Innovation is advancing ecosystem restoration as a powerful nature-based solution to multiple global challenges.

14.30-15.30 - Panel Discussion entitled'' Innovation is advancing ecosystem restoration as a powerful nature-based solution to multiple global challenges.''

Keynote speaker: Tom Crowther, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH) Moderator: Khalil Walji, The Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF)

Panelists

Tom Crowther, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH)

Yelena Finegold, FAO Forestry Officer       

Chetan Kumar, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)       

Adrien Leitoro, Nature and People as One       

Fabiola Zerbini, Brazilian National Secretariat for Biodiversity, Forests and Animal Rights

Patente im Bereich Geoengineering

Patente im Bereich Geoengineering bieten gewaltige Gewinnchancen und sollen vor allem ökonomische und politische Macht sichern. Patente für Geoengineering für Hegemoniesicherung Patente bieten typischerweise gewaltige Gewinnchancen, auch wenn diese sich erst zeitverzögert realisieren lassen. Glaubt man den Apologeten des Geoengineering, so dienen diese Techniken und Technologien jedoch fast nur dem Umwelschutz. In einer Welt, die zunehmend für Umweltprobleme sensibilisiert wird, sollen solche Patente dem Schutz unserer Umwelt und damit dem Wohle von uns allen dienen. Warum sind Patente im Geoengineering wichtig? Geoengineering bezeichnet Technologien und Methoden, die darauf abzielen, das Klima zu beeinflussen und den "Klimawandel" zu bekämpfen. Von solarer Strahlungsmanipulation bis hin zu Kohlendioxid-Abscheidungstechnologien gibt es viele Ansätze, um die Umwelt nachhaltig zu beeinflussen. Patente sollen Erfinder und Unternehmen ermutigen, in vielversprechende Technologien zu investieren, ohne die Angst vor Ideenkopien und Nachahmern. Finanzielles Gewinnpotential durch Geoengineering-Patente Mit Investitionen in Geoengineering-Patente wollen Unternehmen erhebliche finanzielle Gewinne generieren. Denn Patente sichern einerseits die ausschließliche Selbstverwertung, also die Konkurrenzlosigkeit. Damit ist es den Unternehmen möglich, Marktanteile zu sichern und Wettbewerbsvorteile zu erlangen. Durch die Exklusivität, die Patente bieten, können Unternehmen Lizenzgebühren erheben oder Partnerschaften mit anderen Organisationen eingehen, um ihre Technologien weiter zu verbreiten und zu monetarisieren. Patente sollen den Umweltschutz fördern Patente im Geoengineering bieten nicht nur finanzielle Anreize, sondern sie sollen angeblich auch den Umweltschutz fördern. Ob das wirklich so ist, lässt sich nur an konkreten Beispielen verdeutlichen. Der Klimawissenschaftler Alan Robock warnte schon im Jahr 2008 vor möglichen Gefahren beim Einsatz von Geoengineering - wie beispielsweise - Negative Auswirkungen auf Flora und Fauna, - Verstärkung des sauren Regens, - Missbrauch zu militärischen Zwecken... Der Dipl. Dr. sc. nat. Physiker Philipp Zeller arbeitet an der Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH). Als Freizeitpilot beschäftigt er sich schon nahezu drei Jahrzehnte mit den Ereignissen am Himmel. Mehrere Jahre arbeitete er im Patentwesen. Dabei stieß er auf  einige brisante Informationen, die er u. a. in nachfolgendem Vortrag ans Licht bringt. Ziehen Sie Ihre eigenen Schlüsse über die Folgen von Geoengineering! Beiträge und Artikel anderer Autoren müssen nicht die Sichtweise der Webseiteninhabers widerspiegeln, sondern dienen nur der vergleichenden Information und Anregung zur eigenen Meinungsbildung. Wie aufschlussreich fanden Sie diesen Artikel? Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel

