Shows
The Swiss ConnectionRethinking Aging: Science, Society, And The Stories We TellSend us a textWant 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 Swissinfo for a debate on this topic or read more of our science stories, by visiting our website swisinfo...
2025-12-0220 minThe Swiss ConnectionCracking the Alzheimer’s CodeSend us a textAlzheimer’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 and a video on this story. Please come to SWI swissinfo.ch for more of our science stories from Switzerla...
2025-11-0421 minThe Swiss ConnectionSwiss Longevity clinics: modern-day snake oil or the key to healthy ageing?Send a textThe 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: Jessica Davis Plüss
2025-10-2821 min
Inside GenevaWomen, girls and cuts to humanitarian aidSend us a textOn Inside Geneva this week, aid agencies count the costs of funding cuts. “I am most sad for all the millions of people living with HIV and affected by HIV whose lives have been upended. They have lost access to life-saving medication. They have showed up at clinics for support, only to find no one there to help them,” says Angeli Achrekar, Deputy Executive Director for the Programme Branch at the Joint United Nations (UN) Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The cuts are hitting women and girls especially hard.“...
2025-04-2942 min
The Swiss ConnectionLost Cells, Ep.6: The CanariesSend us a textThis 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 cord blood banking industry. Antoine confronts the Swiss authorities for answers. Tatiana and Ratko vow...
2025-04-0142 min
The Swiss ConnectionLost Cells, Ep.5: In LimboSend us a textOver 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 owns their cells? Do they have any rights? They fight back with the only thing they do...
2025-03-2528 min
The Swiss ConnectionLost Cells, Ep.4: The HuntSend us a textOver 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 European jurisdictions. The international band of families turns to Antoine Harari and Valeria Mazzucchi, two journalists based in Geneva...
2025-03-1828 min
The Swiss ConnectionLost Cells, Ep.3: The ProgramSend us a textOver 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 things don’t go as planned. Perhaps the company and its marketing aren’t everything they’ve bee...
2025-03-1117 min
The Swiss ConnectionLost Cells, Ep.2: Seeds of HopeSend us a textOver 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 Switzerland for their daughter’s cells. They seek out a top US university conducting research in stem cel...
2025-03-0421 min
The Swiss ConnectionLost Cells, Ep.1: The PromiseSend us a textOver 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 promising stem cell research, and a baby be the chance he’s been looking for? Banking his...
2025-02-2527 min
The Swiss ConnectionLost Cells is out now!Send us a textPlease sign up for the latest episodeSWI swissinfo.ch's new podcast tells the story of the families affected by a private stem cell banking scandal with Switzerland at its heart.Subscribe for free to our new podcast ‘Lost Cells’ wherever you get your podcasts. Episode one is released on February 18, 2025.Listen to this new podcast in English // French // SpanishSWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2025-02-1803 minThe Swiss ConnectionComing Soon - Lost Cells, a new podcast seriesSend us a textPlease sign up for the latest episodeSWI swissinfo.ch's new podcast tells the story of the families affected by a private stem cell banking scandal with Switzerland at its heart.Subscribe for free to our new podcast ‘Lost Cells’ wherever you get your podcasts. Episode one will be released on February 18, 2025.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern Switzerland.
2025-02-0302 minThe Swiss ConnectionUnveiling Ancient Life: Microorganisms in Melting Glaciers in Swiss AlpsSend us a textThis 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 team, led by Beat Frey, uses custom-made equipment to filter meltwater and capture bacteria, fungi, and vi...
2024-12-1016 minInside GenevaHow has the world changed in 2024? UN correspondents look backSend us a textIn this week’s Inside Geneva episode, UN correspondents in Geneva and New York look back at 2024. Dorian Burkhalter, journalist, SWI swissinfo.ch: ‘Wars everywhere, climate change, deepening inequalities, AI…it’s just threats everywhere. But it just seems like the more global our problems are becoming, the weaker the UN is also becoming.’ But is the biggest event of the year the US election? Nick Cumming-Bruce, contributor, New York Times: ‘It’s hard to top the US election because it’s already dominating the conversation on everything else tha...
2024-12-1031 minThe Swiss ConnectionClimate solution for the future: How to keep cities cool during heatwavesSend us a textCities 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 JorioHost: Jo FahyAudio editor/video journalist: Michele AndinaDistribution and Marketing: Xin ZhangSWI...
2024-12-0317 minThe Swiss ConnectionTurning concrete into a carbon sink: an innovative Swiss approach to decarbonizing the construction industrySend us a textThis 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 in Switzerland and Germany, and their ambitious plans to scale up globally. Tune in to find out how Swiss ingenuity is paving the way for...
