UNI NOVA – Research Magazine of the University of Basel

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  Dossier

  How the eye sees.

  When we look at an object, we see it – instantaneously. What sounds simple actually relies on a complex process of multiple coordinated steps. It begins when light from the object we are looking at is reflected. Within fractions of a second, the light reaches our eye, which processes it and passes it on to the brain.

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  In conversation

  “The focus should be on the individual, not on their gender.”

  Interview: Samanta Siegfried / How gender-equal is teaching at Swiss schools? Not yet fully, according to a recent study. Educational researcher Elena Makarova also believes that plenty more work is required to establish gender equality in the working world.

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  Opinion

  What should the relationship between Switzerland and the EU look like in future, Christa Tobler?

  Text: Christa Tobler / A lawyer and an economist give their views on the current state of play.

• 
  Opinion

  What should the relationship between Switzerland and the EU look like in future, Rolf Weder?

  Text: Rolf Weder / A lawyer and an economist give their views on the current state of play.

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  In pictures

  Tiger mosquito on the increase.

  Text: Reto Caluori / At first, the spread of the Asian tiger mosquito was limited to Ticino. Now, however, it is colonizing more and more new regions in Switzerland. The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is an invasive mosquito species that originates from Southeast Asia. It has adapted perfectly to its new environment and is starting to establish itself here.

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  Research

  Combating bacteria with viruses.

  Text: Yvonne Vahlensieck / As viruses that specialize in attacking bacteria, phages promise huge potential for the treatment of infections. Scientists in Basel are searching the natural world for new species of phages that can help them identify vulnerabilities in bacteria.

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  Research

  Montages at the boundary between art and politics.

  Text: Ylenia Sartorel / German artist John Heartfield used photomontages to shine a critical light on social issues in interwar Germany. Now, an art historian in Basel has re-examined his work.

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  Research

  Breathing air reveals diseases.

  Text: Martin Hicklin / A person’s exhalation reveals their personal metabolic profile. Researchers at the University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB) are investigating how this information can be used to diagnose and monitor particular illnesses.

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  Opinion

  Buddha and the early Christians.

  Text: Stephan Peter Bumbacher / Did Indian Buddhism influence early Christians in the Middle East? There is evidence that suggests so.