Singapore is situated in Southeast Asia and has a strong connection to China. Nevertheless, the coronavirus epidemic in Singapore has been much weaker than in Europe so far. Gerhard Schmitt, Professor of Information Architecture and Director of the Singapore–ETH Centre, tells the ETH Podcast how the strong measures against COVID-19 have changed the city, which usually suffers under self-generated heat. Right now, air and street traffic have almost disappeared: “It’s as if a simulation has become reality.” This situation offers unique opportunities for Schmitt’s research.