wire - news in brief

Managing water like a succulent: a research team led by the University of Bern has decoded a mechanism by which an inconspicuous succulent regulates the uptake of carbon dioxide via the leaf surface so finely that it receives enough for photosynthesis without losing too much water - and can therefore conserve water efficiently.

How does fine dust aggregate into building blocks that ultimately form entire planets like our Earth? A research team led by the University of Bern, with the participation of ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich and the National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS has provided the first experimental evidence - obtained during parabolic flights in zero gravity - that a key physical process, known as shear-flow instability, actually occurs under conditions similar to those in planet formation regions.

New research from the Institute of Psychology at the University of Bern sheds light on why most people believe that women and men differ in their personalities and skills. The team evaluated data from various countries at two points in time: 1995 and 2023. This study reveals that the strength of the stereotypical beliefs reflects the extent to which women and men occupy different social roles in homes and workplaces in their society.

At its Ministerial Council meeting, the European Space Agency (ESA) has approved the RAMSES mission.

The University of Bern is participating in the international NASA Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe mission (IMAP), which is due to be launched no earlier than 23 September 2025.

It is commonly assumed that countries with high gender equality give men and women a lot of freedom in their behaviors. However, in precisely these countries - such as Switzerland and Sweden - there are comparatively strong social beliefs for men to maintain the higher status of their gender group. This is shown by a recently published study by the Institute of Psychology at the University of Bern.

In a survey, the public had a say in the names of the two fish species discovered by researchers from the University of Bern.

The fourth Antarctic campaign of the -Beyond EPICA - Oldest Iceproject, funded by the European Commission, has achieved a historic milestone for climate science.

An international research team led by the University of Bern and the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology in Jena has excavated one of the most significant and ancient burial mounds in Siberia. These discoveries provide valuable insights into the cultural origins of the Scythians, a horse-riding culture of the Eurasian Steppe, and have now been recognized by Archaeology Magazine as one of the "Top 10 Archaeological Discoveries of 2024." The Scythians of the Eurasian Steppe were known for their mobile lifestyle, archery skills, and intricate animal-style art.

NASA's Europa Clipper was launched on October 14, 2024, on its mission to conduct a detailed study of Jupiter's moon Europa.

The University of Bern is revising its climate strategy.

At the end of June 2024, the Faculty of Humanities presented a structure report on the new integration of the field of Middle Eastern Linguistics and Cultural Studies.

The study by a researcher from the University of Bern provides extraordinary insights into the networks of Islamist accomplices in the USA. These are characterized by common socio-cultural features, geographical proximity and ideological affiliation. In particular, the results could well contribute to the fight against terror networks at a local level.

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has started the design and construction of the ArmazoNes high Dispersion Echelle Spectrograph (ANDES) with an international consortium involving the University

A large-scale interdisciplinary research project on sleep at the University of Bern came to an end this year.

An international team of researchers including the University of Bern shows in a new study that male glassfrogs that care for their offspring have smaller testes than males of species that do not provide any brood care. This indicates an evolutionary trade-off between sperm production and parenting.

Vapes are an effective aid to quitting smoking tobacco cigarettes. However, they do not help to reduce nicotine dependence. This is shown by the results of the world's largest study on this topic, which was conducted by a Swiss-wide interdisciplinary research group led by the University of Bern. Vapes, also called e-cigarettes or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are electrically powered devices that emit nicotine in the form of vapor.

The canton of Bern wants to establish itself as a leading international medical location by 2030.