2024-11-2614 minThe Swiss ConnectionYoung Swiss scientists boost rocket researchSend us a textSwiss 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 RaaflaubHost: Jo FahyAudio editor/video journalist: Michele AndinaDistribution and Marketing: Xin...
2024-11-1914 minThe Swiss ConnectionWhy Swiss scientists want to find ice on cometsSend us a textUsing 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 FahyAudio editor...
2024-11-1213 minThe Swiss ConnectionHerwig Schopper, Former CERN head has served science and peace for 100 yearsSend us a textSwissinfo talks to Herwig Schopper, former CERN director, the grandfather of the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, who helped promote peace through a Middle Eastern science hub and has his qualms about the Nobel Prize. If Herwig Schopper has learned anything during his 100 years on Earth, it’s that breakthroughs only happen when we work together. Please read here this interview and the full biography of Herwig Schopper, and please come to Swissinfo.ch for more of our science stories from Switzerland.Jounalist: Zeno ZoccatelliHost: Jo Fah...
2024-11-0517 min
Let's Talk - a video podcast from SWI swissinfo.ch for Swiss abroad.let's talk: Autobahnausbau: Unsere Debatte zur AbstimmungDer Autobahnausbau ist eine der Abstimmungsvorlagen vom 24. November. Was spricht dafür, was dagegen? In Let's Talk kreuzen ein Befürworter und eine Gegnerin die Klingen.
Mehr: SWI swissinfo.ch
2024-10-1835 minLet's Talk - a video podcast from SWI swissinfo.ch for Swiss abroad.Let's talk: «Nous devons miser sur la complémentarité des moyens de transport»La Suisse doit-elle élargir une partie de son réseau autoroutier? Les deux invitées de notre débat filmé Let’s Talk ont débattu du projet du Conseil fédéral pour résoudre les problèmes d’embouteillages, au menu des votations fédérales du 24 novembre.
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2024-10-1735 minLet's Talk - a video podcast from SWI swissinfo.ch for Swiss abroad.Let's talk: Biodiversitätsinitiative: Das StreitgesprächDie Biodiversitätsinitiative will den Schutz von Lebensräumen in die Verfassung schreiben. Was spricht dafür? Was dagegen? Unsere Debatte zur Abstimmungsvorlage vom 22. September.
Mehr: SWI swissinfo.ch
Host: Balz Rigendinger
2024-10-1732 minThe Swiss ConnectionSwitzerland and Silicon Valley: EP6 Sherry Wong ‘Living in a society where capital is strong and the welfare state is weak‘Send us a textFor artist and researcher Şerife (Sherry) Wong the popular image of visionary geniuses who change the world from their garages is an illusion. “We are idealising the myth of the inventor, the American dream of the man who, from nothing, becomes super rich and changes the world for the better, but...for whom?” asks Wong, who studies the social implications of emerging technologies. She is also an affiliate research scientist at the University of California, Berkeley.You can find more written content about this story on SWI swissinfo.ch: in Eng...
2024-08-2023 minThe Swiss ConnectionSwitzerland and Silicon Valley: EP5 Fred Turner ‘The dream of tech companies serving humanity has turned into a nightmare‘Send us a textIn this episode, we talk to Stanford University professor Fred Turner, who’s been studying the impact of new media technologies on American culture for decades. Turner is also among those most vocal in denouncing the injustices faced by people living and working in Silicon Valley.You can find more written content about this story on SWI swissinfo.ch: in English in Italian (original) in German Journalist: Sara IbrahimHost: Jo Fahy Audio editor / Video journalist: Michele Andina Dis...
2024-08-1318 minLet's Talk - a video podcast from SWI swissinfo.ch for Swiss abroad.Let's Talk: Auslandschweizer-Rat: Unterwegs in die Demokratie
Die Auslandschweizer-Organisation feiert am 12. Juli ihren Jubiläumskongress in Luzern. Ihr wichtigstes Gremium ist der Auslandschweizer-Rat, auch bekannt als das Parlament der Auslandschweizer:innen. Doch demokratisch gewählt ist dieser Rat nicht.
Denn noch heute setzt er sich vorwiegend aus Delegierten zusammen, aus Abgesandten der rund 660 Schweizer Clubs, die bei der grossen Auswanderungswelle nach 1880 auf allen Kontinenten entstanden.
Die Frage stellt sich deshalb: Wie können die 800’000 Auslandschweizer:innen in der Schweiz am besten und auch zeitgemäss vertreten werden? Und ist die Zeit der Schweizer Vereine, die ihre Abgeordneten zweimal im Jahr in die...
