Science

Climate change adversely affects mountain forests

March 14, 2013 - Mountain forests in the Alps react very differently but noticeably to a warmer climate. Even if the target of limiting the Earth’s average temperature increase to 2 degrees were met, this would already prove too much of a challenge for some mountain forests. This is the result of computer simulations by researchers at ETH Zurich. For this reason, the scientists are proposing adaptation measures.

Using the supercomputer to look for traces of evolution in genes

February 19, 2013 - In the HP2C project “Selectome”, scientists from the University of Lausanne and the SIB Institute of Bioinformatics and members of CSCS have successfully revised a code. It now also runs on supercomputers and calculates selection events in genes many times more quickly.   

"Do something that significantly improves the quality of human life"

January 14, 2013 - Diego Rossinelli is a senior scientist at the Computational Science & Engineering Laboratory of ETH Zurich, lead by Professor Petros Koumoutsakos. Recently, the team won the Milton Van Dyke Award for one of their visualisations. Rossinelli started studying Computer Science and received the ETH Medal for his Master thesis. For his PhD he switched to Computational Science and was awarded with the ABB Forschungspreis 2011. Beside his research on computational science and high-performance computing, he creates impressive visualisations of computer simulations. 

Big Bang under the microscope

January 3, 2013 - Scientists have replaced the telescope by the microscope: Using the similarities between the structure of a crystal and the state of the cosmos in the early universe, they have explored a yet unconfirmed phenomenon, the formation of cosmic strings.

Searching for defects in space

December 18, 2012 - Topological defects can arise during a phase transition – both in a solid body and in space. Researchers from the University of Geneva are trying to prove their existence in the cosmos.

CSE Lab wins the Van Dyke Award: the Gallery of Fluid Motion 2012

November 20, 2012 - The Computational Science & Engineering Laboratory (CSE Lab) of ETH Zurich lead by Professor Petros Koumoutsakos wins the Milton Van Dyke Award presented at the 65th Annual  Conference of the Division of Fluid Dynamics of the American Physical Society, November 18-20, 2012, in San Diego, CA.

A supercomputer to understand the failing heart

November 12, 2012 - In certain heart diseases, the left ventricle does not contract simultaneously. Usually, a pacemaker can come to the rescue here. Why this does not help in thirty per cent of cases, however, is difficult to ascertain. Simulations of the physiology of the heart should now help provide a detailed diagnosis.

Materials research meets cosmology

June 13, 2012 - This year’s Max Rössler Prize goes to Nicola Spaldin, a professor of materials theory in the Department of Materials at ETH Zurich in recognition of her interdisciplinary and pioneering research.

Escape response of small fish tested using a supercomputer

May 2, 2012 - Small fish bend themselves into a ‘C’ shape before they flee from predators. Observations have suggested that this shape helps them to abruptly put the greatest distance possible between themselves and their predators. ETH researchers have now tested this hypothesis for the first time using a supercomputer.

Solving the mystery of Neanderthal man in the supercomputer

April 2, 2012 - An agent-based simulation is set to show how Neanderthal man and modern humansstruggled for survival in an inhospitable era.

Plate tectonics modelled realistically

February 23, 2012 - ETH Zurich scientists have for the first time realistically simulated how an oceanic plate sinks of its own accord under an adjacent plate. This enabled them to give a conclusive explanation of the process and how it affects the dynamics of the Earth’s interior.

Eliminating errors in quantum computing

January 12, 2012 - Quantum computers, should they be realized one day, will inevitably make errors. Therefore, they need special error correcting mechanisms. The most important part of it, a so-called Toffoli gate, has now been realized by ETH scientists with superconducting circuits 

CP2K – a computer program for the future

October 20, 2011 - With CP2K researchers can, amongst other things, simulate new materials and their molecular properties. The molecular scientist Jürg Hutter began developing CP2K about ten years ago in collaboration with the research group led by Michele Parrinello.

CH2011 - climate development in Switzerland

September 30, 2011 - Climate scientist Christoph Schär provides information about the current climate scenarios in Switzerland. They were presented at ETH Zurich with the publication of the “CH2011” report.

It is getting warmer in Switzerland and dryer in summer, and climate change will also affect the frequency and character of extreme events. In an interview, Christoph Schär provides information about the new climate scenarios for Switzerland. These are based on a comprehensive assessment conducted by Swiss scientists.

How diamonds emerge from graphite

September 20, 2011 - Scientists have used a new method to precisely simulate the phase transition from graphite to diamond for the first time. Instead of happening concerted, all at once, the conversion evidently takes place in a step by step process involving the formation of a diamond seed in the graphite, which is then transformed completely at high pressure.

Will Quantum Knowledge Cool Supercomputers?

June 1, 2011 - Whether data is processed or deleted in computers, both consume energy. The energy is released as heat. A study has now shown that the heat forming can be avoided, and, in an extreme case, cold can be created – a glimmer of hope for supercomputer centres.