Scientists at CERN have achieved a first: they have transported antimatter in a truck across the laboratory’s main site. The result marks a step towards shipping antiprotons to other European research centres. The team behind the BASE experiment trapped 92 antiprotons in a portable cryogenic device known as a Penning trap, disconnected it from its […]
Swiss government rejects Greens’ solar initiative
Switzerland’s government has rejected a popular initiative by the Green Party of Switzerland that would make solar installations mandatory for all new buildings and major renovations, reported RTS. On Friday the Federal Council of Switzerland dismissed the proposal without offering a counter-proposal, arguing that it would infringe on private property rights. The government acknowledged that […]
Work on Switzerland’s underground dream halted
Switzerland has put Cargo Sous Terrain, an ambitious scheme to move freight through underground tunnels, on ice, reported SRF. The federal government, several cantons and the city of Zurich have suspended work on the project, citing unmet requirements. The idea was bold. A privately financed network of subterranean tunnels, backed by blue-chip firms including Coop, […]
Swiss student unsettles operators with map plotting mobile antenna
Comparing mobile networks was made easier this week. Swiss student Leutrim Shallti has built a website —carteantennesuisse.ch—that pinpoints every 3G, 4G and 5G antenna in the country. Consumers can now check whether operators’ marketing boasts match reality. Shallti is no telecom engineer— he is a psychology student who studies electronics for three years prior. Yet […]
Switzerland axes plan for a national study on forever chemicals
Switzerland has shelved plans for a national study on the health effects of chemical pollutants, reported RTS. The scheme, intended to track the impact of pesticides, heavy metals and “forever chemicals” such as PFAS on 100,000 volunteers over two decades, would have cost as much as CHF 240 million. The Federal Council cited budget constraints […]
Baidu picks Switzerland to pilot its robotaxis
Robotaxis are common place across much of the US and China. Waymo, a self-driving taxi pioneer, operates in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Austin and Atlanta, with plans to expand further. In China, robotaxi services are widespread across major cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing. Progress in Europe has been relatively […]
Swiss to launch open source Large Language Model
Switzerland’s federal institutes of technology—ETH Zurich and EPFL in Lausanne—have announced plans to launch a large language model (LLM) of their own. Unlike most of its peers, this one will be public, open-source and led by ethics and science. It is expected to be released later in 2025. Developed under the Swiss AI Initiative, launched […]
Proton freezes Swiss investment over surveillance fears
Proton, the Geneva-based encrypted email provider founded 11 years ago by three scientist who met at CERN, will freeze its investments in Switzerland, its chief executive Andy Yen told Le Temps on Wednesday. The company, best known for its privacy-first services, accuses Switzerland of edging towards becoming a surveillance state. The dispute centres on two […]
Swiss digital surveillance plan heavily criticised
A proposed revision to Switzerland’s digital surveillance regulations has met with broad political and industry backlash, reported RTS. Critics say the draft, put forward by the Federal Council, threatens data privacy, allows disproportionate state intervention, and could undermine the country’s reputation as an innovation hub. In a consultation process that concluded on Tuesday, parties across […]
Switzerland’s underground cargo project switches track
Cargo Sous Terrain (CST), Switzerland’s long-planned underground freight network, has been in the making for more than a decade. The concept is simple: instead of clogging up roads, goods would be transported via automated wagons moving through subterranean tunnels, loaded and unloaded at designated hubs. Yet enthusiasm for the project has cooled. Last year, municipalities […]
