate uncertainty positively are less likely to vote for right-wing populists

   How people deal with uncertainty influences their political behaviour – and the stability of democracy. A new study by ETH Zurich shows that if uncertainty is seen as an opportunity, the willingness to vote for right-wing populist parties such as AfD decreases. 

5. AI and extended reality help to preserve built cultural heritage

   ETH researchers have developed a digital co-pilot that helps to assess the conservation condition of historic sandstone buildings, thereby supporting their restoration. The 750-year-old Lausanne Cathedral serves as a case study.