Time travel. We’ve all thought about it at one time or another, and the subject has been explored extensively in science fiction. Once in a while, it is even the subject of scientific research, typically involving quantum mechanics and how the Universe’s four fundamental forces (electromagnetism, weak and strong nuclear forces, and gravity) fit together. In a recent experiment, researchers at the University of Cambridge showed that by manipulating quantum entanglements, they could simulate what could happen if the flow of time were reversed. The research team was led by David Arvidsson-Shukur, a quantum researcher with the Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory (HCL) at the University of Cambridge. He was joined by Aidan G. McConnell, a Ph.D. student with Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory, the Paul Scherrer Institute, and Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH Zurich); and Nicole Yunger Halpern, an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS) and the Institute for Physical Science and Technology (IPST) at the University of Maryland. Their paper, “Nonclassical Advantage in Metrology Established via Quantum Simulations of Hypothetical Closed Timelike Curves.” In the realm of quantum theory, entanglement describes when a group of particles are generated, interact, or share proximity in such a way that their quantum states become identical. As physicists have observed for over a century, these particles will remain in this state long after, even though they may become separated by vast distances (what Einstein referred to as “spooky action at a distance.”) This is the basis of quantum computing, where entangled particles are used to perform computations that are too complex for classical computers. Illustration depicting quantum entanglement between particles. Credit: ATLAS Experiment Whether or not particles can travel backward in time has also been the subject of considerable debate among physicists. While physicists have previously simulated models of how such “time travel” might occur, the Cambridge team took a new approach by connecting their theory to quantum metrology, which uses quantum theory to make highly sensitive measurements. As a result, the Cambridge team showed that entanglement can solve problems that otherwise seem impossible. Said lead author Arvidsson-Shukur in a Cambridge press release: “Imagine that you want to send a gift to someone: you need to send it on day one to make sure it arrives on day three. However, you only receive that person’s wish list on day two. So, in this chronology-respecting scenario, it’s impossible for you to know in advance what they will want as a gift and to make sure you send the right one. Now imagine you can change what you send on day one with the information from the wish list received on day two. Our simulation uses quantum entanglement manipulation to show how you could retroactively change your previous actions to ensure the final outcome is the one you want.” In their experiment, the team entangled two particles. The first was sent to be used in the experiment, while the second was maintained separately. The experiment then manipulated the second particle to effectively alter the first particle’s past state, changing the experiment’s outcome. To demonstrate the potential relevance of their experiment to quantum computing and other technologies, the team incorporated quantum metrology. In traditional metrology experiments, photons are prepared before being introduced onto a sample and then registered with a special camera. Their results showed that the team can use time travel simulations to retroactively change the original photons, even if they only learn how to prepare the photons after reaching the sample. However, the team also noted that this effect was only observable in one out of four experimental runs, meaning the simulation has a 75% chance of failure. The theorists propose sending many entangled photons to counteract the high chance of failure, knowing that some will eventually carry the updated information. This illustration shows the “arrow of time” from the Big Bang to the present cosmological epoch. Credit: NASA They also recommend using a filter to remove the “uncorrected” photons while the updated photons pass to the camera. At best, said Arvidsson-Shuku, the experiment will produce the desired results a quarter of the time, which is tantamount to getting the desired “gift” one in four times. Moreover, if the “gifts” are inexpensive, many can be sent over extended periods, eventually leading to a statistically significant number of desirable outcomes. Of course, Arvidsson-Shuku and his colleagues stress that this is not “time travel” in the traditional sense: “That we need to use a filter to make our experiment work is actually pretty reassuring. The world would be very strange if our time-travel simulation worked every time. Relativity and all the theories that we are building our understanding of our universe on would be out of the window. We are not proposing a time travel machine but rather a deep dive into the fundamentals of quantum mechanics. These simulations do not allow you to go back and alter your past, but they do allow you to create a better tomorrow by fixing yesterday’s problems today.” The team’s research was supported by the Sweden-America Foundation, the Lars Hierta Memorial Foundation, Girton College, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Further Reading: Cambridge University, Physical Review Letters The post Thinking About Time Travel Helps Solve Problems in Physics appeared first on Universe Today.

ML hilft, Anomalien zu erkennen

Nach wie vor verlassen sich viele Sicherheitsteams bei der Erkennung von Bedrohungen auf statische Signaturen. Dabei bauen sie entweder auf ein Intrusion Detection System (IDS) zur Netzwerkanalyse oder auf statische Verhaltenserkennungen auf der Grundlage von Endpunktprotokollen. Doch mit immer mehr Daten wird es schwierig, den Überblick zu behalten, und alle Quellen und Angriffsmuster mit individuellen Regeln abzudecken. Um diese Herausforderungen zu meistern, helfen laut Exeon Algorithmen des maschinellen Lernens (ML) dabei, die Perspektive bei der Erkennungsentwicklung zu wechseln. Wer ML einsetzt, kann den Normalzustand einer Kommunikation lernen, Abweichungen erkennen und diese nach deren Gefährlichkeit bewerten. Beispielhafte Anwendungsbereiche von ML sind die Erkennungen von Algorithmen, die Domains generieren, bis hin zur Analyse des Verkehrsvolumens, der Erkennung von Command-and-Control-Kanälen und der Erkennung von interner Weiterverbreitung (Lateral Movement). Dabei können insbesondere IT-Sicherheitsverantwortliche und SOC Analysten, die relevante Bedrohungen erkennen und abwehren müssen, von ML profitieren. Exeon selbst nutzt Algorithmen des maschinellen Lernens und deren Baselining-Funktionen für seine NDR-Plattform (Network Detection & Response). Trainierte und untrainierte Algorithmen Algorithmen des maschinellen Lernens können in zwei Gruppen unterteilt werden: trainierte und untrainierte Algorithmen. Beide haben Vorteile und einige Einschränkungen in ihrer Anwendung. Die trainierten Algorithmen werden im Labor trainiert, um bekannt gute und bekannt schlechte Merkmale zu erkennen. Untrainierte Algorithmen verwenden das sogenannte Baselining, das heißt, sie lernen den normalen Zustand der Infrastruktur und können ihre Basislinie dynamisch an die Umgebung des Unternehmens anpassen. Am Ende läuft dies auf (Netzwerk-)Statistik, Berechnung von Wahrscheinlichkeiten, Zeitanalyse und Clustering hinaus. In Kombination haben beide Algorithmen-Gruppen große Vorteile, da sie einerseits auf Erfahrung aus dem Labor, der Industrie und anderen Kunden zurückgreifen (trainierte Algorithmen) und andererseits dynamisch im Unternehmens-eigenen Netzwerk lernen (untrainierte Algorithmen) und auf der Basis auch unbekannte, neue Angriffe detektieren können. Anomalien müssen erklärt werden Wenn Anomalien erkannt werden, so ist die Erklärung und Kontextualisierung von größter Bedeutung. Oft liefern Sicherheitstools nur die Information, dass die ML-Engine etwas entdeckt hat, aber es ist den Analysten nicht bekannt, was genau entdeckt wurde. Daher ist es laut Exeon wichtig, die benötigten Informationen für SOC-Analysten zur Verfügung zu stellen; sowohl mit der präzisen Benennung der Anomalie wie auch mit Kontextinformationen direkt zur Anomalie. ExeonTrace verwendet trainierte und untrainierte Algorithmen, leistungsstarke Visualisierungen und umfassende Kontextinformationen, um SOC-Analysten damit effizient und effektiv in der Erkennung und Behebung von Cyber-Incidents zu unterstützen.   Über Exeon Analytics Exeon Analytics AG ist ein Schweizer Cybertech-Unternehmen, das sich auf den Schutz von IT- und OT-Infrastrukturen durch KI-gesteuerte Sicherheitsanalysen spezialisiert hat. Die Network Detection and Response (NDR)-Plattform ExeonTrace bietet Unternehmen die Möglichkeit, Netzwerke zu überwachen, Cyber-Bedrohungen sofort zu erkennen und somit die IT-Landschaft des eigenen Unternehmens effektiv zu schützen - schnell, zuverlässig und komplett Software-basiert. Die selbstlernenden Algorithmen zur Früherkennung von Cyberangriffen wurden an der ETH Zürich (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich) entwickelt und basieren auf mehr als zehn Jahren akademischer Forschung. Exeon wurde mehrfach ausgezeichnet, ist international aktiv und zählt namhafte Firmen wie PostFinance, V-Zug, SWISS International Airlines und den Logistikkonzern Planzer zu seinen Kunden.   Passende Artikel zum Thema Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel

A fully sustainable plastic economy is difficult, but it is possible

Is it possible to minimize the disadvantages of plastic and set up a fully sustainable plastic economy? Yes, say scientists at ETH Zurich in a new study.

Plastic is strong, multifunctional and has several advantages, but the material also causes a lot of pollution and CO2 emissions. In addition, we are using more and more plastic worldwide and that trend will (in all likelihood) continue in the coming decades. [1]

So work to be done. Researchers at ETH Zurich[2] examined the value chains of the fourteen largest plastics (such as PE[3] and PP[4]) and ventured into the question[5]: what is needed for a sustainable plastic economy? The main answer: recycling. A lot of. recycling.

Recycling and sustainable carbon sources

The researchers state that at least 74 percent of all plastics must be recycled to stay within the limits of the planet. In comparison, in Europe, about a little less than a third[6] of all plastic waste is currently recycled. In other parts of the world, that percentage is much lower. In addition, recycling methods need to be significantly improved, particularly in terms of efficiency. It would help, among other things, if plastic producers and recyclers work more closely together to better coordinate their processes.

More sustainable production methods must be developed for the remaining 26 percent, according to the study. This mainly concerns tapping into more sustainable carbon sources, an important raw material for plastic production. For example, CO2 that is captured during industrial processes or CO2 from the atmosphere that is extracted from the air using Direct Capture[7].

Another look at plastic

A global recycling rate is particularly ambitious, says lead author André Bardow. “It is unlikely to achieve that in 2030, but we could in 2050. It is important that global plastic production decreases at the same time, because it is growing right now. If this trend continues, a sustainable plastic economy will not be possible.”

That is why Bardow and colleagues argue that we need to learn to look at plastic differently. “It's a cheap product. That was a blessing for a long time, but now it is a curse. We should see plastic as a high-quality material, which it really is. Then it is fine if the material (and its recycling) costs a little more and more is possible in terms of sustainability,” they say.

Source

Hidde Middelweerd, Een volledig duurzame plasticeconomie is lastig, maar het kán wel, in: ChangeInc, 10-03-2023, https://www.change.inc/circulaire-economie/een-volledig-duurzame-plasticeconomie-is-lastig-maar-het-kan-wel-39679

[1] Stricter regulations for packaging waste, better recycling methods, a cautious rise of bioplastics, here and there a ban on plastic straws, bags and disposable cutlery… It is still far from enough to reduce global plastic use. In fact, far too little happens. Without drastic measures, global plastic use will almost double by 2050. https://www.change.inc/circulaire-economie/piek-in-plasticgebruik-pas-na-2100-bereikt-waarschuwt-nieuw-rapport-39625

[2] ETH Zurich (German: Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich; English: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich) is a public research university in Zürich, Switzerland. Founded by the Swiss federal government in 1854, it was modelled on the École polytechnique in Paris, with the stated mission to educate engineers and scientists; the school focuses primarily on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, although its 16 departments span a variety of disciplines and subjects.

[3] Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging (plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including bottles, etc.). As of 2017, over 100 million tonnes of polyethylene resins are being produced annually, accounting for 34% of the total plastics market.

[4] Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer propylene.

[5] Marvin Bachmann, Christian Zibunas, Jan Hartmann, Victor Tulus, Sangwon Suh, Gonzalo Guillén-Gosálbez & André Bardow, Towards circular plastics within planetary boundaries, in: Nature Sustainability (2023), https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-01054-9; The rapid growth of plastics production exacerbated the triple planetary crisis of habitat loss, plastic pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Circular strategies have been proposed for plastics to achieve net-zero GHG emissions. However, the implications of such circular strategies on absolute sustainability have not been examined on a planetary scale. This study links a bottom-up model covering both the production and end-of-life treatment of 90% of global plastics to the planetary boundaries framework. Here we show that even a circular, climate-optimal plastics industry combining current recycling technologies with biomass utilization transgresses sustainability thresholds by up to four times. However, improving recycling technologies and recycling rates up to at least 75% in combination with biomass and CO2 utilization in plastics production can lead to a scenario in which plastics comply with their assigned safe operating space in 2030. Although being the key to sustainability and in improving the unquantified effect of novel entities on the biosphere, even enhanced recycling cannot cope with the growth in plastics demand predicted until 2050. Therefore, achieving absolute sustainability of plastics requires a fundamental change in our methods of both producing and using plastics.

