UNI NOVA – Research Magazine of the University of Basel
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DossierNightly respiratory arrest
Text: Christoph Dieffenbacher / Heavy snoring accompanied by interruptions in breathing can lead to serious health problems. In Basel, pulmonologists are investigating the mechanisms that put constant stress on snorers suffering from sleep apnea. Possible therapeutic approaches are also being identified.
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Dossier
The 25-hour man
Text: Oliver Klaffke / Each person’s wake-sleep rhythm is calibrated at 24 hours. In Basel, scientists are studying a man for whom the mechanism does not work. This is providing them with new insights into human chronobiology.
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In conversation“Who should be punished if a child is run over by a robotic car?”
Interview: Urs Hafner / Legal academic Sabine Gless has touched a raw nerve. She argues that the law is not geared up to deal with robots that make decisions themselves – and may put people’s lives in danger.
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UniversityOn the trail of molecules
Chemical compounds – molecules – are everywhere in our lives. They are contained in medicines, dyes, synthetic materials, or scents, for example. Without them, it would also be almost impossible to explore sustainable energy generation, supply clean water, and grow agricultural products. The Festival of Molecules offers an opportunity to discover more about the significance of molecules in our everyday lives.
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OpinionWhat is good development policy, Andrea Franc?
Text: Andrea Franc / Would gaining free access to northern markets help the South economically? And how can developing countries secure functioning institutions? Two contributors discuss how the effectiveness of development aid could be improved.
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OpinionWhat is good development policy, Elísio Macamo?
Text: Elísio Macamo / Would gaining free access to northern markets help the South economically? And how can developing countries secure functioning institutions? Two contributors discuss how the effectiveness of development aid could be improved.
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ResearchJudeo-Spanish: An almost forgotten language
Text: Olivia Poisson / In the late Middle Ages, many Jews who had been exiled from Spain or Portugal migrated to the Ottoman Empire. Their language, Judeo- Spanish, survives in a few pockets. Research on it is shedding a light on how languages in general develop.
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ResearchNatural diversity between asphalt and concrete
Text: Yvonne Vahlensieck / The Canton of Basel-Stadt contains numerous woodlets, many of them in the city. Now, for the first time, a conservation biologist at the University of Basel is studying the ecosystem functions of these green islands in urban space.
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Research
White specks on the map of life
Text: Katrin Bühler / How are signals processed and building blocks produced inside cells? How do diseases develop? Resolving structures of complex proteins enabled researchers at the Biozentrum to answer such questions.