2024-08-1232 minThe Swiss ConnectionSwitzerland and Silicon Valley: EP4 Pamela Munster ‘From cancer doctor to cancer patient and back again’Send us a textPamela Munster, a world-renowned oncologist, has been working in San Francisco for 15 years. In this episode, she recounts her battle against breast cancer. You can find more written and video content about this story on SWI swissinfo.ch: in English in French (original) in German Journalist: Marc-André Miserez Host: Jo Fahy Audio editor/Video: Michele Andina Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2024-08-0619 minThe Swiss ConnectionWhat Switzerland can learn from Silicon Valley: EP3 Connected through InnovationSend us a textIn this episode, SWI swissinfo.ch sat down with Claude Zellweger, Google's in-house design guru. We discussed the role of designers in tech innovation, AI, and the future of education. He also shared his thoughts on the challenges facing the tech industry and how we can overcome them by putting people first. You can find more written and video content about this story on SWI swissinfo.ch: in English in French (original) in German Journalist: Marc-André Miserez Journalist: Marc-André Miserez Host...
2024-07-3013 minThe Swiss ConnectionWhat Switzerland can learn from Silicon Valley: EP2 Swiss start-ups in CaliforniaSend us a textMore than 150 Swiss start-ups have received a boost from California entrepreneurship, and three of them are already worth $1 billion. This is a source of pride for Swissnex in San Francisco and its CEO, Emilia Pasquier. Hear what she has to say about Swiss innovation in this episode. You can find more written and video content about this story on SWI swissinfo.ch: in English in French (original) in German Journalist: Marc-André Miserez Host: Jo Fahy Audio editor/Video: Michele Andina
2024-07-2314 minThe Swiss ConnectionWhat Switzerland can learn from Silicon Valley and Hippies: EP1 The potential of human beingsSend us a textIn his 50 years in the USA, St. Gallen psychologist and consultant Herman Gyr has never lost faith in human ingenuity, the ability to learn and adapt to even the most adverse circumstances. This is despite the fact that climate change is his biggest concern.In this exclusive interview with SWI swissinfo.ch, Gyr shared his insight into what he thinks are the key influences that drive innovation in Silicon Valley.An article and a video about this interview can be found here on SWI swissinfo.ch:in German
2024-07-1619 minLet's Talk - a video podcast from SWI swissinfo.ch for Swiss abroad.let's talk: «C’est une honte que des retraités suisses doivent compter chaque centime»Faut-il verser une rente supplémentaire de l’assurance vieillesse aux Suisses ou les faire travailler un an de plus? Les deux invités de notre débat filmé Let’s Talk ont débattu de l’avenir des retraites, au cœur des votations fédérales du 3 mars.
Plus pour les Cinquième Suisse de SWI swissinfo.ch
2024-05-3045 minLet's Talk - a video podcast from SWI swissinfo.ch for Swiss abroad.Let's talk: «Si on ne réforme pas le système de santé, on se dirige vers une médecine à deux vitesses»À gauche comme à droite du spectre politique, les parlementaires estiment que le système de santé suisse doit être réformé. Les initiatives du Centre et du Parti socialiste, soumises au peuple le 9 juin, ne font toutefois pas l’unanimité. Nous en avons débattu dans notre émission Let’s Talk.
Face à la hausse constante des coûts de la santé, de plus en plus de personnes doivent se serrer la ceinture pour payer leurs primes d’assurance maladie. Sous la Coupole fédérale, les principaux partis politiques reconnaissent la nécessité d’agir, mais ne sont pas d’accord sur les solu...
2024-05-2839 minLet's Talk - a video podcast from SWI swissinfo.ch for Swiss abroad.Let's Talk: “Wir haben zu viele Spitäler”: Unser Talk zu den PrämieninitiativenImmer mehr Menschen in der Schweiz können ihre Krankenversicherung kaum noch bezahlen. Die Kosten im Schweizer Gesundheitswesen steigen seit Jahren ungebremst. Was ist zu tun?
Jetzt kommen zwei Volksinitiativen zur Abstimmung. Beide sollen die Prämienlast senken. Die erste Initiative will die Versicherungsprämien auf 10% des Einkommens begrenzen. Absender: Die Sozialdemokrat:innen. Die zweite will die Gesundheitskosten deckeln: Absenderin ist die Mitte-Partei.
Aber welches ist die richtige Lösung? Und: Gibt es überhaupt eine?
Bei “Let’s Talk”, dem Debattenformat von SWI swissinfo.ch, diskutierten:
Sarah Wyss, Nationalrätin der SP. Sie macht sei...
2024-05-2834 min
Let's Talk - a video podcast from SWI swissinfo.ch for Swiss abroad.Let's talk: E-Voting: “Die Finanzierung wird zur Hürde”Für Auslandschweizer:innen verspricht E-Voting den Zugang zur Demokratie. Doch das Projekt weckt wiederum Skepsis – und kostet enorme Summen.