[6] Plastic waste and recycling in the EU: facts and figures- Main contents, in: European Parliament (EP), 18-01-2023, https://www.eumonitor.eu/9353000/1/j9vvik7m1c3gyxp/vkufaw0m3zy4?ctx=vjxzjv7ta8z1; Nearly a third of plastic waste in Europe is recycled. Find out more facts and figures on plastic waste and its recycling in the EU with our infographic.

[7] Direct air capture (DAC) is the use of chemical or physical processes to extract carbon dioxide directly from the ambient air.If the extracted CO2 is then sequestered in safe long-term storage (called direct air carbon capture and sequestration (DACCS)), the overall process will achieve carbon dioxide removal and be a "negative emissions technology" (NET). As of 2022, DAC has yet to become profitable because the cost of using DAC to sequester carbon dioxide is several times the carbon price.

Arrivals & Departures 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955 Celebrate Albert Einstein [on Pi] Day

Albert Einstein (/ˈaɪnstaɪn/ EYEN-styne; German: [ˈalbɛʁt ˈʔaɪnʃtaɪn] (listen); 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics (alongside quantum mechanics). His work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science. He is best known to the general public for his mass–energy equivalence formula {\displaystyle E=mc^{2}}, which has been dubbed "the world's most famous equation". He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect", a pivotal step in the development of quantum theory.

Near the beginning of his career, Einstein thought that Newtonian mechanics was no longer enough to reconcile the laws of classical mechanics with the laws of the electromagnetic field. This led him to develop his special theory of relativity during his time at the Swiss Patent Office in Bern (1902–1909). He subsequently realized that the principle of relativity could be extended to gravitational fields, and published a paper on general relativity in 1916 introducing his theory of gravitation. He continued to deal with problems of statistical mechanics and quantum theory, which led to his explanations of particle theory and the motion of molecules. He also investigated the thermal properties of light and the quantum theory of radiation, the basis of laser, which laid the foundation of the photon theory of light. In 1917, he applied the general theory of relativity to model the structure of the universe.

Einstein moved to Switzerland in 1895 and renounced his German citizenship in 1896. After being stateless for more than five years, he acquired Swiss citizenship in 1901, which he kept for the rest of his life. Except for over one year in Prague, he lived in Switzerland between 1895 and 1914.

He received his academic diploma from the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School (later the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, ETH) in Zürich in 1900. Between 1902 and 1909, he was employed in Bern as a patent examiner, at the Federal Office for Intellectual Property, the patent office. In 1905, called his annus mirabilis (miracle year), he published four groundbreaking papers, which attracted the attention of the academic world. That year, at the age of 26, he was awarded a Ph.D. by the University of Zurich.

He taught theoretical physics for one year (1908/09) at the University of Bern, for two years (1909–11) at the University of Zurich, and after one year at the Charles University in Prague he returned to his alma mater ETH Zurich between 1912 and 1914, before he left for Berlin, where he was elected to the Prussian Academy of Sciences.

In 1933, while Einstein was visiting the United States, Adolf Hitler came to power. Because of his Jewish background, Einstein did not return to Germany. He settled in the United States and became an American citizen in 1940. On the eve of World War II, he endorsed a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt alerting FDR to the potential development of "extremely powerful bombs of a new type" and recommending that the US begin similar research. This eventually led to the Manhattan Project. Einstein supported the Allies, but he generally denounced the idea of using nuclear fission as a weapon. He signed the Russell–Einstein Manifesto with British philosopher Bertrand Russell, which highlighted the danger of nuclear weapons. He was affiliated with the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, until his death in 1955.

He published more than 300 scientific papers and more than 150 non-scientific works. His intellectual achievements and originality have made the word "Einstein" synonymous with "genius". Eugene Wigner compared him to his contemporaries, writing that "Einstein's understanding was deeper even than Jancsi von Neumann's. His mind was both more penetrating and more original"

WORLD'S TOP 10 BEST UNIVERSITIES 2022

WORLD’S TOP 10 BEST UNIVERSITIES 2022

WHAT IS UNIVERSITY? A university is an institution of higher education and research which awards academic degrees in various academic disciplines. Universities typically provide undergraduate education and postgraduate education. HERE’S LIST OF TOP 10 UNIVERSITIES: 10.ETH Zurich: ETH Zurich Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich ETH Zürich Logo black.svg Other name Swiss Federal…

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Großkronige Bäume pflanzen!

Die Beschattung versiegelter Flächen reduziert an warmen Tagen die Hitze enorm. Großkronige Bäume verringern diese Hitzeentwicklung und beeinflussen das Mikroklima. Dr. David A. Maier von PRO23 dazu: „Laut einer Studie der ETH (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule) Zürich sind „in Wien Gebiete mit Bäumen im Sommer im Durchschnitt um 11 Grad Celsius kühler als bebaute Flächen und baumlose Grünflächen um 5,5 Grad“. Auch das subjektive Hitzeempfinden der Menschen wird verbessert.“

Große versiegelte Flächen, wie z.B. Parkplätze bei Supermärkten, sollten daher mit großkronigen Bäumen bepflanzt werden. Diese Bepflanzung könnte unter anderem auch in Form von Ersatzpflanzungen für Baumfällungen in der näheren Umgebung erfolgen. Dafür wäre ein rechtlich abgesichertes Modell zu erarbeiten, eventuell verbunden mit (materiellen) Anreizen.

