Giant ant study armed with tiny ID cards Tuesday, 9 March, 2010Well they’re not just good for dipping in chocolate and eating. Apparently we can learn a lot from ants, and in particular their social lives. The European Research Council is betting 2.5 million euros on it. That’s how much it’s given the University of Lausanne to fund one of biggest ant studies on the continent. Laurent Keller, a renown myrmecologist, is the lead investigator. He and his group of students have developed a new way of tagging every single ant in a colony, something that’s never been done before. WRS video journalist Amy Wong went to check out the social life of ants:
Live from Basel in English Monday, 1 March, 2010Among the places Basel’s diverse cultural landscape is reflected: its community radio scene. Radio X has about 50,000 listeners tuning in to its volunteer-driven programming in a wide range of languages. The most popular is The English Show. WRS video journalist Amy Wong popped into the offices of Radio X to talk to their team:
Salsa dancers swivel their way to Zurich festival Friday, 26 February, 2010Thousands of salsa dancers will be swiveling their hips at the 9th annual Salsa Festival Switzerland, billed as Europe’s top salsa event. The giant halls of the Congress Center in Zurich will be converted into dance floors and opened for classes, world-class performances, and all-night salsa parties all weekend long. WRS video journalist Amy Wong took a turn on the dance floor at the Salsa Mania pre-party at Club X-tra:
Dog sleds mush into Switzerland, and out again Monday, 15 February, 2010Over the weekend, the 33rd International Dog Sled Races took place in Lenk-Simmental. A hundred teams from around the world camped out in specially equipped dog trailers just to compete in the event. WRS video journalist Amy Wong went out to see what it takes to mush at this level:
Carnival season kicks off in Lucerne Friday, 12 February, 2010Ogres, witches, devils and all sorts of colourful characters have descended on Lucerne once again, braving a bitter winter cold for the traditional Fasnacht or Carnival. We sent video journalist Ed Harris to take a look:
Swiss bobsleigh team has a lot to live up to Friday, 12 February, 2010Not only was the sport born here, but Swiss bobsledders have dominated the Olympics since it was introduced to the games in 1924. Switzerland is sending one of its strongest teams in bobsled, luge and skeleton this year. And while gold is the medal of choice, they’re being careful not to put too much pressure on themselves. WRS video journalist Amy Wong joined them for a training session in St. Moritz before the team headed off to Vancouver:
Swiss hockey has new strategy for Vancouver Thursday, 11 February, 2010Last year, they had high hopes for winning it all. The Hockey World Championship was played at home, making their 9th place finish even more disappointing. But the Swiss national team has been reworking its strategy, and it’s approaching the Olympics differently. Goran Bezina, a defender for Geneva Servette, has been on the national team for the past 10 years. WRS video journalist Amy Wong caught up with him at the rink to talk about the team’s new outlook.
Painting the town 'nicer' with graffiti Tuesday, 9 February, 2010Even in clean, crisp Zurich, there exists graffiti. While much of it consists of defiant scribbles and tags, there are a few pieces that stand out. Large, distinctive wall murals and tags by the street artist TIKA have earned many an admirer since they first started appearing in 2004. However it’s not out of defiance that TIKA paints surfaces, but a desire to make the place nicer. WRS video journalist Amy Wong followed TIKA to an abandoned building to witness the artist’s creative process.
Little slice of tattoo culture in Geneva Monday, 1 February, 2010Tribal markings or creative self-expression, tattoos have been around for centuries. This weekend, thousands of ink enthusiasts came to Geneva to check out and talk about tattoos or even get new ones. We asked video journalist Ed Harris to join the crowd:
'Balloonatics' fill the sky once again Thursday, 28 January, 2010The skies over Chateau D’Oex are filled with “balloonatics” this week. This is the 32nd edition of the International Hot-Air Balloon Festival, and over 40,000 visitors are expected to watch over 80 balloons from 20 countries take to the skies. WRS video journalist Amy Wong lifted off with balloon pilot John Armstrong: