Naratek

09/07/2024

In the battle against climate change, the removal of gigatons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere throughout this century is crucial. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies offer a promising solution, instilling renewed hope in many.

Leading the charge in CDR is the Swiss company Climeworks, which has already established a plant in Iceland and has several more in development. To understand the scope of their efforts, read into this story. Simply cutting down on carbon emissions won’t be enough if we want to win the race; we must also actively extract carbon from the air, necessitating monumental efforts.

20/03/2024

A wearable ultrasound sticker could help to recognise the first signs of acute liver or kidney failure at an early stage. The sensor developed at MIT monitors the function of organs and can detect signs of diseases and tumours. The sticker has so far only been tested on rats. It is now being adapted to humans - especially patients recovering from an organ transplant.

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SHORT NEWS This sensor detects organ failure at an early stage liver A wearable ultrasound sticker could help to recognise the first signs of acute liver or kidney failure at an early stage. A research team at MIT in Cambridge (USA) has d...

13/03/2024

Sunshine like midday in the Sahara or in January in Berlin - at the touch of a button. This is made possible by an artificial sun made up of 875 LED chips at ETH Zurich. This allows the researchers to test how efficient elements such as a façade or building technology are under different climatic conditions. They could, for example design façades that let in as much solar radiation and therefore heat as possible in winter, but block the sun's rays in summer.

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SHORT NEWS Sahara sun from the laboratory protection efficiency energy ETH Zurich has put an artificial sun into operation. In the room of a new laboratory, the sun shines at the push of a button, just as it does at midday in the Sahara or in January in....

06/03/2024

Prehistoric dinosaur, Stenocranio boldi, discovered by an international team, lived 300 million years ago. With large backward-curved fangs, it was a major predator in Germany. The depiction of the dinosaur went viral on social media. The scientist and palaeo-artist Frederik Spindler, who created the illustration, was delighted with the response. He said he couldn't change anything about the facial expression: "I can't make the animal look more serious. It's a bit like dolphins, they can't look serious."

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SHORT NEWS Primal dinosaur triggers internet hype media An international team of researchers has discovered a previously unknown species of prehistoric dinosaur. According to the researchers, the species lived almost 300 million years ago, even before the...

28/02/2024

AI outshines therapists in recognizing emotions, even capturing micro expressions in a recent study. The researchers suggest AI could aid psychotherapists by efficiently analyzing facial expressions for research or therapy, but stress the continued importance of human relationships in therapeutic work.

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SHORT NEWS AI recognises the briefest emotions better than therapists health AI can recognise emotions based on facial expressions. In one study, AI even performed better than trained therapists. For example, the artificial intelligence (AI) recognised the shorte...

20/02/2024

Smartphone use alters walking patterns, resulting in shorter and wider steps resembling a "cowboy-like" gait. While this gait may reduce the risk of falling, it puts increased strain on the knees, potentially leading to higher joint loads. The study observed 27 participants walking on a treadmill while performing tasks on both a smartphone and mentally.

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SHORT NEWS Smartphone makes us walk like cowboys If you type on your smartphone while walking, your gait adapts to the demands of multitasking. What exactly happens during "text walking" has now been investigated. In the scientific journal "Heliyon", resear...

13/02/2024

Microplastics fly particularly far and high: researchers found their elongated shape enables them to fly as far as the Arctic - and they could even reach the stratosphere, the layer of the atmosphere above the ozone layer. This discovery prompts questions about potential impacts on cloud formation and stratospheric ozone.

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SHORT NEWS Microplastics fly particularly far and high waste Microplastic fibres fly higher and further than previously assumed - even as far as the Arctic. The shape of the fibres is responsible for the microplastics' ability to fly, as a study in the...

06/02/2024

Researchers have succeeded in identifying fish populations in Swiss waters without disturbing the fish. To do this, they sampled water from dozens of bodies of water and collected the environmental DNA. By comparing the genetic sequences with a comprehensive database of fish DNA, the species could be identified. This method is simpler and more animal-friendly than the electrofishing that has been used to date.

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SHORT NEWS Gentle identification of fish species through their DNA observation Identifying fish species in a river using DNA traces: This method was tested in Switzerland. It proved to be simpler and more reliable than the electrofishing method used to date...

30/01/2024

Robotic hands with bones, ligaments and tendons straight from the printer: this is made possible by a new 3D printing technology developed by researchers in Zurich. With this new method, systems made of different materials can be printed in a single pass. Until now, laborious assembly processes were required. Now, the systems are printed completely assembled.

