Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Twenty prizewinners in the SNSF Scientific Image Competition

When political leaders' personalities threaten democracy

Bern (ots) - By combining electoral data with psychological assessments, political scientists have shown that the polarisation of our societies largely stems from the problematic personalities of some elected representatives. The personalities of politicians seem to directly impact the polarisation of society. With support from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), a team from the University of Lausanne, led by ...

Double knock-out for malaria

More electric cars at lower cost by adapting incentives

Bern (ots) - The Swiss government aims to encourage more people to make the switch to electric vehicles, but current incentive policies are not efficient. Economists supported by the SNSF are proposing improvements. The electrification of the car fleet is one of the solutions proposed to combat greenhouse gas emissions. Economists supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) have assessed the financial ...

Music to support babies in neonatal intensive care units

Bern (ots) - Certain melodies promote brain development in premature infants. For several years, a team of scientists funded by the SNSF observed this phenomenon. They now know more precisely which areas of the brain react over time. Premature infants are more likely to suffer from attention and emotional regulation disorders. For over a decade, a team funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) has been ...

The talent scout for saints in literature

Katrin Milzow and Thomas Werder Schläpfer elected new co-directors of the SNSF

Men who conform to traditional gender roles are at a higher risk of suicide

Bern (ots) - Men commit suicide much more often than women. Those who want to live up to the traditional male image of strength and independence are particularly at risk. Prevention measures should focus more on them in future. The global suicide rate among men is between two and four times that of women, including in Switzerland. One reason for this considerable ...

Animal experiments: SNSF warns of consequences of a ban

Bern (ots) - The popular initiative in favour of banning animal experiments would significantly weaken Switzerland as a centre of research. Furthermore, animal testing could be relocated to countries with much less stringent welfare rules. The popular initiative "Ja zur tierversuchsfreien Zukunft" (Yes to a future without animal testing) aims to ban animal experiments in Switzerland. This would massively restrict human ...

She uses light to modify matter

Preventing GPS-caused traffic chaos

International law with cantonal twists

Prize winner Cristina Murer investigated tomb recycling in late antiquity

Full-time employees face higher risk of cancer

Bern (ots) - Working at 100% is linked to a higher incidence of the disease, according to an SNSF-funded study. Self-employed men and women who stay at home fared best, but the explanation is not as straightforward as it might seem. Some of the risk factors for cancer are well known - smoking, alcohol, a sedentary lifestyle - while others are a bit harder to explain. For example, work. As part of the completed, ...

Breathing and heartbeat influence perception

Bern (ots) - A study funded by the SNSF highlights previously unknown links between the body and the brain. The findings of this research carried out at the University of Fribourg show how our bodily rhythms affect our visual perception. Taking a deep breath to get a clearer picture is perhaps more effective than you might think. Breathing has a physiological impact on the perception of visual stimuli. This is what ...

Nanoplastics put stress on trees and impair photosynthesis

Bern (ots) - Spruce and deciduous trees take up nano-sized microscopic plastic particles via their roots. These can reach the leaves and needles where they have an effect on photosynthesis. The exact mechanism behind this is not yet fully understood. It is well known that more and more plastic waste is ending up in soil and bodies of water. Researchers are particularly concerned about tiny micro- and nano-sized particles. ...

Thawing permafrost in the Alps

The tumour hacker

Victims of a tsunami or human sacrifice? What happened to these 20 Celts 2000 years ago?

Back pain sufferers need patience more than anything else

Bern (ots) - Temporary complaint or chronic affliction: a research team funded by the SNSF has identified typical trajectories for back pain. Psychosocial factors play a smaller role than expected. Back pain is a widespread condition: at least once in their lives, almost 85% of people will experience pain in the area of the lumbar spine, in other words between the bottom rib and the tailbone. Treating this correctly is ...

Research funders from around the world meet in Interlaken

Bern (ots) - The Global Research Council in Switzerland! The conference was hosted by the SNSF together with its partner organisation FONSTI from Ivory Coast. The main topic of this year's conference was sustainability in research. The annual conference of the Global Research Council (GRC) at the end of May in Interlaken brought together 60 research funders from 53 countries. The institutions that participate regularly in ...

The master of smart computer games

NRP "Welfare and Coercion" identifies areas for improvement in Swiss social policy

Compassion doesn't help all couples

Bern (ots) - More compassion = a better relationship. This is an obvious rule of thumb for couples. But it doesn't apply to everyone, as a study shows. Some people prefer to do without it. Whether irrevocably estranged or merely bored with the daily routine: "Couples counselling can improve communication and the quality of the relationship. And it has a positive effect on mental health", says Andrew Gloster, Professor of ...