Archive | Portraits 2022 – 2021

2022/11/11

© Adrian Jäggi

Bernese Astronomy celebrates double anniversary

The Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB) is celebrating a double anniversary on November 25 and 26: 200 years of the "Old Observatory Bern" (Uraniae) and 100 years of the AIUB. In an interview, Director Adrian Jäggi explains how and in which areas the AIUB became a global leader.

2022/10/28

© University of Bern, Photo: Dres Hubacher

His son's smile and the call from NASA

Space scientist Andreas Riedo wants to find signs of life on Saturn’s icy moons. It is entirely probably that he won’t be able to achieve this ambitious goal himself within his professional career. And that’s why his research work always includes the promotion of early career researchers.

2022/06/09

© Alessandro della Bella

The advocate for puzzling astronomical objects

Brown dwarfs are puzzling astronomical objects that are heavier and hotter than planets, but lighter and colder than stars. A research team led by Clémence Fontanive from the University of Bern has recently directly imaged four new of these mysterious celestial bodies. In this interview, the astrophysicist explains why brown dwarfs are important to our understanding of stars and planets.

2022/06/01

© Alessandro della Bella

What do we know about ignorance?

Knowledge is commonly taken to be one of the most important values. But how is it related to its counterpart ignorance? This is the topic of the 2nd edition of the interdisciplinary "CSH Science, Philosophy and Religion Forum" which will take place from June 7 to June 9. Vera Matarese, co-organizer of the event, explains what visitors can expect and what fascinates her about the topic.

2022/05/03

© University of Bern

The man with the instruments in space

Nicolas Thomas wants to understand Mars, comets, and Jupiter's icy moons. To do this, he builds instruments that fly through space aboard space probes.

2022/03/16

© Audrey Vorburger

Bernese Astrophysicist Flying High

A major success for Audrey Vorburger: she has been elected to a specialist committee of the European Space Agency (ESA) that will define the scientific objectives of the ESA's next major space mission. In this interview, the astrophysicist explains how this came about and why Uranus is her favorite planet.

2021/12/14

© University of Bern/UniAKTUELL

Research with the $10 billion space telescope

Yann Alibert and Matthew Hooton are eagerly awaiting the planned launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) on December 22, 2021. In this interview, the two astrophysicists from the University of Bern tell how they managed to get observation time with JWST and what this has to do with CHEOPS.

2021/11/05

© ESA

ESA Voyage 2050 and NCCR PlanetS: That fits!

This year, the European Space Agency (ESA) selected three topics for its major scientific missions for the period 2035–2050. The National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS is actively involved in two of these topics with promising projects.

2021/08/30

© Alessandro della Bella

The astrophysicist who achieved a rare feat

As a child, Kevin Heng wanted to become an astronaut. Today, he is the director of the Center for Space and Habitability (CSH) and has recently discovered new mathematical solutions that help solve a century-old problem in astronomy. In this interview, the astrophysicist talks about his career and what motivates him.

2021/06/21

© University of Bern/UniAKTUELL

Fascination Exoplanet

Kevin Heng, Christophe Lovis, and Sascha Quanz are researching distant planets in other solar systems. Among other things, they are searching for life. In doing so, they are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible. An encounter with three project leaders from the NCCR PlanetS.

2021/05/12

© Ramon Lehmann/Tanja Kurt

Space technology in the operating theater

The instruments were developed to search for signs of life on other planets. But now they will also be used to distinguish healthy nerve cells from brain tumor cells. A conversation with astrophysicist Brice-Olivier Demory and Raphael Sznitman, an expert in machine learning and artificial intelligence, about their BrainPol project.

2021/04/12

© University of Bern/UniAKTUELL

What is out there? – UniPress in Space

More than 4,000 planets have been discovered since Michel Major and Didier Queloz detected the first exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star in 1995, triggering a revolution in astronomy. With the National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS, Switzerland is at the forefront of this adventure, as the current issue of the science magazine UniPress shows.

2021/01/26

© University of Bern/UniAKTUELL

On the passing of Hans Balsiger

Hans Balsiger, former director of the Physics Institute and professor of experimental physics at the University of Bern, has passed away at the age of 83. Balsiger played a key role in strengthening the global reputation of the University of Bern's Physics Institute in the field of space research.