The Empa, in a project together with the Institute for Futures Studies and Technology Assessment (IZT) and the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has taken a close look at RFID storage devices. The results have now been published as a report, “The Risks and Opportunities Presented by the use of RFID Technologies”.

Mobility is one of the fundamental needs of our society, and it is hard to imagine living today without using the car, train or airplane. However, with the rising prices of petrol and diesel, and exhaust emissions which pollute the air and affect the climate, we must ask ourselves if we can really afford our mobility. Will using a car become beyond our means? This question drew a large audience to the 21st Science Apéro held at the Empa Duebendorf, where three experts drawn from the fields of research and politics gave their views on the subject.

Textiles have many uses apart from clothing, and in addition to creating fashion items are used in various technical applications as well. One field in which technical textiles are becoming ever more important is medicine, and this was the subject of a one-day seminar held at the Empa Academy on October 21st 2004. The title of the meeting was “Textiles for medical applications – from the research laboratory to the patient”.

The items that humans discard speak volumes about their activities and habits. This is just as true for today’s waste as it is for ancient rubbish tips, as three speakers demonstrated at the latest Empa Academy Science Apéro. Rubbish can be a very valuable source of information for archaeologists, and it is frequently the most unassuming item of waste which throws light on times long past.

The EU wants to shift the growing level of transported goods from the roads onto the railways. The Eureka Logchain Footprint project aims to deliver the scientific basis for a heavy goods vehicle surcharge similar to that already in force in Switzerland. A measurement station will be set up, under the leadership of the Empa, to measure the “environmental footprint” of lorries and coaches.

Two hornet colonies are currently housed in test stands on an EMPA building rooftop in Dübendorf, under the watchful eye of staff from the Wood Laboratory. Seeking inspiration for new technical solutions, the researchers are investigating both the fascinating lightweight structures built by the social hymenopterans and their thermoregulation strategies.

An important condition for successful research in the field of nanotechnology is the availability of the most up-to-date equipment for analysis and synthesis on the nanometer scale. This is the reason why the Empa is constantly extending its range of instruments, which are used to investigate and process materials at the micro and nano level in very innovative ways.

The call from Empa went out, and they came – to spend a week exploring the world of research and technology at close hand! Eighteen children of Empa staff members took advantage of the opportunity to participate in a program of activities during the first week of the summer holidays, from the 12th to 16th July.

A melt spinning machine which produces functional fibres from two thermoplastics recently went into operation at Empa. This allows the development of products with totally new, customized properties.

Microorganisms in the air represent a significant risk factor – not just in obvious situations such as during surgery or the processing and handling of foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, but also in the conservation of our cultural heritage. In all these areas of activity it is therefore necessary to conduct regular and frequent air quality tests, which must performed by non-specialists as economically as possible.

A new science has emerged as a consequence of the increasing trend for researchers in biology, chemistry, physics and material sciences to break out of the confines of their own disciplines. When dealing with fundamentals, the new field is called «Nanoscience»; when focused on applications the name is «Micro and Nano Technology» or MNT.

Every year about 12 million tons of building rubble is generated in Switzerland, and because of the increasing trend towards demolishing older buildings, this figure is expected to rise over the next few years. This situation is causing two problems – on the one hand, there is not enough room available in landfills to dispose of this quantity of waste, and on the other hand, the building boom is depleting the country’s gravel reserves. There is therefore intense pressure to reuse building rubble.