PRO23 beantragte daher, dass die Stadt Wien ein entsprechendes Modell erarbeitet, um versiegelte Flächen mehr zu beschatten.

Doch nur ein Traum? Der teure Weg zur klimaneutralen Schifffahrt 19.01.2022, 15:46 Uhr Dass Güterschiffe für einen Großteil der Klimagas-Emissionen zuständig sind, ist bekannt. Forscher der Eidgenössischen Technischen Hochschule Zürich haben jetzt eine Studie angefertigt, die prüfen sollte, ob eine Umrüstung auf klimaneutrale, also synthetische Treibstoffe möglich ist. Das Ergebnis scheint in erster Linie teuer. Es ist kein Geheimnis, dass knapp drei Prozent der weltweiten Treibhausgasemissionen von der Schifffahrt herrühren. Den größten Anteil haben hierbei sogenannte Massengutfrachter und Öltanker. Die Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, kurz ETH, hat jetzt eine Studie veröffentlicht, in der sie eben jene Schiffe auf eine Eignung für synthetische Kraftstoffe untersucht. Deren Verwendung könnten, so der Grundgedanke, dann zu einem klimaneutralen Schiffsverkehr führen. Um die Treibhausgasemissionen von Schiffen zu reduzieren, bräuchte es alternative Treibstoffe in Form von Ammoniak, Methanol, Methan oder künstlich hergestelltem Diesel. (Foto: dpa) Neben Wasserstoff zählen zu den möglichen Treibstoffen nach Angaben der ETH Ammoniak, Methan, Methanol und Designer-Diesel. Allein die Umstellung auf diese klimaneutralen Treibstoffe würde aber den europäischen Stromverbrauch um vier bis acht Prozent steigen lassen. Hinzu käme, dass die Reeder damit rechnen müssten, dass die Betriebskosten für die Schiffe zwei- bis sechsmal höher sind als aktuell, so die ETH-Studie. Das modulare Energiesystem Grund dafür sind nach Angaben der Forscher der steigende Platzbedarf durch größere Tanks. Allein durch die geringere Energiedichte von reinem Diesel, als Ersatz für den sonst in der Schifffahrt verwendeten Schweröldiesel, müssten die Treibstoffbehälter deutlich vergrößert werden, was wiederum zu einer Verringerung der Transportleistung um drei Prozent führen würde. In ihrer Studie schlägt die ETH Zürich jetzt als mögliche Lösungen ein modulares Energiesystem vor, mit dem sich der Kraftstoffvorrat an die jeweilige Route anpassen ließe. Aktuell tanken Güterschiffe in der Regel vor Fahrtantritt komplett voll und nutzen überzähligen Sprit für die nächste Reise. Das hätte allerdings zusätzliche Halts zum Tanken und damit auch längere Reisezeiten zur Folge, die aber wiederum mit mehreren Ladestopps gepuffert werden könnten. In Summe würden aber durch die zusätzliche Technik und die längeren Reisezeiten die Betriebskosten exponentiell steigen. Sie könnten nach Berechnungen der ETH zwei- bis sechsmal höher liegen als bei konventionellen Schiffen. Wenn die Schiffe mit alternativen Treibstoffen fahren, müssten sie häufiger in die Häfen zum Nachtanken. (Foto: dpa) Eine andere offene Frage ist, wo der benötigte Strom für die alternativen Kraftstoffe herkommen soll. Denn nach Angaben der Studie sind Ammoniak und Methanol die ausgewogensten Treibstoffe. Allein die Umstellung darauf würde den europäischen Stromverbrauch um vier bis acht Prozent steigen lassen. Sinnvoll für das Klima wäre der Umstieg also nur, wenn er mit regenerativ hergestelltem Strom vonstattenginge. Windantrieb für Containerschiffe? Auch das Science Media Center Germany hat unterdessen die ETH-Studie in Augenschein genommen und stimmt prinzipiell mit den Ergebnissen überein. Kritisiert wird aber, dass die Schweizer Forscher davon ausgehen, dass die Schiffe, wenn sie mit alternativen Kraftstoffen fahren, das in der gleichen Geschwindigkeit machen, wie mit herkömmlichem Schweröldiesel. Hier ist man der Meinung, dass es durchaus ein probates Mittel wäre, die Geschwindigkeit um die Hälfte zu senken. Zudem wird bemängelt, dass ein möglicher Windantrieb unberücksichtigt geblieben ist. Mag die Verringerung der Geschwindigkeit mit Blick auf den Verbrauch noch nachvollziehbar sein, bleibt ein Windantrieb mit Segeln bei einem 400 Meter langen und 59 Meter breiten Containerschiff mit einem maximalen Ladegewicht von knapp 200.000 Tonnen schwer vorstellbar. Auch den Punkt des für Europa bis zu acht Prozent steigenden Strombedarfs sieht das Science Media Center nicht als Problem. Die Lösung lautet aber schlicht, dass es hier "starke Signale aus der Politik geben muss". Wie diese starken Signale sich dann in erneuerbare Energien in der benötigten Menge umsetzen, bleibt offen. Fakt ist aber, dass auch für die neuen Kraftstoffe die Kosten steigen werden. Dies gilt ebenso für das verlangsamte Fahren oder die Umrüstung der Schiffe auf eine sogenannte Dual-Fuel-Nutzung, also die Möglichkeit, unterschiedliche Treibstoffarten zu verwenden. Betriebskostensteigerung um bis zu 600 Prozent Die Reederei Maersk hat 20 mit Methanol betriebene Schiffe bestellt, die ab 2025 fahren sollen. (Foto: dpa) Die Berechnungen, welche die ETH genau in diesen Zusammenhängen anstellt, haben es in sich. Hier heißt es, dass die Betriebskosten um bis zu 600 Prozent steigen, während die Transportleistung im Gegenzug exponentiell abnimmt. Das Science Media Center argumentiert, dass im Vergleich zu immens steigenden Rohölpreisen, die Steigerung der Hafengebühren klein wären und so auch die vermehrten Stopps der Schiffe vertretbar würden. Was die längeren Reisezeiten betrifft, sieht man ohnehin eine Verlagerung von Produktionsprozessen hin in die einzelnen Länder, sodass sich die Einfuhr von Gütern von anderen Kontinenten deutlich verringern wird. Wie man die Sache auch betrachtet, es dürfte extrem schwierig werden, den Schiffsverkehr in den nächsten 30 Jahren so umzustellen, dass er klimaneutral wird. Allein die Tatsache, dass ein Containerschiff in der Regel 25 bis 40 Jahre betrieben wird, ist da eine Hürde. Zieht man weiter in Betracht, dass im Jahr 2020 etwa 5400 Containerschiffe in der Welthandelsflotte fuhren, scheint der Umstand, dass davon bereits 20 mit Methanol betrieben werden, eher der Tropen auf den heißen Stein zu sein. Aber immerhin hat die weltgrößte Containerreederei Maersk weitere fünf Schiffe mit diesem Antrieb geordert, die ab 2025 zum Einsatz kommen sollen.

Norman Foster Foundation Sustainability Workshop

Norman Foster Foundation Sustainability Workshop Madrid, Rolex Institute Event News Spain

Norman Foster Foundation Sustainability Workshop 2021

15 October 2021

Madrid, 14 October 2021 – The first edition of the Norman Foster Foundation’s Sustainability Workshop will take place from 18–22 October 2021 with the support of the Rolex Institute.

Norman Foster Foundation Sustainability Workshop 2021 in Madrid

‘Most scientists agree that the drastically accelerated pace of climate change demands that we not only design carbon-neutral environments, but carbon-negative environments,’ states the Workshop’s Mentor, Vishaan Chakrabarti. As he puts it, ‘It is increasingly clear that far more aggressive measures will be required to keep the planet’s average temperature from rising less than two degrees centigrade—the point beyond which all of the planet’s species will be subject to extreme risk’.

‘This workshop will attempt to address these daunting challenges using the methodology conceived by two designers well ahead of their time, Charles and Ray Eames, who taught us to think in the ‘Powers of 10’. By assembling leading experts from around the world in water, energy, material science, robotics, the arts, architecture and urbanism, we intend to cross-pollinate this scalar exploration with disciplinary expertise to seek answers around carbon negative settlements’.

The Norman Foster Foundation’s 2021 Sustainability Workshop will include seminars, lectures, one-to-one tutoring and architectural tours. The workshop will consist of a five-day event led by Vishaan Chakrabarti, founder and creative director of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU).

The Workshop’s Academic Body spans a wide range of practitioners that work in different fields related to sustainability. This year’s Academic Body includes:  Jan Boelen, Artistic Director, Atelier LUMA, Arles, France; Frédérick Bordry, Former Director and Accelerators and Technology, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Meyrin, Switzerland; Marcos Cruz, Programme Director, MArch/MSc in Bio-Integrated Design (Bio-ID), The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom; Jacqueline Glass, Vice Dean of Research, The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom; Guillaume Habert, Chair of Sustainable Construction, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH Zürich), Zürich, Switzerland; Kieren Jones, Director, MA Material Futures, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London (UAL), London, United Kingdom; Christoph Lindner, Dean, The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom; Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Gil Penalosa, Founder and Chair, 8 80 Cities, Toronto, Canada.

After reviewing applications submitted by hundreds of candidates from around the world, the selection committee awarded ten scholarships to students from the following universities and institutions: University of Innsbruck, Austria, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture (ENSA), France, University of Ferrara, Italy, Harvard University, United States, Politecnico di Torino, Italy, University of Kassel, Germany, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the Netherlands, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States.

Public Debate 

Date and time: 19th October 2021 12:30 p.m. – 2.20 p.m.

Venue: Fundación Francisco Giner de los Ríos, Paseo del General Martínez Campos 14, Madrid, Spain

With the participation of Vishaan Chakrabarti, Christoph Lindner, Henk Ovink, Frédérick Brodry, Jacqueline Glass, Guillaume Habert and Gil Penalosa, as well as Tim Stonor as Chair of the Debates.

RNorman Foster Foundation, Madrid

The Norman Foster Foundation promotes interdisciplinary thinking and research to help new generations anticipate the future.

The first mission of the Norman Foster Foundation is to make visible the centrality of architecture, infrastructure and urbanism for the betterment of society. To this end, the second mission is to encourage new thinking and research across traditional boundaries in order to help younger generations anticipate the challenges of future change. In particular, the foundation speaks to those professionals who are concerned with the environment— architects, engineers, designers, urbanists, civic leaders, planners and artists. This is at the heart of the foundation’s holistic approach to design and is ever more relevant as populations shift to cities. With the implications of climate change, robotics and artificial intelligence, sustainable design is not about fashion but about survival.

