The Swiss Connection
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Discover science and innovation in Switzerland with the Swiss Connection Podcast! From the tiniest particles to the vastness of space, satisfy your scientific curiosity and join our journalists while they talk to researchers working on projects ranging from rocket building and AI to medicine and climate solutions.
This podcast is produced by SWI swissinfo.ch, a multilingual public service media company in Switzerland.
87 Episodes
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Send a text A fingernail‑sized invader is transforming Swiss lakes and the cost of clean water. In this episode, we track the quagga mussel from its arrival in the Rhine to its rapid spread through deep Swiss basins—stripping plankton, stressing fisheries, and clogging water infrastructure. Researchers from Eawag and the University of Konstanz explain the biology behind its takeover and what global case studies reveal about long‑term impacts. read more on this story on Quagga mussels&nb...
Send a text Join host, Jo Fahy, and pharmaceuticals and healthcare reporter, Jessica Davis Pluss, to weigh up the forces shaping pharma in 2026. From AI’s real gains in clinics and labs, to the case for inclusive data, we also discuss the politics of who funds innovation, and why rare diseases and antibiotics deserve our focus. SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
Send a text How did longevity go from a social media trend to a focus of serious science? In this special bonus episode our host, Jo Fahy, is joined in the studio by pharmaceuticals and healthcare reporter, Jessica Davis Pluss. We trace how Switzerland was uniquely positioned to become a global hub for healthier ageing. We also compare lifespan and health span, examine why access to clinics is so tightly guarded, and discuss why the pharmaceutical industry is moving cautiously in this growing...
Send a text Want a longer life that still feels like yours? We sit down with psychologist Christina Röcke of the University of Zurich’s Healthy Longevity Center to unpack what actually fuels healthy aging—and what’s just marketing noise. From blue-zone myths to AI-driven biohacking, we trace why the longevity boom exploded and where the evidence really points: consistent movement, quality relationships, realistic stress strategies, and communities that make healthy choices simple. Join Swissi...
Send a text We trace how a soil-derived drug led to the discovery of mTOR, why growth control sits at the core of aging biology, and where evidence ends for humans. Michael Hall’s quiet breakthroughs explain fasting, autophagy, and rapamycin without the hype. To read more about this topic and for more science stories, visit our website swisinfo.ch. You can help other people to find our podcast by leaving us a five-star review. Journalist: Jessica Davis Plüss Host: Jo Fahy Audio editor/video...
Send a text What if the most valuable drug candidates aren’t found but designed on demand? We follow a chemist’s journey from a pencil-and-paper notebook to generative algorithms that propose novel, IP-free molecules tailored to specific targets, and we open the door to how Swiss pharma is rebuilding discovery around AI. To read more about this topic and for more science stories, visit our website swisinfo.ch. You can help other people to find our podcast by leaving us a five-star review. ...
Send a text We trace how sex and gender shape drug development, from male-heavy mouse studies to the split results in Lecanemab’s Alzheimer’s trial. Experts explain why regulators should keep approvals moving while demanding smarter design, better reporting, and post-approval answers. For more science stories, visit our website swisinfo.ch, and you can help other people to find our podcast by leaving us a five-star review. Journalist: Jessica Davis Plüss Host: Jo Fahy Audio editor/video j...
Send a text Alzheimer’s disease is more than age-related memory loss—it’s a serious brain disorder. In this episode of the Swiss Connection Science podcast, Swissinfo healthcare reporter Jessica Davis Pluess explores the science, hope, and controversy surrounding new Alzheimer’s drugs like Leqembi and Kisunla. With billions invested and global regulatory decisions diverging, what do these treatments mean for patients and healthcare systems? Visit SWI swissinfo.ch for more on this topic ...
Send a text The search for the elixir of life has been going on since time immemorial – and Switzerland has played a key role. Although scientists have yet to come up with a winning formula, the Alpine nation has a booming market for treatments, pills and gadgets that claim to slow ageing and help us live healthier, longer lives. Visit SWI swissinfo.ch for more on this topic and a video on this story. Please come to SWI swissinfo.ch for more of our science stories from Switzerland. Jounalist...
