Thinking of working in Switzerland/already here? Are you enjoying the quality of life and the easy access to the mountains for winter sports and summer hiking? If so then read on if you ever wondered how the heights of the Swiss peaks were determined in the pre-global satellite positioning era. An engineering challenge with an interesting history traced back to Geneva's harbour.

A gold nose, a drunken pet moose, his own island and a bizarre death; the life of 16th century Danish astronomer Tycho Brahé was as colour..