The Foundation holds the Norman Foster Archive and Library, which provide a window into the larger narrative and history of our built environment through the work of Norman Foster. This is complemented and supported by drawings and models from other significant architects such as Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Charles and Ray Eames, Buckminster Fuller, Richard Rogers, Zaha Hadid and Tadao Ando. Through its research initiatives and programmes, the Norman Foster Foundation encourages the transfer of advanced knowledge in a wide range of design fields.

The Foundation’s educational initiatives are structured around research, workshops, fellowships and forums, built around the Foundation’s core objectives.

The Norman Foster Foundation is based in Madrid and operates globally.

Rolex Institute

Rolex has an ethos that encompasses the vision and values of its founder, Hans Wilsdorf. This is manifested in the timelessness of our watches and our determination to break boundaries and build a better world. The Rolex Institute embodies this philosophy of supporting visionary men and women who make a meaningful contribution to society. It comprises the educational initiatives and philanthropic programmes of Rolex S.A.. These include the Rolex Awards for Enterprise that recognise individuals for groundbreaking initiatives in applied science, technology, exploration and the environment and the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, which brings together promising young talents and world-renowned masters in architecture, dance, film, literature, music, theatre and the visual arts for a period of one-to-one collaboration.

Rolex has a long-held interest in great architecture based on its synergies with fine watchmaking. Both share a profound respect for the legacy of knowledge built up over centuries as well as a culture of design excellence and technical innovation at the highest level. To assist in the transmission of architectural ideas to new generations of architects, Rolex supports the International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia. Renowned architects who have mentored talented young architects through the Rolex Arts Initiative include Álvaro Siza, Kazuyo Sejima, Peter Zumthor, Sir David Chipperfield and Sir David Adjaye. Lord Foster served on the Advisory Board of the Initiative in 2015.

Norman Foster Foundation Sustainability Workshop 2021 image / informaiton received 141021

Previously on e-architect:

29 July 2021

Norman Foster Foundation ‘On Archives’ Masterclass Series

Madrid, 29th of July 2021 – The Norman Foster Foundation (NFF) presents the ‘On Archives’ Masterclass Series, a series which explores the fundamental aspects related to architectural archives and libraries around the world.

In addition to an introductory masterclass given by Norman Foster (President, Norman Foster Foundation, Madrid, Spain / London, UK / New York, USA), in which he considers the important role that archives play in anticipating the future, contributing speakers include the following experts:

Norman Foster Foundation Madrid

On Archives Masterclass Series on Youtube

Norman Foster Foundation Digital X Workshop 2019/strong>

Image from the first edition of the Norman Foster Foundation Digital X Workshop (2018) photo © Norman Foster Foundation

Norman Foster Foundation Urban Mobility Workshop

Norman Foster Foundation Urban Mobility Workshop

Norman Foster Foundation Robotics Atelier 2017

Norman Foster Foundation, Madrid, Spain, 2017: photo © Luis Asín © Norman Foster Foundation

Norman Foster Foundation

Norman Foster Foundation in Madrid

“I believe that cities can change the world for good. They are doing so. Cities are the future now.” — Norman Foster

Forum – Future is Now | Norman Foster Foundation from Norman Foster Foundation on Vimeo.

Address: Norman Foster Foundation, Monte Esquinza 48, 28020 Madrid, Spain

Architecture in Madrid

Madrid Architecture Design – chronological list

Madrid Architecture News

Madrid Architectural Tours by e-architect

Norman Foster – Key Projects

Featured Foster + Partners designs, alphabetical:

Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong Norman Foster airport

Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank, Hong Kong HSBC Bank Building

Stansted Airport, London area Stansted Airport

Hotel Puerta America, Madrid, Spain Hotel Puerta America

Pritzker Prize Winner 1999

RIBA Gold Medal Winner 1983

Norman Foster Book

RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship

Carré d’Art-Nîmes Architecture Exhibition, France Carré d’Art-Nîmes Exhibition

Foster + Partners – Venice Architecture Biennale : Common Ground, Italy Venice Biennale British Pavilion

RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship – Winner News image of Norman Foster

Foster + Partners Prize

Architecture Studios

Buildings / photos for the Norman Foster Foundation Sustainability Workshop 2021 page welcome

Website: www.fosterandpartners.com

The post Norman Foster Foundation Sustainability Workshop appeared first on e-architect.

Joshua Damien Cordle. I Found This Interesting.

When walked on, these wooden floors harvest enough energy to turn on a lightbulb

Researchers from Switzerland are tapping into an unexpected energy source right under our feet: wooden floorings. Their nanogenerator, presented September 1 in the journal Matter, enables wood to generate energy from our footfalls. They also improved the wood used in the their nanogenerator with a combination of a silicone coating and embedded nanocrystals, resulting in a device that was 80 times more efficient -- enough to power LED lightbulbs and small electronics.

The team began by transforming wood into a nanogenerator by sandwiching two pieces of functionalized wood between electrodes. Like a shirt-clinging sock fresh out of the dryer, the wood pieces become electrically charged through periodic contacts and separations when stepped on, a phenomenon called the triboelectric effect. The electrons can transfer from one object to another, generating electricity. However, there's one problem with making a nanogenerator out of wood.

