Новости за 21.08.2018

Artificial intelligence is being used to develop robots and drones that can operate more autonomously, allowing them to explore dangerous places beyond the reach of humans and animals. The Swiss government is now testing this technology to see how it could be used in disaster situations. Specialists from the Robotics and Perception Group at the University of Zurich have developed a small drone that can fly through a collapsed building and find people – without a remote control. They’ve been testing... Читать дальше...

Global warming is causing Switzerland’s glaciers to melt. But how fast and with what effects? A new, dynamic glacier inventory makes the impact of climate change and the changing landscape visible.  The last time Swiss glaciers managed to grow was in 2001, according to the federal technology institute ETH Zurich. “Since then, the country’s 1,500 glaciers – as well as others elsewhere – have been suffering a slow but inexorable death,” it said on Monday.  + Most glaciers in central Switzerland to... Читать дальше...

Researchers in Switzerland estimate that 9% of the Indian population, mainly in rural areas, could be affected by excess fluoride present in underground wells. A hazard map offers authorities the possibility of targeted testing in problem areas.  Fluoride ends up underground due to natural weathering and enters groundwater. However, excess fluoride (above World Health Organization threshold level of 1.5 milligrams per litre) can cause growth disorders, damage to teeth and bone deformation.  Scientists... Читать дальше...

René Le Coultre, a key figure behind the invention of the quartz wristwatch, died on Saturday, three weeks after his 100th birthday.  Le Coultre was the founder of the Electronic Watch Centre (Centre électronique horloger CEH) in the city of Neuchâtel, western Switzerland. Around 20 watch brands were behind the creation of the centre in 1962 with the goal of making a reliable analog quartz wristwatch. In 1966, the first prototype called Beta 1 was developed, setting the scene for mass production of highly accurate quartz-based wristwatches. Читать дальше...

A shortage of skilled labour continues to affect the Swiss job market, according to the latest survey by employment agency Manpower.  Among reasons given for difficulties in finding the right candidates, 30% of employers surveyed cited a lack of technical skills, 29% a lack of candidates, 17% blamed a lack of professional experience and 14% cited missing interpersonal skills.  Among the most sought-after staff are electricians, welders and mechanics, followed by sales representatives, company executives and managers. Читать дальше...

After the Soviet invasion of the former Czechoslovakia in 1968, protests and demonstrations of solidarity took place across Switzerland. The Zurich headquarters of Aeroflot and the Soviet Trade Bank were vandalized and Soviet embassy officials faced verbal abuse. Official Switzerland reacted differently. The government opposed requests to freeze diplomatic relations with the countries of the Soviet bloc, even if it did express its support for the people of Czechoslovakia to obtain "greater freedom". Читать дальше...

After Warsaw Pact tanks rolled into Czechoslovakia on the night of August 20, 1968 to crush the Prague Spring movement, many Czechs and Slovaks found refuge in Switzerland. Irena Brežná was in France at an international student camp, “laughing and happy to be able to travel and visit a capitalist country”.  Political liberalisation brought about after the election of Alexander Dubček to head the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in January 1968 meant that “people could again read newspapers and discuss openly”, she explains. Читать дальше...