SNB & CHF

Researchers at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich have developed a way of producing body parts containing cartilage, with the help of a 3D printer. One of the first practical applications of this method is reconstructive surgery. Damaged body parts, like a nose or an ear, can be rebuilt in a computer 3D model. Cartilage cells are thenremoved through a biopsy. In the laboratory these cells are cultivated and mixed with a biopolymer which is used as a shaping mould. From this body...

The Berlin Wall fell 26 years ago, paving the way for German reunification. A new book based on secret documents looks at Switzerland’s relationship with East Germany. (SRF/swissinfo.ch) The fall of the wall in 1990 was the end of the repressive East German Communist regime, an authority that Switzerland helped prop up, according to Swiss historian Ricardo Tarli. In his book, “Operationsgebiet Schweiz” (Operational area Switzerland), Tarli claims that the rogue regime would have collapsed...

Politicians want to get more women back in the job market, but family obligations and the Swiss school system are often obstacles for working mothers. (RTS/swissinfo.ch) --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide a Swiss perspective on international events. For more articles, interviews and videos visit swissinfo.ch or subscribe to our YouTube channel: Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch...

The price of gold dropped abruptly Friday morning (Arizona time). How much of a drop? $10.30, as measured by the bid on the December future. How abruptly? That move happened in under a second. At first, the price of gold in the spot market did not react. This caused what looks like a massive backwardation (recall that the cobasis = Spot(bid) – Future(ask)—if the future drops relative to spot, that is backwardation). See the graph of price overlaid with the Dec cobasis. The cobasis briefly...

I have written previously about the interest rate, which is falling under the planning of the Federal Reserve. The flip side of falling interest rates is the rising price of bonds. Bonds are in an endless, ferocious bull market. Why do I call it ferocious? Perhaps voracious is a better word, as it is gobbling up capital like the Cookie Monster jamming tollhouses into his maw. There are several mechanisms by which this occurs, let’s look at one here. Artificially low interest makes it...

What’s the difference between the Supply and Demand Report 1 November and the Supply and Demand Report 8 November? Just a minor punctuation change. Last week, we asked (rhetorically) if silver would have a 14 handle again. This week, the market answered. Why yes, yes we can! Silver closed the week, trading at $14.78. This is down $0.76 from last Friday and almost 20 cents under our fundamental price from that date. The price of gold also dropped, $52. This is quite a discount to what we...

In last week’s article, we explained how the yield curve could cause GDP to contract in The Yield Curve and GDP – a causal relationship. Some of our readers suggested the analysis was wrong on back of an outdated view of modern money creation. The critics claim modern banks are not dependent on central bank reserves to create additional money; citing a Bank of England article from 2014 (which we have been well aware of) [A] common misconception is that the central bank determines the...

South Koreans are the fastest-growing group of foreign tourists to Switzerland. Tourism bosses are relying on celebrities to make sure they keep coming. (SRF/swissinfo.ch) --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide a Swiss perspective on international events. For more articles, interviews and videos visit swissinfo.ch or subscribe to our YouTube channel: Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch...

When young adults reach the age of legal majority, they can finally vote and help to shape their world. But most of them still do not exercise this right. (SRF/swissinfo.ch) --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide a Swiss perspective on international events. For more articles, interviews and videos visit swissinfo.ch or subscribe to our YouTube channel: Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch...

Canton Aargau is short of asylum shelters. The authorities now want to set up mobile Ikea units as temporary homes for 300 people. (SRF/swissinfo.ch) --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide a Swiss perspective on international events. For more articles, interviews and videos visit swissinfo.ch or subscribe to our YouTube channel: Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch Channel:...