The online magazine of the University of Bern

A nuclear explosion in the soul

History of science

Franco Rasetti was one of the physicists who laid the foundations of nuclear physics out of sheer scientific curiosity – and thus made the atomic bomb possible. Despite having the courage to say NO to the atomic bomb project, he was devastated by the effects of his discovery.

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Politics and administration

All articles about politics and administration

Economics

“Switzerland doesn’t need a big bank”

Economics cannot predict bank crashes or crises, says Professor of Economics Aymo Brunetti. But their insights would help us to mitigate the adverse effects of financial crises and fight inflation.

Conference on women in trade

«Gender neutral trade is a myth»

At the World Trade Institute (WTI), experts from all over developed proposals for the advancement of women. An interview with the two pioneers Elisa Fornalé from the WTI and Anoush der Boghossian from the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In focus

Neither ban nor laissez-faire: how to regulate intoxication?

The way society deals with intoxicants remains challenging. Lawyer Franziska Sprecher and physician Reto Auer, who conduct research on the subject at the University of Bern and advise policymakers, assess current developments.

International Law

Rebuilding Ukraine with Russian Money

Can the frozen Russian assets serve as a lifeline for Ukraine's reconstruction? While some in the current debate advocate for seizing these funds as reparations, the legal road ahead is far from straightforward.

Political Science

Tell me what you’re like, and I’ll tell you how you vote

The decisions we make have a lot to do with our personality. Deeply entrenched behavioral tendencies are not easy to shed – even when it comes to which party we prefer. Insights from political psychology.

Sociology and psychology

For nerds only? What keeps women away from STEM professions

Gender differences in preferences and abilities cannot sufficiently explain why female engineers and male primary school teachers remain so rare. A new approach therefore examines the extent to which assumptions about whether or not an occupation suits you can explain this persistent gender segregation.

Information systems

When the algorithm becomes boss

On social media, influencers can earn a lot of money quickly and easily – or can they? Information systems scientist Tatjana Hödl has investigated how platforms control the actions of influencers and shows how great their dependence is.

Matter and universe

All articles on matter and universe

Places at the Uni Bern

Particle physics in the bunker

Physical research arena by day, medical production site by night: a visit at the Bernese cyclotron laboratory.

Spiders on the hunt

On the prowl with vibrations

Spiders can locate their prey using special sensory organs that detect even the smallest vibrations. The multimedia piece shows how they use these to hunt – without a web.

Space Exploration

From the Space Race to a Gold Rush in Space?

There is a sense of optimism in space travel: The USA, China and India, as well as private individuals, have set themselves the goal of returning to the Moon and continuing into space. Will the hunt for raw materials in space soon begin?

Astronomy

The sun in view

Lucia Kleint researches powerful solar storms that can cause major problems on Earth. In a video interview, the active researcher explains why the University of Bern is the perfect place for her research.

Health and medicine

All articles about health and medicine

Iron Age burial site

Buried with the pet?

In an Italian necropolis of the late Iron Age, humans and animals were buried together. Researchers at the University of Bern provide new insights into the burial practices and beliefs of a Celtic-Gallic culture.

Promoting innovation

New technology for predicting metastases

Cancer metastases are deadly - and difficult to predict. With the help of special models, Soheila Zeinali is able to analyse the behaviour of tumour cells and thus create a basis for better treatment decisions.

Neuroscience

Understanding how the brain learns

Katharina Wilmes is fascinated by the question how humans learn in an uncertain world. To find out, she is developing special neuroscientific models at the Institute of Physiology at the University of Bern.

Media release

How vapes help quit smoking

The world's largest study on the subject, led by the University of Bern, shows that vapes are an effective aid to quitting smoking tobacco cigarettes. However, they do not reduce nicotine dependency.

A question for Juri Auderset

What is the difference between medicines and drugs?

Remedy or party drug? Historian Juri Auderset talks about the thin historical and cultural line between medical and recreational drugs.