Bei der Digitalisierung hinkt die Schweiz hinterher. Jetzt will sie aufholen. Geplant ist eine elektronische Identität sowie elektronisches Abstimmen und Wählen auf breiterer Basis. E-ID und E-Voting: Was sind die Vorteile für Sie als Auslandschweizer:in? Wird es Ihr Leben erleichtern?
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2024-05-2834 minThe Swiss ConnectionWhy Are leading Swiss Pharmaceutical Companies Investing in Slovenia?Send us a textPharmaceutical giant Novartis invested billions in Slovenia, helping turn the country into a global player in generic drug production. Now, as cheap Asian competitors increasingly dominate the market, Swiss drug companies see the tiny Balkan nation playing a key role in their shift to more complex, expensive medicines.Articles and videos on Switzerland's investment in Slovenia are available on swissinfo.ch. For other science stories from Switzerland please go to www.swissinfo.ch/science.Journalist: Jessica Davis Plüss Host: Jo FahyAudio editor/video journalist: Célin...
2024-04-2316 minThe Swiss ConnectionSwiss training for forensic scientists in Africa and MexicoSend us a textForensic science is critical in the search for justice and the fight against impunity. Africa suffers from a dearth of forensic pathologists and Switzerland is helping to boost their numbers with training. In Mexico, forensic scientists need support to help identify the tens of thousands of victims of Mexico's drugs war. The University Centre of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva (CURML) is developing tools to find graves. Articles and videos on forensic training in African countries and Mexico are available on swissinfo.ch. For other science stories from Switzerland please go to www.s...
2024-04-1616 minThe Swiss ConnectionSwiss Roman battle site reveals hidden secrets of historic clashSend us a textOver the past two years, experts have unearthed thousands of Roman military artefacts littering a hillside in southeast Switzerland. The first Roman battle site ever discovered in the Alpine country offers clues about what happened there over 2,000 years ago.The article related to this episode and the video interview is available on swissinfo.ch. For other science stories from Switzerland please go to www.swissinfo.ch/science.Journalist: Simon BradleyHost: Jo FahyAudio editor/video journalist: Michele AndinaDistribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang...
2024-04-0915 minThe Swiss ConnectionThe Future of Aviation: Hypersonic plane powered Hydrogen designed in SwitzerlandSend us a textIt’s 20 years since Concorde made its final commercial flight, ending the first era of supersonic travel. A Swiss start-up is part of a new generation of aviation pioneers trying to re-introduce high-speed travel using clean hydrogen. But the road ahead is long and expensive.The article related to this episode and the video interview is available on swissinfo.ch. For other science stories from Switzerland please go to www.swissinfo.ch/science.Video journalist: Julie HuntAudio editor: Michele AndinaDistribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang...
2024-04-0211 minThe Swiss ConnectionDrones capture eDNA in cutting-edge biodiversity research in Zurich, SwitzerlandSend us a textResearchers in Zurich are using drones to collect environmental DNA (eDNA) in a technique combining robotics and genetics that could change our understanding of Earth’s biodiversity.The article related to this episode and the video interview is available on swissinfo.ch. For other science stories from Switzerland please go to www.swissinfo.ch/science.Jounalist: Zeno ZoccatelliAudio editor/video journalist: Michele AndinaDistribution and Marketing: Xin ZhangSWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2024-03-2517 minThe Swiss ConnectionWhat CERN’s next-generation particle collider could look like?Send us a textScientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) near Geneva are taking the next steps towards creating a huge particle collider. With the Future Circular Collider (FCC), they want to search for new physics and answer fundamental questions about our universe. We visited the CERN sites to learn more about particle physics and their plans.The video version of this episode and other science stories from Switzerland is available at www.swissinfo.ch/science. Jounalist: Simon BradleyAudio editor/video journalist: Michele Andina ...
2024-03-1216 minInside GenevaBeyond declarations: UN voices reflect on 75 years of human rights advocacySend us a textThe world is marking an important anniversary: the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. After the Second World War, this was supposed to be our "never again" moment. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights promises us the right to live, to freedom of expression, the right not to be tortured, to equality regardless of gender, race or religion. So how’s that working out? Throughout 2023 SWI swissinfo.ch has been talking to the men and women who have led the United Nations' human rights wor...
2023-12-1239 min
The Swiss ConnectionExploring Science in Davos: EP6 Lab 42 AI lab decoding the human brainSend us a textArtificial intelligence chatbots like ChatGPT generate remarkably human-like results. But how intelligent is it really? SWI swissinfo.ch visits Lab42, a new AI lab in Davos, which is deploying playful techniques to better understand the fundamentals of human intelligence.In addition to the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) gathering, Davos is home to several leading research institutes. The newest is Lab 42, which opened its doors in July 2022, an AI lab that aims to better understand the fundamentals of human intelligence. The experts working at the research institute in southeast Switzerland are...
