Neanderthals are often depicted as having straight spines and poor posture. However, these prehistoric humans were more similar to us than many assume. University of Zurich researchers have shown that Neanderthals walked upright just like modern humans, thanks to a virtual reconstruction of the pelvis and spine of a very well-preserved Neanderthal skeleton found in…
Laser Instrument Could Shed Light on Elusive Dark Matter Particle
Black holes colliding, gravitational waves riding through space-time — and a huge instrument that allows scientists to investigate the fabric of the universe. This could soon become reality when the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) takes up operations. Researchers from the University of Zurich have now found that LISA could also shed light on the…
Plant Hormone Makes Space Farming a Possibility
Eco-Friendly Nanoparticles Aid Artificial Photosynthesis
Quantum dots are true all-rounders. These material structures, which are only a few nanometers in size, display a similar behavior to that of molecules or atoms, and their form, size and number of electrons can be modulated systematically. This means that their electrical and optical characteristics can be customized for a number of target areas,…
Jupiter Had Growth Disorders
With an equator diameter of around 143,000 kilometers, Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and has 300 times the mass of the Earth. The formation mechanism of giant planets like Jupiter has been a hotly debated topic for several decades. Now, astrophysicists of the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR)…
Computer-Designed Customized Regenerative Heart Valves
Producing living tissue or organs based on human cells is one of the main research fields in regenerative medicine. Tissue engineering, which involves growing replacement parts in the laboratory, forms a key part of this research. The parts can be used to replace defective cells and tissues in the body and restore their normal functioning.…
Drones Learn to Navigate Autonomously by Imitating Cars and Bicycles
All today’s commercial drones use GPS, which works fine above building roofs and in high alti-tudes. But what, when the drones have to navigate autonomously at low altitude among tall buildings or in the dense, unstructured city streets with cars, cyclists or pedestrians suddenly crossing their way? Until now, commercial drones are not able to…
Drones That Can Almost See in the Dark
Malaria Already Endemic in the Mediterranean by the Roman Period
Shedding Light on Cause of Resistance to Tumor Immunotherapy
Overactive Scavenger Cells May Cause Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s
Supercomputer Performs Largest-Ever Virtual Universe Simulation
Researchers from the University of Zurich have simulated the formation of our entire Universe with a large supercomputer. A gigantic catalogue of about 25 billion virtual galaxies has been generated from 2 trillion digital particles. This catalogue is being used to calibrate the experiments on board the Euclid satellite, that will be launched in 2020…
A Drop of Water as a Model for the Interplay of Adhesion, Stiction
How can a gecko move across a ceiling upside down? Two mechanisms are responsible: Adhesion via billions of extremely fine hairs on its feet, which enable it to stick to ceilings and walls. And as soon as the gecko moves, it relies on stiction. However, any change of adhesion and stiction at macroscopic level is…
Previously Unknown Global Ecological Disaster Discovered
There have been several mass extinctions in the history of the earth with adverse consequences for the environment. Researchers from the University of Zurich have now uncovered another disaster that took place around 250 million years ago and completely changed the prevalent vegetation during the Lower Triassic. There have been several mass extinctions in the…