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SHORT NEWS 3D printer moulds robots without laborious assembly printing Robotic hands with bones, ligaments and tendons straight from the printer: this is made possible by a new 3D printing technology developed by researchers in Zurich. Um dieses Video zu sehen, müsse...

23/01/2024

It sounds like a fountain of youth for cells: Swiss researchers have reprogrammed aged cells from natural skin and inserted them into a model of old, injured skin tissue in the laboratory. This significantly accelerated wound healing, as the reprogramming deletes the old cells' functional errors accumulated during ageing. In the future, therapies based on reprogrammed cells could treat significant skin injuries, such as those that occur after burns.

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SHORT NEWS Fountain of youth for cells Reprogrammed cells allow wounds in older people to heal faster. This could, for example, help burn victims. Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and ETH Zurich have reprogrammed aged cells from real skin....

21/01/2024

The industrial metaverse is on its way, even in the machinery industry. Our parent company Bystronic Group has been going long ways in developing possible prototypes on how its customers, suppliers and employees can benefit from a metaverse that creates true value. Check out our feature story on how Bystronic is taking that promise next level.

Industrial Metaverse Sie ist da: Die Parallelwelt der Industrie. Was bringt das Industrial Metaverse? Und wo steht die Entwicklung? Urs Reimann, Head of Digital Transformation bei Bystronic, gibt Antworten. Text: Sarah Hadorn 14. Dezember 2023 1989, Seattle: Sci-Fi-Autor Neal Stephenson schreibt an....

16/01/2024

A new process developed by Swiss researchers makes textiles germicidal. In the future, this could be used to coat curtains in hospitals to break chains of infection in which multi-resistant bacteria or viral pathogens settle on hospital curtains and can then be spread by humans. The coatings remained effective even after several months of storage.

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SHORT NEWS Germicidal textiles for hospitals infections A new process developed by Swiss researchers makes textiles germicidal. In future, this could be used to coat curtains in hospitals. According to the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Scien...

10/01/2024

A new AI recognises plastic in the sea from satellite images. This could help to remove plastic waste from the oceans using ships systematically. The AI model developed by EPFL and Wageningen University (NL) estimates the probability of garbage for each pixel in satellite images - even when it's cloudy or hazy.

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SHORT NEWS AI detects plastic waste in the sea images protection waste A new artificial intelligence recognises plastic in the sea from satellite images. This could help to systematically remove plastic waste from the oceans using ships.....

03/01/2024

Imagine not needing a new coat for every season but having a jacket that dynamically changes shape to insulate better and keep you warm when temperatures drop. Researchers at MIT have developed a low-cost fibre that makes this possible and is compatible with existing textile manufacturing techniques. It could be used for adaptable performance clothing or compression garments.

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SHORT NEWS Clothes that change shape science Researchers at MIT have developed a low-cost fibre that is compatible with existing textile manufacturing techniques. It could be used for adaptive performance clothing or compression garments. Um dieses Video zu....

27/12/2023

An AI system from the University of Würzburg can determine the biodiversity of tropical reforestation areas based on sounds. The research team had installed recording devices on abandoned pastures and cocoa plantations in northern Ecuador, where the forest is gradually reestablishing itself. The recordings of the various animal sounds were then analysed using AI models.

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SHORT NEWS Based on sounds: AI determines species diversity According to a study, an automated analysis of animal sounds can provide a good indication of the development of species diversity in the area. The analysis was tested with the help of...

18/12/2023

The sun will likely become the world's most important energy source before 2050. According to British scientists, this energy sector may have reached a turning point where a self-reinforcing virtuous circle has been set in motion: between the use of solar technology and the learning process of companies to make it cheaper.

There are, however, hurdles, that could inhibit the transition to solar energy dominance.

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SHORT NEWS Sun soon to be the most important source of energy energy action energy The sun is likely to become the world's most important source of energy before 2050, according to British scientists. This is the result of an analysis of technological and econo...

11/12/2023

Researchers at ETH Zurich and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore want to use chicken feathers to produce green electricity. They are using the keratin in the chicken feathers to create a new type of fuel cell membrane. This can replace highly toxic chemicals in fuel cells. The scientists have applied for a patent for their invention.

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SHORT NEWS Electricity from chicken feathers energy action electricity Researchers want to use chicken feathers to produce green electricity. They use the keratin in chicken feathers to replace highly toxic chemicals in fuel cells. A research team from ETH Zuri...