University and studies

All articles about university and studies

On our own behalf

uniAKTUELL wins bronze

The University of Bern's online magazine was awarded bronze in the Public Value category of the Best of Swiss Web competition last week.

A question for Claus Beisbart

Does science have to shake things up?

A pointed response from the perspective of the philosophy of science.

Access to the university

Unique study preparation for refugees

For a long time, it was difficult for refugees in Switzerland to be admitted to study at higher education institutions. However, the war in Ukraine led to some reflection, and also to the Compass UniBE program.

Cutting-edge research

Great success: Eleven SNSF Starting Grants

Eleven researchers receive an SNSF Starting Grant for their project at the University of Bern. The projects will be supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation with around 19 million Swiss francs.

FOCUS

Disruption

Refugee students

“Learning new things motivates me”

Eqbal Nabizada comes from Afghanistan and specializes in care. Now, he would like to study at the University of Bern.

History

“A society can be seen in its shelters”

What do Swiss women, Kim Kardashian and Donald Trump have in common? A bunker as a sanctuary. But is the underground really suitable for crisis management? A conversation with history professor Silvia Berger about the past and future of a Swiss symbolic site.

In focus

Crash! Bang! And Break Things!

How does the world develop? Constantly or in leaps and bounds? It is one of the oldest scientific controversies, and it is far from settled. At the moment, catastrophic thinking seems to be gaining momentum again.

Intercultural knowledge

All articles about intercultural knowledge

Gender equality

Can artificial intelligence be unbiased?

On 7 March, a symposium on biases was held at the University of Bern. Gülser Corat, former Director for Gender Equality at UNESCO, argued that the current design of artificial intelligence often promotes bias and explained how that could change.

Psychology

“A sensitive person will probably never become a tough guy”

When is a trauma a trauma? And why do some people suffer more from psychological distress than others? Yvonne Egenolf explains. The co-head of the Psychotherapeutic Practice at the University of Bern supports people who have been through stressful events.

Psychology

How are self-esteem and aggression connected?

... is one of the questions psychology has yet to answer conclusively. However, with the prospect of findings that will benefit society, Bernese psychologist Ulrich Orth is taking it on in a challenging research project.

Social Neuroscience

Our deep sleep reveals how cooperative we are

Each person possesses a unique sleep profile, evident in their brain wave patterns. Using these, Bern researchers can now gauge an individual's everyday cooperativeness and prosocial behavior.¨

A question for Claus Beisbart

Does science have to shake things up?

A pointed response from the perspective of the philosophy of science.

Social anthropology

Crowds in a state of intoxication

If you become intoxicated, you risk losing your balance – and that also means your mental balance. It is a frightening and at the same time pleasurable state that humans have always consciously sought out.

Science of Religion

“Intoxication led to the first religious communities”

In the early days of mankind, shared states of intoxication helped individuals to form collectives, says Jens Schlieter, who studies the connection between religion, drugs and intoxication. Can intoxication still be of help today?

Sustain-
ability

All articles about sustainability

Sustainable diet

"Food systems are characterised by power structures"

Theresa Tribaldos researches food systems, from production to trade to consumption. In this interview, she explains which aspects she considers particularly important and why more sustainable food systems concern us all.

Sustainability

“Indigenous knowledge can improve the future”

Indigenous peoples manage and care for over one quarter of Earth’s land surface. Sarah-Lan Mathez-Stiefel, researcher at Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) at the University of Bern, is convinced that Indigenous knowledge can help address our current planetary crises.

Sustainable teaching

Healthy cows are more sustainable

If you have a fever, you do less. This also applies to the cow. Two students of veterinary medicine showed in their work as part of "Sustainability in Teaching" that cows suffering from udder infections give less milk and put more pressure on the climate.

Sustainable teaching

Construction waste is the concrete of tomorrow

Ninety percent of our waste consists of excavated and demolished material from construction sites, roads and buildings. Geology students learn on site how to conserve resources, the landscape and the climate using new methods of the circular economy.
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