UNI NOVA – Research Magazine of the University of Basel

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  In conversation

  “China’s party-state is deliberately trying to subvert the West.”

  Interview: Urs Hafner / China is politically more communist than it was 20 years ago. The country is converging with authoritarian move ments in the West, says Professor Ralph Weber, a political scientist and philosopher.

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  Portrait

  Not a trace of coronavirus fatigue.

  Text: Irène Dietschi / She was a rising star at the Department of Infectious Diseases, but when the coronavirus arrived, she faced her greatest challenge yet. She handled it brilliantly.

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  Opinion

  Should the hidden carbon footprint of AI be regulated, Frank Krysiak?

  Text: Frank Krysiak / Is a legal framework needed to regulate energy-intensive artificial intelligence applications? A debate between an environmental economist and a computer scientist.

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  Opinion

  Should the hidden carbon footprint of AI be regulated, Gabriele Röger?

  Text: Gabriele Röger / Is a legal framework needed to regulate energy-intensive artificial intelligence applications? A debate between a computer scientist and an environmental economist.

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  In pictures

  Petrified water.

  Text: Angelika Jacobs / Thousands of years compacted into just a few centimeters of rock: stalagmites contain a valuable climate record that stretches back farther than tree rings or ice cores.

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  Research

  Plants capture mercury from the air.

  Text: Yvonne Vahlensieck / As a result of human activities, the amount of mercury in circulation is ever-increasing. To protect both health and the environment, it is important to understand the processes by which this pollutant spreads through soils, air and water – and in which plants appear to play a key role.

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  Research

  Core components for energy-saving electronics.

  Text: Christine Möller / Topological insulators are an entirely new class of materials boasting unique properties that make them promising candidates for energy-saving, high-performance electronics and quantum computers.

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  Research

  Smart molecules heal wounds.

  Text: Angelika Jacobs / When a serious injury occurs, bleeding can overwhelm the body’s healing mechanisms. Artificial molecules could help by giving a boost to the clotting process.

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  Opinion

  The ghost in the machine.

  Text: Markus Schöbel / How high-risk industries are sustained by a culture of safety.