UNI NOVA – Research Magazine of the University of Basel

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  In conversation

  “Technical progress is useless without better communication.”

  Interview: Urs Hafner / Sabina Hunziker teaches prospective physicians how to communicate with their patients effectively. As the professor of medicine explains, if someone talks a lot, the most important thing often goes unsaid.

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  Portrait

  An explorer of chemical space.

  Text: Christoph Dieffenbacher / Scientists are exploring the almost endless world of possible molecules and compounds in their search for useful substances. Anatole von Lilienfeld, Professor of Physical Chemistry, is developing new and faster methods in this quest based on quantum mechanics and machine learning.

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  Research

  Temperature taking – on a tiny scale.

  Text: Yvonne Vahlensieck / Minute changes in temperature can be used to analyze the growth of bacteria. This technique, known as microcalorimetry, is being applied in various innovative ways by Basel University researchers to aid the development of medical implants, infection diagnostics and food safety testing.

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  Research

  A rediscovered opponent of the Reformation.

  Text: Christoph Dieffenbacher / The Basel poet and humanist Atrocianus wrote a number of polemical works attacking the Reformation – to no avail. He was then forgotten. A research team has now published the first critical edition of his printed works, with a German translation and commentary.

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  Research

  Age-related unemployment.

  Text: Christoph Dieffenbacher / Older workers are at a disadvantage, especially when faced with the threat of redundancies or when applying for a new job. According to Kurt Pärli, a Basel-based professor of law, Switzerland performs worse than other countries when it comes to discrimination against older people.

• Opinion

  Is it worth researching rare diseases, Stefan Felder?

  Text: Stefan Felder / Does it make sense to promote research into diseases that only affect a very small number of people? A health economist and a medical ethicist offer contrasting views.

• Opinion

  Is it worth researching rare diseases, Bernice Elger?

  Text: Bernice Elger / Does it make sense to promote research into diseases that only affect a very small number of people? A health economist and a medical ethicist offer contrasting views.

• 
  In pictures

  On the trail of tsunamis.

  Text: Reto Caluori / Researchers on the Caribbean island of Anegada have uncovered evidence of two major historical tsunamis.

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  Opinion

  Controlled loss of control.

  Text: Alexander Fischer / Storytelling remains an important part of social discourse – even in an age of fake news, conspiracy theories and fabricated feature stories.