Hope, dismay, and a record

Where is the Twitter in the field?

The red-backed Shrike, which are to be found, while the Whitethroat, tree Pipit, or brown in Switzerland only rarely, because you more and more food missing. Since 1990, the stock of insect-eating birds in the culture of the country has declined by almost two thirds. Due to the intensification of agriculture. Because you not only destroyed important habitats, but kills by the use of pesticides many insects.

As of the current breeding bird Atlas reports, could, however, extensive farming, and more nature-oriented havens in addition to the fields much. So it is beyond the Swiss border to the German side of the Rhine river per kilometer square, more bird species and higher Densities than in this country, because it has more small structures, such as trees, hedges, or fruit trees.

"With us, everyone is used even of a small patch of Land somehow and crooked trees, humidity and Krautsäume because of the agricultural perfectionism immediately removed," says Matthias Kestenholz of the Swiss ornithological Institute in Sempach. The inventory of birds in each Habitat was like a stock market index for the nature. It is a kind of indicator of the quality of the environment. When it comes to the birds in the habitat, it is also good for people. (bry)

Two genetically modified babies for excitement

at the end of November, a hitherto little-known Chinese researchers, who, the global Public. In a Video He Jiankui announced, in Shenzhen, two healthy girls were born, whose genetic material he had manipulated with artificial insemination with the Genschere Crispr/CAS. In the embryos, he turned off a protein that the Aids virus HIV needs to infect immune cells, explained He.

He Jiankui want to have changed in the human genome. Photo:

In the professional world, the announcement on a big misunderstanding, Yes horror has joined. It was much too early for such interventions, said experts in unison, as the technology is still a much too great of a risk for unwanted genetic changes. The engagement is not represented, therefore, ethically, because of the potential damage that the Genchirurgie can do, is a lot of weights higher than the alleged Benefits. Especially since there are a lot of cheaper and lower-risk methods to protect themselves against HIV infection.

What He remains in the dark. Allegedly, some of the scientists of his plans have known – and it is strongly discouraged. In a panel discussion at ETH Zurich, a Chinese scientist came out recently as a well-Known of He. He said He had been appreciated at the University of Shenzhen. Now He is suspended, however, and is submerged. And so far, he has supplied no evidence that the two girls actually. (nw)

Four million Swiss francs for gene therapy

at the beginning of November, we had the bursting of the bomb: A novel gene therapy for a hereditary Form of muscular atrophy will cost up to four million Swiss francs, if it is likely to come in mid-2019 on the market. The therapy was not more expensive than comparable treatments of rare diseases, the creation of Novartis. (nw)

Swiss successes with new therapies for paralyzed

First reports in November, Grégoire Courtine of the Federal Institute of technology Lausanne, that there were three paralytic patients was able to go thanks to the electrical Stimulation and physical therapy for short distances. A few weeks later, the Zurich-based neurobiologist Martin Schwab gets green light which, until now, the largest study with antibodies, which allow for spinal cord injury Regeneration. (fes)

Insight-Mission lands successfully on Mars

The Insight Mission, the US space Agency, Nasa, brought in on 26. November instruments on the Mars, with which the Interior of the planet more extensively than previously explored. With this, among other things, a Seismometer, its electronics developed by the ETH Zurich. It is the first Seismometer was placed directly on the surface of a planet. (jol)

units using natural constants define

On the 16. November the Guild of metrologists physical units, such as the second, and the Kelvin on the most stable Foundation, the the physics: Seven constants of nature are in future to define the seven base units (SI units). The place of the Urkilogramms the Planck's constant enters, for example, in quantum physics, important Size. (jol)

The world-famous physicist Stephen Hawking dies

He was rarely at a loss for a response. Stephen Hawking says time travel to God or to the downfall of humanity, came to a head in the world the ears. As a genius in a wheelchair, jumped to the death for decades by the shovel, blew around him, a magic, as you had hardly any other scientists. 14. March, at the age of 76 years, from the delivery of his life time. (jol)

device the Dogma of The unhealthy salt shaken

for Years we were told: More than 5 grams of salt per day in the diet increases the risk for cardiovascular disease. An international study with over 100,000 participants refuted these recommendations. Thus, even a salt intake of up to 12 grams per day is safe. The consumer only heart patients should restrict. (nw)

dryness and an alarming climate report

It was a summer of superlatives. In Europe, in Switzerland. "The heat and lack of Rain without end", recorded Meteo Switzerland. Brown fields, early leaf discoloration, months-long drought. No summer half of the year was 1864 as warm as this year, especially in the cities. The average temperatures from April to September exceeded the previous record of 2003. And that was not just a freak of nature. The statistics of the ETH Zurich shows an alarming Trend: The extreme event of 2003 had taken place 30 years ago, every 1000 years, today every 50 to 100 years is already expected to. The average temperature in the summer between 1864 and 1990, today stands for a cold summer, which occurs only rarely.

The once was a salad, then the summer of 2018 came. Photo: Urs Jaudas

The IPCC shows in a new climate report in October that a global warming of 1.5 degrees will have in comparison to the pre-industrial time, in many regions the ecological consequences. It is only a half of a degree is missing. The climate-damaging CO2 emissions should reach, according to the report, in a few years the Maximum. Still you rise, but so strong that the earth is heading for a warming of 3 degrees. The climate conference in Katowice, in December, the rules to the Paris agreement. The Treaty aims to prevent dangerous global warming. How Serious the States with the climate protection, the next few years. (TLD)

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 27.12.2018, 22:35 Uhr