July

Dust particles from deserts promote ice formation in clouds. This discovery highlights the importance of aerosols for understanding cloud behaviour, predicting precipitation, and assessing the role of clouds in climate change.

For more than 100 years, scientists have puzzled over whether the Earth¡¯s magnetic field had already been generated stably back in its early days when its inner core was fully liquid ¨C unlike it is today. A team of geophysicists has used a simulation to show that this was highly likely.

The cultivation of thick muscle fibres from bovine cells in the lab has long been a challenge for scientists. Researchers from ETH Zurich have now successfully tackled this issue ¨C with the goal of one day producing edible meat.

Nationalism is surging at an alarming rate in many parts of the world. Conflict researcher Lars-Erik Cederman explains the paradoxical impact of nationalists¡¯ repeated underestimation of the nationalism of others. This could also hold true in the attack on Iran.

The rapid rise in global rocket launches could slow the recovery of the vital ozone layer, says Sandro Vattioni. The problem is being underestimated ¨C yet it could be mitigated by forward-looking, coordinated action.

Time and again debris flows cause death and destruction. A research team has measured these flows of water, earth and debris with high precision. The study shows previously unexplained factors that determine the destructive force of debris flows ¨C which allows appropriate protective measures to be put in place.

Pioneer Fellow Edoardo Pezzulli is developing software that makes it possible to continuously monitor carbon storage in the ground and reduce its risks. Now he is striving to bring his technology to market.

ETH professor Ueli Maurer has provided cryptography with a theoretical basis. Now he is retiring. However, his most important research project is yet to come.

At its meeting of 9 and 10 July 2025 and upon application of Jo?l Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed eight professors. The Board also awarded the title of "Professor of Practice" once.

The Vice President Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations, Vanessa Wood, will step down from the ETH Executive Board effective December 2025. She looks back at her leadership roles within ETH and on the successful establishment of the new Vice Presidency.