Send a text This is the final episode of 'Lost Cells', a short investigative podcast series. The production is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche, and Studio Ochenta. This gripping investigative podcast series has been uncovering the human stories behind the promises and failures of private stem cell banking in Switzerland. In our series finale, the Lost Cells team digs deeper into the international standards of the...
Send a text Over the next two episodes, we're proud to present 'Lost Cells', a short investigative podcast series. The production is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche, and Studio Ochenta. This gripping investigative podcast series uncovers the human stories behind the promises and failures of private stem cell banking in Switzerland. In episode five, families across Europe feel like they’re being held hostage. Who...
Send a text Over the next three episodes, we're proud to present 'Lost Cells', a short investigative podcast series. The production is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche, and Studio Ochenta. This gripping investigative podcast series uncovers the human stories behind the promises and failures of private stem cell banking in Switzerland. In episode four, Luis Daniel, Tatiana and Ratko investigate in multiple Europea...
Send a text Over the next four episodes, we're proud to present 'Lost Cells', a short investigative podcast series. The production is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche, and Studio Ochenta. This gripping investigative podcast series uncovers the human stories behind the promises and failures of private stem cell banking in Switzerland. In episode three, Tatiana and Ratko prepare to move their frozen stem cells but ...
Send a text Over the next five episodes, we're proud to present 'Lost Cells', a short investigative podcast series. The production is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche, and Studio Ochenta. This gripping investigative podcast series uncovers the human stories behind the promises and failures of private stem cell banking in Switzerland. In episode two Tatiana and her husband Ratko choose cord blood banking in ...
Send a text Over the next six episodes, we're proud to present 'Lost Cells', a short investigative podcast series. The production is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche and Studio Ochenta. This gripping investigative podcast series uncovers the human stories behind the promises and failures of private stem cell banking in Switzerland. In episode one, Luis Daniel suffers from a rare type of blood cancer. Could ...
Send a text This episode takes listeners to the Rhone glacier in the Alps, which is rapidly melting and releasing ancient microorganisms. These microorganisms, which have been trapped in the ice for thousands of years, are now being studied by scientists from the Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape (WSL). Journalists Céline Stegmüller and Luigi Jorio join the researchers on the glacier to observe their methods of collecting and analyzing these microorganisms. The ...
Send a text Cities tend to get hotter than the countryside when a heatwave hits. What can be done about these urban heat traps? How can hot summers be made more tolerable for city dwellers? SWI swissinfo.ch asked an expert at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich. If you are interested in reading about this story or other science stories from Switzerland please visit www.swissinfo.ch/science. Jounalist: Luigi Jorio Host: Jo Fahy Audio editor/video journalist: Michele Andina Distributi...
Send a text This episode explores a groundbreaking Swiss innovation that could revolutionise the construction industry. Join us as we delve into Neustark's pioneering method of turning concrete waste into a carbon sink, permanently removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Discover how this technology not only helps decarbonise the concrete industry but also increases the strength of concrete. We'll discuss the science behind the mineralisation process, the impact of Neustark's 22 operational plants ...
Send a text Swiss students are propelling the future of space travel with innovative reusable rocket technology, putting Switzerland on the map in the global space race. SWI swissinfo.ch took a closer look at their projects in northern and western Switzerland. Visit SWI swissinfo.ch for more on these exciting rocket projects and a video on this story. Please come to SWI swissinfo.ch for more of our science stories from Switzerland. Jounalist: Christian Raaflaub Host: Jo Fahy Audio editor/v...
Send a text Using a new type of instrument, two astrophysicists from the University of Bern hope to get a little closer to unravelling the mystery of the solar system's origins. They believe the key to this lies in the ice that can occur in a dust layer on comets. Please visit SWI swissinfo.ch for more information about this research and a video about ice on comets. Please come to SWI swissinfo.ch for more of our science stories from Switzerland. Jounalist: Christian Raaflaub Host: Jo Fahy...
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