UNI NOVA – Research Magazine of the University of Basel
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PortraitHistory’s biggest fan.
Text: Christoph Dieffenbacher / A researcher at the Center for Jewish Studies, Erik Petry is devoted to remembrance and making sure the past is not forgotten. His other great passion is sports – as an academic, as a fan and as an active participant.
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ResearchMarijuana and happiness research.
Text: David Hermann / Users of medical cannabis in the USA experience greater mental well-being if access to it is liberalized. This finding from happiness research by Basel based economist Alois Stutzer could also have important implications for Switzerland.
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ResearchNew neurons for the brain.
Text: Yvonne Vahlensieck / New neurons are made by stem cells located in the adult mammalian brain. Much remains to be understood about this process, known as neurogenesis – but there are hopes that one day it could be harnessed to promote brain repair.
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ResearchCriminalizing the veil?
Text: Tobias Ehrenbold / Switzerland is set to vote on whether covering one’s own face should be a punishable offense. Having weighed up the arguments employed by proponents of the initiative, Basel legal scholar Bijan Fateh-Moghadam concludes that a general ban on face coverings is incompatible with the country’s liberal federal constitution.
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OpinionCorruption: What is the problem, Lucy Koechlin?
Text: Lucy Koechlin / What are the mechanisms behind global corruption and what is the best way to combat it?
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OpinionCorruption: What is the problem, Claudia Baez Camargo?
Text: Claudia Baez Camargo / What are the mechanisms behind global corruption and what is the best way to combat it?
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In pictures3D models for medicine.
Text: Reto Caluori / The rapid adoption of 3D printing in the world of medicine is leading to a steady stream of new applications in hospitals. At Basel University Hospital, the technique is used to manufacture implants and to plan complex operations in advance.
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Opinion
“Self-optimization”: a scandalous type.
Text: Eberhard Wolff / On a trendy term that even academia uses in an emotionalized and functionalized way – as happened with “Waldsterben” (forest dieback) some years ago.
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AlumniFrom India via Basel to NASA.
Text: Bettina Volz-Tobler / Arkaprabha Sarangi is a research associate at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA. While growing up in India, he developed a keen interest in all physical sciences. His passion for astrophysics eventually led him to move to Basel to pursue a PhD. From here, it was only a short hop to NASA.
