The Federal Council, Switzerland’s executive, has confirmed a decision made by parliament to raise the minimum speed of broadband internet connections in Switzerland. From 1 January 2020, the minimum download speed specified in Switzerland’s universal service agreement with Swisscom will rise from 3 to 10 megabits per second (Mbits/s) and the minimum upload speed will […]
Nobel Prize awarded to two Swiss physicists
This week Swiss physicists Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz, who are based at the University of Geneva, were awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering the first exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star in 1995. Exoplanets, or extra solar planets, are planets beyond our solar system. The National Geographic video above explains their discovery […]
The Swiss drone that could generate more electricity than a wind turbine
TwingTec, a company spun out of Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, is developing an alternative to wind turbines for harnessing the power of the wind. Wind speeds increase as you move further from the ground. Wind blows up to eight times faster at a height of 500 metres than it […]
Thousands protest against 5G mobile rollout in Swiss capital
Rollout of the next generation of mobile technology, known as 5G, has met with resistance in Switzerland. Last week, a demonstration in Bern, organized by Frequencia against the rollout, attracted thousands, according to RTS. Frequencia claims more than 3,000 people attended the protest. Switzerland is one of the first countries to rollout the new technology, […]
Occasional daytime naps may cut risk of heart attack, according to Swiss study
Research done in Switzerland suggests an occasional daytime nap could dramatically reduce the risk of a heart attack. The study, conducted by Nadine Häusler of the Department of Medicine at the University Hospital of Lausanne, followed 3,462 people in Lausanne aged from 35 to 75 for 5 years, according to the American Journal of Managed Care […]
Protests against 5G mobile continue in Switzerland
Last week, a crowd assembled in Bern outside Switzerland’s federal parliament building to protest the roll out of 5G mobile technology in Switzerland. Frequencia, the organisation behind the demonstration, claims that around 3,000 people attended. Switzerland’s “Stop 5G” movement is demanding a halt to further roll out of the technology in Switzerland, a process already […]
Geneva blocks the erection of 5G mobile antennas
Last week, Antonio Hodgers, the head of Geneva’s executive, announced a ban on the erection of further 5G mobile antennas in the canton, according to an interview on RTS. Motivated by uncertainty on the potential health effects of the new technology, the temporary freeze is the most the cantonal government can do to stop the […]
Swisscom switches on its 5G mobile network
This week, Swisscom became the first Swiss mobile phone company to switch on its 5G network, according to a press release. Swisscom spokesperson, Esther Hüsler, said that at midnight on Wednesday Swisscom flipped the switch to become the first Swiss operator to put its 5G network into service. It’s 5G network went live across 102 […]
Swiss canton blocks 5G mobile rollout
The rollout of fifth generation (5G) mobile technology is causing a stir across Switzerland. Groups, such as the Association Romande Alerte and the Gigaherz Club, are protesting at the rollout of the new technology, claiming that it poses potential health risks. In addition, they argue that it isn’t needed because current networks are sufficient. Elected officials […]
How a young computer scientist at CERN changed the world 30 years ago
Thirty years ago, in March 1989, a young computer expert working at CERN came up with a proposal for an internet-based hypertext system to link and access information across different computers. In the interview below, Tim Berners-Lee describes how his early requests to experiment with his idea were ignored. CERN was set up for physics […]