2023-12-0712 min
The Swiss ConnectionExploring Science in Davos: EP5 Snow and avalanche research in DavosSend us a textWhen and where the next avalanche will happen is hard to predict. In a special cold laboratory in Davos, researchers simulate the effects of wind on fresh snow to better understand the mechanisms that trigger avalanches.For centuries, avalanches have posed a threat to mountain farmers and their livestock. With the development of winter tourism, roads, railways and hydropower plants, the interest in avalanche research and protective measures has grown.The origins of the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF date back to 1936, when a small group...
2023-11-2211 min
The Swiss ConnectionExploring Science in Davos: EP4 How solar cycles influence climate?Send us a textSolar irradiance provides heat and light for life. It waxes and wanes with the cycle of solar activity, which currently cannot be predicted accurately. Solar storms can have a great impact on technology. In February 2022, a solar storm destroyed 40 Starlink satellites from Elon Musk’s company SpaceX. Researchers in Davos are collaborating on several space experiments to find out more about solar physics.In 1904 the Prussian businessman Carl Dorno travelled to Davos with his daughter, who was suffering from tuberculosis. In those days the Alpine town was a health resort for tu...
2023-11-1511 min
The Swiss ConnectionExploring Science in Davos: EP3 Why house dust mites, pollen and food additives cause allergies?Send us a textThe small city of Davos in southeastern Switzerland, located at an altitude of 1,560m above sea level in the Swiss Alps, attracted tuberculosis patients back in the 1800s and 1900s after scientists discovered that clean mountain air had a positive effect on their health. However, with the development of antibiotics, the sanatoriums eventually lost their purpose. Today that same clean Davos air, marked by the absence of tree pollen, such as birch, oak or alder, minimal air pollution and extremely low amounts of indoor dust mites – presumably because of the cooler and dryer cl...
2023-11-0813 min
The Swiss ConnectionExploring Science in Davos: EP2 Studying bones at the AO Research Institute DavosSend us a textBefore 1960, broken bones were treated simply by using plaster casts or traction. Then 13 Swiss surgeons began rethinking fracture treatment: they standardised instruments, screws and nails, scientifically evaluated every operation, and started training surgeons. On their tour of Davos’s scientific communities, Sara and Michele go behind the scenes to see what new technologies are currently being developed.The AO Foundation in Davos has been a leader in research into the healing of bone fractures for decades. Today, more than 100 scientists and PhD students from all over the globe work at the AO...
2023-11-0111 min
The Swiss ConnectionExploring Science in Davos: EP1 Orthopaedics gathering at the AO Davos Courses 2022Send us a textThe Swiss town of Davos is famous for mountain slopes, winter sports and the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. But did you know that it also attracts scientists and doctors from all over the world? In this six-part video series, SWI swissinfo.ch journalists Sara Ibrahim and Michele Andina take you on a journey to discover five of Davos’s research institutes.In this first episode, they take you to the AO Davos Courses, a two-week training congress for surgeons learning to treat bone fractures. In hands-on workshops and on...
2023-10-2508 minLet's Talk - a video podcast from SWI swissinfo.ch for Swiss abroad.Let's Talk: "Keine 10-Millionen-Schweiz": Wird die SVP-Initiative ein Erfolg?Migrationsforscherin Denise Efionayi von der Universität Neuenburg zieht in Bezug auf die Initiative der SVP bei "Let's Talk" eine Parallele zur Ecopop-Initiative von 2014 und sagt: "Ja, das könnte vielleicht verleiten."
Die am 1. Juli 2023 lancierte Volksinitiative mit dem Titel "Keine 10-Millionen-Schweiz" der SVP heisst alternativ auch "Nachhaltigkeits-Initiative".
Es ist nicht das erste Mal, dass die SVP mit Migration und Bevölkerungswachstum das Stimmvolk zu aktivieren versucht. Bereits 2014 waren gleich zwei ähnliche Initiativen auf dem Tisch, die Ecopop- und die Masseneinwanderungsinitiative.
Es könne sein, dass die Kombination mit ökologischen Argumenten durchkomme, sagt Efionay...
2023-07-1346 minLet's Talk - a video podcast from SWI swissinfo.ch for Swiss abroad.Let’s Talk: Die Schweiz – vom Geld regiert?Kann die Schweiz noch Banking? Und wer im Land hat eigentlich das Sagen? Ein "Let's talk" mit den Banken-Expert:innen Suzanne Ziegler und Marc Chesney sowie der Autorin Laura de Weck.
