ETH-News

Here we present all News fron ETH Zurich!

1. Why the Eurovision Song Contest never fails to entertain

   The Eurovision Song Contest is constantly updating itself. A new ETH Zurich study shows how participating nations learn from one another, why recipes for success lose their effectiveness and how rules maintain a level playing field. 

2. Whether traffic flows or not depends on more than just the roads

   What are the reasons for traffic jams? Traffic jams are a consequence of how cities are planned, built and how they are used – as a comparison of 30 cities worldwide shows. The results could change urban and transport planning in the medium term. 

3. Students breathe new life into old building materials

   Students at ETH Zurich dismantle buildings, catalogue their materials and use them to develop new construction projects. In a course held directly on the building site, they learn how to put the circular economy and digital tools into practice in real-world projects.

4. Improving animal welfare in the lab: AI helps better detect pain

   In animal experiments involving mice, changes in the facial expression indicate whether an animal is suffering. Until now, researchers have had to rely on the human eye to detect any possible signs of pain or distress. A standardised video monitoring system and AI algorithms now make this task easier.  

5. A concept for semester-long learning

   Over 700 students continuously engage with the study material in Dennis Kochmann’s Dynamics lecture, leading to higher participation rates, less exam stress and more sustainable learning. The ETH professor has been nominated for the KITE Award 2026.