UNI NOVA – Research Magazine of the University of Basel

• Dossier

  “How should I tell the family?”

  Interview: Angelika Jacobs / Cancer sometimes runs in families and occurs as a result of a genetic predisposition. However, it can be challenging for those who have the genetic predisposition to tell their biological relatives that they might also be carriers of the same cancer gene. Professor Maria Katapodi researches ways of providing support in conveying information to family members.

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  Dossier

  Care and violence in animal families.

  Text: Christoph Dieffenbacher / Parents looking after their young is a common feature of family life in many animal species. The goal of parental care is to ensure offspring survival. Yet, this often involves trickery and conflict, and sometimes even naked aggression.

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  In conversation

  “China’s party-state is deliberately trying to subvert the West.”

  Interview: Urs Hafner / China is politically more communist than it was 20 years ago. The country is converging with authoritarian move ments in the West, says Professor Ralph Weber, a political scientist and philosopher.

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  Portrait

  Not a trace of coronavirus fatigue.

  Text: Irène Dietschi / She was a rising star at the Department of Infectious Diseases, but when the coronavirus arrived, she faced her greatest challenge yet. She handled it brilliantly.

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  Opinion

  Should the hidden carbon footprint of AI be regulated, Frank Krysiak?

  Text: Frank Krysiak / Is a legal framework needed to regulate energy-intensive artificial intelligence applications? A debate between an environmental economist and a computer scientist.

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  Opinion

  Should the hidden carbon footprint of AI be regulated, Gabriele Röger?

  Text: Gabriele Röger / Is a legal framework needed to regulate energy-intensive artificial intelligence applications? A debate between a computer scientist and an environmental economist.

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  In pictures

  Petrified water.

  Text: Angelika Jacobs / Thousands of years compacted into just a few centimeters of rock: stalagmites contain a valuable climate record that stretches back farther than tree rings or ice cores.

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  Research

  Plants capture mercury from the air.

  Text: Yvonne Vahlensieck / As a result of human activities, the amount of mercury in circulation is ever-increasing. To protect both health and the environment, it is important to understand the processes by which this pollutant spreads through soils, air and water – and in which plants appear to play a key role.

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  Research

  Core components for energy-saving electronics.

  Text: Christine Möller / Topological insulators are an entirely new class of materials boasting unique properties that make them promising candidates for energy-saving, high-performance electronics and quantum computers.