"Wood is basically triboneutral," says senior author Guido Panzarasa, group leader in the professorship of Wood Materials Science located at Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich and Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) Dübendorf. "It means that wood has no real tendency to acquire or to lose electrons." This limits the material's ability to generate electricity, "so the challenge is making wood that is able to attract and lose electrons," Panzarasa explains.

To boost wood's triboelectric properties, the scientists coated one piece of the wood with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a silicone that gains electrons upon contact, while functionalizing the other piece of wood with in-situ-grown nanocrystals called zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8). ZIF-8, a hybrid network of metal ions and organic molecules, has a higher tendency to lose electrons. They also tested different types of wood to determine whether certain species or the direction in which wood is cut could influence its triboelectric properties by serving as a better scaffold for the coating.

The researchers found that a triboelectric nanogenerator made with radially cut spruce, a common wood for construction in Europe, performed the best. Together, the treatments boosted the triboelectric nanogenerator's performance: it generated 80 times more electricity than natural wood. The device's electricity output was also stable under steady forces for up to 1,500 cycles.

The researchers found that a wood floor prototype with a surface area slightly smaller than a piece of paper can produce enough energy to drive household LED lamps and small electronic devices such as calculators. They successfully lit up a lightbulb with the prototype when a human adult walked upon it, turning footsteps into electricity.

"Our focus was to demonstrate the possibility of modifying wood with relatively environmentally friendly procedures to make it triboelectric," says Panzarasa. "Spruce is cheap and available and has favorable mechanical properties. The functionalization approach is quite simple, and it can be scalable on an industrial level. It's only a matter of engineering."

Besides being efficient, sustainable, and scalable, the newly developed nanogenerator also preserves the features that make the wood useful for interior design, including its mechanical robustness and warm colors. The researchers say that these features might help promote the use of wood nanogenerators as green energy sources in smart buildings. They also say that wood construction could help mitigate climate change by sequestering CO2 from the environment throughout the material's lifespan.

The next step for Panzarasa and his team is to further optimize the nanogenerator with chemical coatings that are more eco-friendly and easier to implement. "Even though we initially focused on basic research, eventually, the research that we do should lead to applications in the real world," says Panzarasa. "The ultimate goal is to understand the potentialities of wood beyond those already known and to enable wood with new properties for future sustainable smart buildings."

Story Source:

Materials provided by Cell Press. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Jianguo Sun, Kunkun Tu, Simon Büchele, Sophie Marie Koch, Yong Ding, Shivaprakash N. Ramakrishna, Sandro Stucki, Hengyu Guo, Changsheng Wu, Tobias Keplinger, Javier Pérez-Ramírez, Ingo Burgert, Guido Panzarasa. Functionalized wood with tunable tribopolarity for efficient triboelectric nanogenerators. Matter, 2021; 4 (9): 3049 DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2021.07.022

Schweiz: ETH Zürich und PSI gründen Quantum Computing Hub

Ein gemeinsames Zentrum zur Entwicklung von Quantencomputern eröffnen die Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich und das Paul Scherrer Institut. Read more www.heise.de/news/…... www.digital-dynasty.net/de/teamblogs/…

http://www.digital-dynasty.net/de/teamblogs/schweiz-eth-zurich-und-psi-grunden-quantum-computing-hub

In the Balance

A structure used in the building of canyon-spanning bridges has been transformed by a collaboration of physicists and biologists into a tiny set of scales that can weigh individual cells. These scales are incredibly precise, detecting weight changes that are one trillion times smaller than a rivet. A cell is balanced near the edge of a long beam, called a cantilever, which is anchored at the opposite end. This device allows the moment-to-moment changes in a cell’s weight to be tracked in minute detail. It could help understand how a cell’s internal physiology changes during diseases such as cancer or in response to drug treatments. To test it out, the team weighed a cell before and after infection with a virus. At first, the scales detected cell growth and a gradual increase in mass. But after infection this growth was halted as the virus began to hijack the cell’s resources.

Written by Deborah Oakley

Image from work by David Martínez-Martín & Gotthold Fläschner, and colleagues. The University of Basel and ETH Zürich

Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, and Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Basel, Switzerland

Image copyright held by the original authors

Research published in Nature, October 2017

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Aufruf des Bündnisses Gemeinsam gegen Verdrängung und #Mietenwahnsinn zur Teilanhme am Global Strike Day am 20. September 2019

Aufruf des Bündnisses Gemeinsam gegen Verdrängung und #Mietenwahnsinn zur Teilanhme am Global Strike Day am 20. September 2019

Im Berliner Bündnis gegen Verdrängung und #Mietenwahnsinn, setzen wir uns für eine gerechte und solidarische Stadt für alle ein. Wir wehren uns gegen die Verdrängung von uns Mieter*innen und gegen die ungehemmte Profitmaximierung durch Immobilienkonzerne.

Die Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich hat eine Studie zur Veränderung der städtischen Temperatur bis zum Jahr 2050 vorgelegt:…

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@rami_rooo @#  المعهد الفدرالي للتكنولوجيا في زيوريخ  Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (hier: ETH Zürich) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw6ZkxTA1jm/?igshid=1k1tjbyj8xzud

Technology provides alternative for invasive medical tests; now police and athletes can use a breathalyzer for a “blood test”

(Natural News) According to a recent study, breathalyzers can soon be used to test the condition of athletes and individuals who want to lose weight. Thanks to a sensor developed by Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH Zurich, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich) researchers, a breathalyzer can now be used to measure when the body starts...

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