The Swiss Connection

The Swiss Connection

By SWI swissinfo.chScienceNatural Sciences
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The Swiss Connection episodes

  • What does Antarctic ice reveal about CO2 and climate shifts?

    We follow the 2,800-meter Antarctic ice core from Little Dome C to a -50°C lab in University of Bern, tracing how scientists extract ancient air to probe the Mid-Pleistocene transition and the limits of abrupt climate change. The story links field grit, laser sublimation, and CO2 records to the risks facing modern societies.

    If you would like to see the Antarctic ice in a video and read the collection on this topic, and more stories, please visit Swissinfo Science. 


    Jounalist: Luigi Jorio and Michele Andina
    Host: Jo Fahy
    Audio editor/video journalist: Michele Andina
    Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

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    SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland. 

    27 min
  • Invasive Quagga mussel Is Rewriting Switzerland’s Waterscape

    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  and science from SWI swissinfo

    Journalist: Julie Hunt

    Host: Jo Fahy
    Audio editor/video journalist: Michele Andina
    Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

    Send us Fan Mail

    SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland. 

    14 min
  • Bonus Episode - The Trends Shaping the Pharmaceutical Industry in 2026

    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. 






    Send us Fan Mail

    SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland. 

    17 min
  • Bonus Episode - Inside Switzerland’s Quiet Rise as a Longevity Hub

    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 field.




    Send us Fan Mail

    SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland. 

    27 min
  • Rethinking Aging: Science, Society, And The Stories We Tell

    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 Swissinfo for a debate on this topic or read more of our science stories,  by visiting 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 journalist: Michele Andina
    Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang




    Send us Fan Mail

    SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland. 

    21 min
  • How Michael Hall’s TOR Discovery Reframed Longevity Science

    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 journalist: Michele Andina
    Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang


    Send us Fan Mail

    SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland. 

    19 min
  • Big Pharma steps up race for AI-discovered drugs

    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.

    Journalist: Jessica Davis Plüss
    Host: Jo Fahy
    Audio editor/video journalist: Michele Andina
    Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

    Send us Fan Mail

    SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland. 

    17 min
  • Women’s Health Meets Drug Design and Medical Research

    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 journalist: Michele Andina
    Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

    Send us Fan Mail

    SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland. 

    19 min
  • Cracking the Alzheimer’s Code

    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 and a video on this story. Please come to SWI swissinfo.ch for more of our science stories from Switzerland.

    Journalist: Jessica Davis Plüss
    Host: Jo Fahy
    Audio editor/video journalist: Michele Andina
    Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

    Send us Fan Mail

    SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland. 

    22 min

About The Swiss Connection

From the publisher's feed

The Swiss Connection takes you inside scientific discoveries from Switzerland and shows how they are shaping global conversations. Each episode dives into the big questions impacting our future,…

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