Geldcast - SWI swissinfo.ch
2023-06-2730 minLet's Talk - a video podcast from SWI swissinfo.ch for Swiss abroad.Let’s Talk: What next after the Credit Suisse debacle?The emergency takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS has redrawn the Swiss banking map and raised doubts about the reliability of the financial centre. The Let’s Talk webcast debate examines the implications for Switzerland.
more on the Credit Suisse Stories please go to SWI swissinfo.ch
Fintech stories on SWI swissinfo.ch
2023-06-2732 minLet's Talk - a video podcast from SWI swissinfo.ch for Swiss abroad.Let's Talk: Schweiz – EU: Eine schwierige BeziehungDie Beziehung zwischen Bern und Brüssel sind abgekühlt. Die Chancen auf Fortschritte im Wahljahr 2023 stehen schlecht. Was bedeutet das für die Auslandschweizer:innen?
Es sind 450'000 Schweizerinnen und Schweizer, die sich in Ländern der EU niedergelassen haben. Sie arbeiten da, studieren, oder geniessen ihre Rente an der Sonne. Doch sonnig ist die Beziehung zwischen Bern und Brüssel längst nicht mehr. Da herrscht Distanz, die Liebe ist abgekühlt.
SWI swissinfo.ch for Swiss Abroad, Auslandschweizer und Auslandschweizerinnen
2023-06-1535 minLet's Talk - a video podcast from SWI swissinfo.ch for Swiss abroad.Let's Talk: Die Macht der Auslandschweizer:innenDie Schweiz startet in ein Wahljahr. Die Parteien realisieren, dass Schweizerinnen und Schweizer im Ausland entscheidend werden können. Noch nie war dieses Elektorat mächtiger – und noch nie so gut ansprechbar.
Das Elektorat der Auslandschweizer:innen ist in den letzten 25 Jahren enorm gewachsen, von 63'000 auf 211'000. So gross war im Jahr 2021 die Zahl der Schweizer AuslandbürgerI:innen, die sich ins Stimmregister eingetragen hatten.
Woher dieses Wachstum? Ariane Rustichelli, die Direktorin der Auslandschweizer-Organisation ASO, sieht den Grund in einem veränderten Emigrationsverhalten: Schweizerinnen und Schweizer wandern seit rund 30 Jahren nicht mehr für immer aus, sagt sie, sondern...
2023-06-1531 minLet's Talk - a video podcast from SWI swissinfo.ch for Swiss abroad.Let’s Talk: polar research and our struggling planetWhy is polar research a priority? Two leading Swiss-based scientists tell us about their experiences in extreme climates.
Some may question the value of polar research when there are other problems closer to home. But what is happening in these remote regions has a knock-on effect all over the globe.
SWI swissinfo.ch invited two Swiss-based scientists to discuss their experiences – including working on the sea ice and examining the largest glacier outside the north and south poles.
Please read other climate-related stories on SWI swissinfo.ch
2023-06-1528 minLet's Talk - a video podcast from SWI swissinfo.ch for Swiss abroad.Let’s Talk: the future of Crypto Nation SwitzerlandSwitzerland has built a reputation for nurturing a new industry based on cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Experts give their take on the pros and cons of the fledgling ‘Crypto Nation’.
More than 1,000 blockchain companies, supporting 6,000 jobs, have set anchor in Switzerland, encouraged by the welcoming political and legal infrastructure.
But other countries are raising their game, determined to entice the world’s best technology innovators to their realms. How will Switzerland cling on to its lead as the competition heats up.
SWI swissinfo.ch invited guests from Switzerland, Dubai and the United States to gau...
2023-06-1530 minInside GenevaUN correspondents look backSend us a text2022 has been a momentous year: the war in Ukraine, unprecedented droughts and floods, new disease outbreaks. This week on the Inside Geneva podcast, journalists reflect on the past year.“It was quite shocking waking up in the morning to that news. I remember the UN Refugee Agency already on the first day was saying 100,000 people had been displaced,” says Nina Larson of Agence France-Presse (AFP).There is a new war in Europe. What does it mean for the UN and multilateralism?“The UN was here to pre...
2022-12-1329 minThe Swiss ConnectionUsing sound to find prehistoric ruins under Lake LucerneSend us a textConstruction workers got a surprise recently while laying a pipeline underneath Lake Lucerne in central Switzerland. On the lake floor they found the traces of a prehistoric village! This finally confirmed a long-standing theory among archaeologists, who believed that people had lived in the area thousands of years ago.But why were the traces of their home so deep within the lake? Across Switzerland there are about 500 pile dwelling sites, but these are normally found along the shorelines of lakes. And how do archaeologists manage to unravel prehistoric findings underwater? On...
