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Severe melting of glaciers despite heavy snowfall at high altitudes
After the extreme circumstances encountered in 2022 and 2023, no relief is in sight for Swiss glaciers. Despite exceptionally large volumes of snow during the winter, a combination of temperatures in July and August that at times reached record levels and dust from the Sahara resulted in a loss of 2.5% of the glacier volume. This was reported by the Swiss Commission for Cryosphere Observation of the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) on Tuesday.
Switzerland to establish a National Competence Centre for Scientific Integrity
At its meeting on 8 November 2024, the Swiss Conference of Higher Education Institutions passed the Ordinance on Quality Assurance in the Area of Scientific Integrity. This resolved to set up a Competence Centre for Scientific Integrity Switzerland. The Competence Centre will act in an advisory capacity for higher education institutions when it comes to scientific integrity in addition to gathering data on scientific integrity in Switzerland.
Sustainable University Day il 12 novembre a Zurigo
Il 12 novembre 2024, presso il Politecnico di Zurigo e l'Università di Zurigo, si terrà il Sustainable University Day. La conferenza promossa dal programma di finanziamento U Change delle Accademie svizzere delle scienze, è organizzata congiuntamente dalle scuole universitarie zurighesi ZHdK, ZHAW, ETH, HfH, PHZH e UZH. Invita tutti i membri degli scuole universitarie svizzere e chiunque sia interessato ad approfondire il tema «Rafforzare la cultura della sostenibilità nelle scuole universitarie svizzere».
Daniel Moeckli: new human rights delegate of the academies
How the microstructure of snow in the Arctic influences sea ice and the global climate
Amy R. Macfarlane will be awarded the Prix de Quervain 2024 for her excellent and innovative doctoral dissertation at the ETH Zurich and the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF. Her research serves as a base to reduce major uncertainties on sea ice modelling and to improve the quality of global climate models predictions. For this, she applied a wide variety of instruments to measure the microstructure of snow in high resolution directly in the Arctic for the first time.
From Law to the History of Science, and from the Biology of Ageing to Innovative Materials: the 2024 Balzan Prizes Focus on Sustainable Progress
Today, in Milan, the President of the International Balzan Foundation “Prize”, Maria Cristina Messa, and the Chair of the Balzan General Prize Committee, Marta Cartabia, announced the winners of the four 2024 Balzan Prizes. The winners are John Braithwaite (Australia), Lorraine Daston (Germany/USA), Michael N. Hall (Switzerland/USA), and Omar Yaghi (USA). The four winners will receive their prizes on 21 November 2024 in Rome.
Citizen Science in Switzerland: Taking Stock and Ways into the Future
Panorama Gesellschaft Schweiz 2024
Vernetzung von Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft gefährdet
Die Kommission für Wissenschaft, Bildung und Kultur des Ständerats hat gestern entschieden, die Mittel für die BFI-Institutionen, einschliesslich der Akademien der Wissenschaften Schweiz, für die Periode 2025 bis 2028 nicht zu erhöhen. Die Einsparungen gefährden insbesondere den Grundauftrag der Akademien und damit die bessere Vernetzung von Wissenschaft, Politik und Gesellschaft.
New Executive Board members and speaker elected
The members of the Swiss Young Academy elected their new Executive Board on 21 June 2024. Sabrina Heike Kessler was appointed as the new speaker for the 2024/25 term of office. Nawal Kinany will serve as the vice-speaker. An important project next year will be to organize the European Young Academies Meeting 2025 in Bern. Furthermore, Sofie Behluli as speaker and Silvia Maier as vice-speaker were thanked for their great commitment during the previous term of office.
National Prize for Open Research Data 2024: Nominations now also possible
The National Prize for Open Research Data (ORD Prize) is in line with Switzerland's National ORD Strategy and promotes best practices and innovative methods in the field of Open Research Data. This year, there are two focus areas: Collaborative and/or interdisciplinary reuse of research data and educational and/or public outreach related to the reuse of research data. Applications for the are still possible until 31 July 2024, 5:00 PM. New this year, nominations for the ORD Prize can be submitted via an online-form.
Switzerland should take an active approach to critical materials for the energy transition
Scholars at Risk SAR: Global Conference with Swiss Panel
Parwiz Mosamim, doctoral researcher from Afghanistan at USI Università della Svizzera italiana since 2021, featured in the panel “Courage to Think”, moderated by Roger Pfister from the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences and former Chair of SAR Switzerland. Discussing the situation of the research and higher education sector in Afghanistan, that of women and journalism in particular, as well as Parwiz’ research project on women’s representation barriers and opportunities in the public administration of the Afghan government.
swissuniversities und der SNF präsentieren eine aktualisierte nationale Open-Access Strategie
swissuniversities und der SNF präsentieren eine aktualisierte nationale Open-Access Strategie für einen freien und sofortigen Zugang zu öffentlich finanzierten wissenschaftlichen Publikationen. Die Strategie fokussiert darauf, wissenschaftliches Wissen sofort und maschinenlesbar, ohne Kosten und ohne Embargo bereitzustellen. Ein solch offener Zugang zu Forschungsergebnissen bringt einen Mehrwert für Gesellschaft und Wissenschaft. Die Akademien der Wissenschaften Schweiz begrüssen die Veröffentlichung dieser Strategie und waren durch Mitglieder aus dem Netzwerk an deren Erarbeitung beteiligt.
Deepfakes and manipulated realities
Keine Erholung für den Permafrost in der Schweiz
Nach zwei Jahren mit wenig Schnee und sehr heissen Sommern bleibt der Permafrost in der Schweiz im Herbst 2023 warm und der Eisgehalt des Bodens nahm vielerorts weiter ab. Die Blockgletscher bewegten sich zudem schnell talwärts. Dies geht aus den neuesten Messungen des Schweizer Permafrost-Messnetzes hervor.
Das Chamäleon-Mineral aus den Glarner Alpen
Ein Mineral, das ein Wissenschaftler vor zwanzig Jahren im Glarnerland gesammelt hat, entpuppte sich nicht nur als bislang unbekannte Art. Der Heimit kann unter gewissen Bedingungen auch die Farbe wechseln. Dank eines Digitalisierungsprojekts am Naturéum in Lausanne werden die Funde für die Forschung und Öffentlichkeit nun einfacher zugänglich.
Jahresbericht 2023: Ein leistungsfähiges Netzwerk
Swiss Data Literacy Charter as the basis for data literacy
The Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences are publishing a Data Literacy Charter for Switzerland. This Charter is intended to initiate a broad-based cultural change in the way society handles general and personal data. One aim is for each person to be in a position to determine how personal data is handled. A further aim of the Charter is that people should be able to critically evaluate data and statements based on it.
Hay fever on the increase due to climate change
The hay fever situation in Switzerland is deteriorating because of climate change: the hay fever season is becoming longer, pollen concentrations are increasing, and highly allergenic invasive plants are becoming widespread. Researchers at the Swiss Commission for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP) of the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) and the Swiss Federal Office for Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss) have issued a new fact sheet that summarises the latest findings about the hay fever and pollen situation, and how it is being impacted by climate change.