Switzerland

Environment

The "moving borders" phenomenon changing the shape of countries

When the Swiss and Italian governments got together to redraw the alpine border that divides the two countries last year, due to rapidly retreating glaciers, it put into stark focus a challenge that is expected to face many nations that have natural structures that mark territories.

The White Tower will reach a height of 30 m (almost 100 ft)

Architecture

World's tallest 3D-printed building will take 900 hours to layer up

What's being hailed as the world's tallest 3D-printed building is being readied for assembly in a remote Swiss village. The White Tower from researchers at ETH Zurich will be formed from over a hundred columns, with a performance space sat on top.

The Laser Lightning Rod is beamed near the top of a tower on the summit of Säntis, in the Swiss Alps

Science

Scientists guide lightning bolts with laser beams for first time

Scientists have demonstrated a more advanced lightning rod than a humble metal stick. Beaming a high-powered laser into the sky was shown to deflect lightning bolts, enabling laser lightning rods that protect a wider area from dangerous strikes.

Cargo Sous Terrain is beginning work on the first 70-km stretch of an autonomous underground cargo logistics system

Transport

Switzerland's autonomous underground cargo system aims for 2031 debut

A lot less technologically optimistic than the Hyperloop-TT Hyperport project, Cargo Sous Terrain looks considerably more likely to happen, with its first 10-stop, 70-km (43-mile) series of underground tunnels scheduled to begin taking cargo in 2031.

Swiss scientists have calculated Pi to 62.8 trillion digits, setting a new world record

Science

Pi calculated to 62.8 trillion digits, setting new world record

Most of us can give Pi to four or five digits, but Swiss scientists have broken the world record. It took three and a half months and a data center’s worth of computer equipment, but the researchers calculated Pi to a staggering 62.8 trillion digits.

InnHub La Punt is due to be completed in 2022

Architecture

Energy efficient innovation center inspired by Alpine landscape

A new mixed-use innovation center by Foster + Partners will keep visitors warm in the harshest Alpine weather. InnHub La Punt will also boast significant sustainability features, including recycled materials, rainwater recycling, and solar power.

Science

Scientists cool water to -263° C without freezing it

Researchers in Switzerland have figured out a way to reduce the temperature of water to a very cool -263° C (-441.4° F) without freezing it, opening up some interesting possibilities around how we study molecular structures at extreme temperatures.

Science

The science of the perfect cheese fondue

How does one mix up the perfect cheese fondue? After studying how the ingredients interact with one another, scientists have found the dish is really a complex multiphase system caused by the flow behavior or rheology of the cheese, wine, and starches.

Though the Jan Michalski Foundation accepts writers of all types at its new residences, it says a portion of the 2019 spots will be dedicated to nature writing

Architecture

Wooden writer's cabin dangles in the forested foothills of Switzerland

We suspect there’d be no shortage of competition for a writer’s residence at Swiss literature institute Maison de l'Ecriture, which places creatives in a hanging, self-contained cabin in the foothills of the Jura mountains.