2021-12-2220 minThe Swiss ConnectionWhy these Japanese patients wanted to die in SwitzerlandSend us a textIn this second part of our two-part series on assisted suicide, SWI reporter Kaoru Uda tells host Susan Misicka what it was like to accompany two Japanese patients who came to Switzerland to die.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-11-2925 minThe Swiss ConnectionWhy this Swiss doctor supports assisted suicideSend us a textEvery year, over 1,000 seriously ill people end their lives in Switzerland with the help of suicide assistants. Assisted suicide is legal in several countries, including Switzerland, Canada and the Netherlands. A handful of other countries – like Germany and Colombia – are working out the legal and practical details.Some people even travel great distances to die in Switzerland because assisted suicide is illegal where they live. For example, a 104-year-old Australian man made the trip in 2018.One of the people who helped him was Erika Preisig, a Swiss doctor...
2021-11-0910 minInside GenevaThe SDGs: Can we solve all of the world's problems?Send us a textIn 2015 the world set itself 17 very ambitious targets: the Sustainable Development Goals. To end hunger, eradicate poverty, ensure health and education for all.But are the SDGs over ambitious? And who decides who is meeting them, and who is backsliding? These are just two of the questions that host Imogen Foulkes puts to:Martin Gutmann, Editor of a multi-author research project on the history of the SDGs, and lecture at the Lucerne University of Applied Arts. Claire Somerville, Lecturer and Executive Director of the Gender...
2021-10-2141 minThe Swiss ConnectionMeet couples saying 'I do' to gay marriageSend us a textNow that Switzerland has approved marriage for all, host Susan Misicka talks with some couples who explain why it's important to them. We also hear from opponents of Swiss legislation granting same-sex couples the right to marry.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-10-1219 minThe Swiss ConnectionWhy we still need pens and pencilsSend us a textIn this encore episode of The Swiss Connection, we visit Swiss century-old pen and pencil maker Caran d'Ache. Podcast host Susan Misicka takes a tour of the factory and feels a bit silly when Caran d’Ache President Carole Hubscher sees her hasty choice of writing instrument.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-09-2816 minThe Swiss ConnectionTypeface designer is in love with lettersSend us a textSwiss designers gave us the big-name Helvetica and Frutiger typefaces in the 20th century. Now a modern-day designer from Basel is collaborating on a new font that we might soon be seeing a lot more of. Nina Stoessinger of Frere-Jones Type in Brooklyn talks about inspiration and challenges.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-09-1414 minThe Swiss ConnectionDecrypting cryptocurrency and blockchainSend us a textHow soon will we start buying our groceries with Bitcoin? What kind of scams do we need to be aware of? And why is Switzerland so sweet on cryptocurrencies and blockchain? SWI finance correspondent Matt Allen gives host Susan Misicka an overview of what he's learned while covering this scene over the past several years.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-08-3124 minThe Swiss ConnectionWhy people love the Locarno Film FestivalSend us a textA gorgeous location for a film festival: Locarno in southern Switzerland. The international event features about 200 films in 10 days. But what makes the Locarno Film Festival so special? In this episode, SWI culture editor Eduardo Simantob tells podcast host Susan Misicka why he loves it. SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-08-1210 minThe Swiss ConnectionMeet the Swiss woman bringing open water swimming to BostonSend us a textSwiss architect Renata von Tscharner has devoted over two decades to improving the public spaces along the Charles River in Massachusetts. She even hopes to get people swimming in Boston's so-called "dirty water" on a regular basis. We met her at the Rhine River in her native Basel.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-07-2020 minThe Swiss ConnectionAre nuclear weapons really banned?Send us a textIn this episode host Susan Misicka introduces our sister podcast, Inside Geneva. Nuclear weapons were banned by international treaty at the start of 2021. But the treaty doesn’t apply to any of the nuclear powers, since none of them signed it. So are nukes really banned? Inside Geneva host Imogen Foulkes talks to Cordula Droege, Chief Legal Officer of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Beatrice Fihn of the International Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons, and Elaine Whyte Gomez, the ambassador from Costa Rica, who steered the treaty through the United Nations....
2021-07-0630 minThe Swiss ConnectionShould kids be sweating for our chocolate cravings?Send us a textThe success of Swiss chocolate depends on cocoa beans harvested far away, often with the help of minors. In this episode we discuss whether it's OK for children to work, and how to figure out if kids helped make your candy bar.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-06-2222 minThe Swiss ConnectionWhat soil sounds like and why it mattersSend us a textWhat does soil sound like, and what do those sounds mean? We find out from the world’s first scientist to use acoustics to research the soil and underground biodiversity. Also, we explore some of Zurich's greenspaces with a conservation biologist.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-06-0916 minThe Swiss ConnectionAre electric cars and planes the way to go?Send us a textSwitzerland missed its target to reduce its carbon footprint in 2020. But there are still some promising developments when it comes to electric mobility in Switzerland – on the roads and up in the air. In this episode we take a ride in an electric plane and kick the tires on Swiss electric car infrastructure.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-05-2622 minThe Swiss ConnectionHow to clean up the gold tradeSend us a textIn this follow-up to "The Dirt on Digging for Gold" we hear about some measures to make the gold trade more sustainable. Swiss anti-corruption champion Mark Pieth provides insight into the social problems sparked by gold mining. And members of the Swiss Better Gold Association share their experiences in Latin America.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-05-1229 minThe Swiss ConnectionStrange days: checking in with Swiss people in AmericaSend us a textThe past year has been a strange time for all of us. It can be even harder if you’re an expat. One in ten Swiss people lives outside of Switzerland. In this episode, we hear from a few Swiss citizens who are living in the United States. They tell us how they’re experiencing the coronavirus pandemic and politics in their adopted homeland.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-04-2717 minThe Swiss ConnectionWhat Covid-19 tells us about the pharma industrySend us a textSwitzerland is the home of some of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies. But when it comes to coronavirus vaccines, the Swiss pharma giants are not part of the discussion. How did they miss out? Or did they? And what does it mean for the next pandemic?SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-04-1320 minThe Swiss ConnectionHow to catch a child sex offenderSend us a textThe case of a Swiss couple abusing Indian children – and getting away with it – shows the limits of the international police network.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-03-3023 minThe Swiss ConnectionCrypto – a spy thriller made in SwitzerlandSend us a textMultiple spy agencies, secret documents, international intrigue, and a Swiss company's encryption machines are at the heart of this episode. But does anybody really know the whole story?SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-03-1624 minThe Swiss ConnectionWhy women's suffrage took so longSend us a textSwitzerland is celebrating a rather awkward anniversary this year. It was only 50 years ago that women got the right to vote at the federal level. What was the hold-up? And what’s still holding women back today?SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-03-0230 minThe Swiss Connection'Swiss Johnny Cash' Florian Fox walks the line between Zurich and NashvilleSend us a textSometimes changing names and continents is the best way to cope in a pandemic. For Swiss country music singer-songwriter Florian Fox, this meant moving to Nashville, Tennessee. He tells us why he's in the right place at the right time.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-02-1631 minThe Swiss ConnectionThe dirt on digging for goldSend us a textSwitzerland is the world’s leading gold refiner. But in spite of efforts to make the supply chain more transparent, there are still some big questions about the origins of all this gold, and how it's extracted from the earth. In this episode we travel to Peru to find out what happens during the gold mining process.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-02-0219 minThe Swiss ConnectionPart 3: Why do we get nostalgic?Send us a textPart three of a three-part series about the connection between nostalgia and homesickness. If a friend abandoned you in a foreign country, how angry would you be? And how healthy is it to dwell on the past?SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-01-1925 minThe Swiss ConnectionPart 2: Why do we get nostalgic?Send us a textPart two of a three-part series about the connection between nostalgia and homesickness. We "meet" a medical student who attended Basel University in the 17th century, and we try to retrace the steps of the Swiss mercenaries who inspired him.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2021-01-0528 minThe Swiss ConnectionPart 1: Why do we get nostalgic?Send us a textPart one of a three-part series about the connection between nostalgia and homesickness. For this we travel back in time to join two backpackers exploring Europe in the 1980s, and we find out how they’re connected to Swiss mercenaries hitting the road in the 17th century. SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2020-12-2218 minThe Swiss ConnectionMoving back to Switzerland in a pandemicSend us a textIn 2020, getting the kind of schooling you want for your kids sometimes meant moving halfway across the world, at the drop of a hat. Meet a Swiss woman in California who did just that.SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2020-12-1622 minThe Swiss ConnectionThe jazz singer with Swiss folk rootsSend us a textWhen you first see her with her sleek bob and glossy fingernails, it’s kind of surprising to learn that Gabriela Martina was raised on a farm. But it’s memories of her rural upbringing that power some of her music.Over a decade ago, she left her home in the Lucerne countryside to study jazz in the United States. Today, the vocalist and composer lives in Boston and teaches at her alma mater, the Berklee College of Music.Martina tries to mix her Swiss yodelling roots with jazz, soul...
2020-04-1911 minThe Swiss ConnectionInside Geneva: A decade of war in SyriaSend us a textSWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2020-03-2625 minThe Swiss ConnectionInside Geneva: the United Nations and ChinaSend us a textSWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2020-03-2231 minThe Swiss ConnectionThe sound of Nashville with a Swiss twistSend us a textSWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2020-03-1520 minThe Swiss ConnectionInside Geneva: What should we be doing about human rights violations?Send us a textSWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2020-03-0730 minThe Swiss ConnectionInside Geneva: How to deal with coronavirus?Send us a textSWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2020-02-1130 minThe Swiss ConnectionInside Geneva: Why humanitarian groups go to DavosSend us a textSWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
2020-01-2232 min