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Horizons Magazine

@horizons-en.bsky.social

148 followers 2 following 239 posts

The Swiss research magazine, powered by @snsf-ch.bsky.social and Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences. 🧠🔬🌱📚 www.horizons-mag.ch

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

🤥💬🫷 Les scientifiques devraient adopter le style des influenceuses pour combattre la désinformation sur les réseaux sociaux, selon Marcus Yong, doctorant en neurosciences à l’Université de Zurich. 👇 www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/09/03/sc…

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

🧠💡🧠💡🧠 #Astrocytes are more than mere messengers for nerve cells. Using a sophisticated marker system, a research team at the University of Zurich has revealed how they actually form large-scale, adaptable networks.👇 www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/09/03/la…

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Why do researchers struggle so much with #jokes? But #humour can still come through in the end. Sometimes it surfaces in nonsense journals, or can be used to keep students engaged.👇 www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/09/03/ra…

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

🏛️🏹🦶 It wasn’t Achilles’ heel. It was his ankle. We find out why 👇 www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/09/03/ac…

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

A #villa, #DetachedHouse or #ApartmentBlock: local authorities can’t influence where a child is going to grow up. But the start-up Ville Juste can help #children get allocated fairly to diverse #schools and #SchoolClasses.👇 www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/09/03/a...

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An equitable formula for placing children in schools

Horizons (EN) - Issue 150

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Success stories about #BasicResearch don’t provide the sole motivation for individual researchers, says Florian Fisch👇 @scientoskop.bsky.social www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/09/03/mo…

Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Both basic and applied research suffer from overpromising rhetoric, says integrity researcher and psychiatrist Joeri Tijdink. He calls for more honest communication in which #reliability, #rigour and #reproducibility are the main product of science. 👇 www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/09/03/a...

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Admitting uncertainty is the real breakthrough

Horizons (EN) - Back to basic research

Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

#Horizons celebrates its 150th issue! 🎂 Back to images, figures, analyses and interviews of nearly 40 years of #scientificjournalism. www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/09/03/ho…

Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

👩‍🔬👉🔬🧪🔭 Helga Nowotny co-founded the European Research Council @erc.europa.eu. In our interview, she explains how it came about, what role basic research should play and what worries her.👇 @scientoskop.bsky.social www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/09/03/re…

Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

🌘The Moon emerged from an impact between Earth and the planet Theia 4 billion years ago. We’ve long thought that it was due to the accretion of debris from the collision. A study now suggests a two-stage formation, and a period with several sub-moons.👇 www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/09/03/t...

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The Moon may have been created twice

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Touchscreens, Ozempic and PCR: All these innovations emerged out of specific projects in #BasicResearch. Philotheus Nisch has staged them in photographic form for Horizons.👇 www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/09/03/in…

Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

⚓ #Quagga mussels are spreading rapidly through Europe’s lakes. There are as many as 3,000 of them per square metre in #LakeConstance. They block water pipes, destabilise ecosystems and cost millions. The @eawag.bsky.social diving unit is tracking this invasion. www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/09/03/i...

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https://www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/09/03/in-the-kingdom-of-quaggas/

Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Emotions during dreams, making an #atom visible and scents and smells in Switzerland: Playing around with original ideas in basic research can even lead to a #NobelPrize. We take a look at eight such projects, both old and new 👉https://www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/09/03/the-beauty-of-being-basic/

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Basic research is at the heart of science, even though its practical relevance often only becomes clear much later. This new issue of Horizons shines a light on what inspires researchers. It looks behind the rhetoric and asks how best to fund research with open-ended outcomes. 👉www.horizons-mag.ch

Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

In economic circles, ‘protectionism’ is a real nightmare. It has, however, blurry boundaries. Rika Koch, at BHF, and Lukas Schmid, at Avenir Suisse, debate solutions to safeguard the Swiss tech sector.👇 www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/09/01/sh…

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

AI #deepfakes are becoming ever more realistic and difficult to spot. In the struggle against them, researchers at Idiap, EPFL and the ETH are busy developing detectors, cryptographical signatures and new global standards. It’s a race against time.👇️ www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/08/27/f...

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Fake images causing real harm

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

“#Cohort #data are unique sources for detecting long-term trends in health, mechanisms behind inequalities, and the impact of policies”. Laura Bernardi, Vice-president of the @snsf.ch academic board, would like to see the state promote #cohort studies.👇️

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How to guarantee a golden era of data

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

#RareDiseases often receive insufficient attention. Researchers are trying to find new, cheaper solutions using #medicines developed for other conditions. But there are many hurdles to be overcome, explains postdoc Anne Gregor.👇 www.horizons-mag.ch/2026/06/04/o...

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“Obstacles can be daunting”

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Expecting researchers to work 12-hour days and be constantly available isn’t just damaging their mental health, says educational researcher Laurel Raffington. It also stifles their creativity.👇 @laraffington.bsky.social @scientoskop.bsky.social

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No one ought to work for 12 hours a day

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

🦠🛡️💊 #AntibioticResistant bacteria are established in hospitals, according to a study by the Geneva University Hospitals. This requires more frequent screenings for such bacteria. 👇

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Resistant bacterium survives undetected

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

The success rate for research funding applications is plummeting – both for national funding and for #HorizonEurope.👇 @jho42.bsky.social

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Diminishing chances of research money from the EU

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

The Earth’s mantle could still contain ancient rock despite being in motion for 4.5 billion years, claim researchers at the University of Bern.👇 @planetaryanna.bsky.social @unibe.ch

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Ancient rock survives constant motion

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

#PeerReview: editors of specialist journals find it difficult to convince experts to review submitted articles. 👇 @theconversation.com @scientoskop.bsky.social

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Problems with peer review

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

According to a study by the University of Zurich, the gut microbiome can tell us whether Ethiopian kids live in a city or the countryside, and whether they prefer sweets to traditional flatbreads.👇

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Flatbreads stimulate the microbiome of kids in Ethiopia

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

“We’re feeling pretty uncomfortable”, says Maribeth Murray, an environmental archaeologist from Canada. She’s currently working in #Greenland, where geopolitical tensions are bringing great uncertainty to researcher’s lives. @jho42.bsky.social

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The trials of researchers in Greenland

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

🤖✋ Up to now, developing a sense of touch for robots was too complicated. But a research team including members of ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich has developed a new approach that could change all that. 👇 @giacomoi.bsky.social @ethz.ch

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The final hurdle: Robots with a sense of touch

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

⚠️⚠️⚠️ #significant Be cautious: A so-called significant reduction or spike in something is sometimes very different from ‘meaningful’ or ‘substantial’. 👇 @scientoskop.bsky.social

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‘Significant’

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Twelve percent of women develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress after giving birth. Déborah Fort documents this subject, which is little studied despite “a third of women believing they’ve experienced a traumatic birth”, says Professor Antje Horsch.👇

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Memories as vectors of distress

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

More secure, trackable and eco-friendly: The Lausanne startup Aeler wants to use smart containers to revolutionise transport logistics.

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A smart container for eco-friendly logistics

Horizons (EN) - Issue 149

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

🌊🏔️📏 It’s difficult to measure #groundwater in the Alps. But measuring tiny changes in gravity can provide the necessary information, and much easier. A study by the University of Neuchâtel. 👇

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Water beneath the Alps

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

#Retraction: Science magazine has retracted a study because its conclusions have been proven to be incorrect. It’s thereby created a controversial precedent. 👇👇👇 @bradyharan.bsky.social @scientoskop.bsky.social

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Dispute about retracting an article

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

🏊🥊🏒🏂⚽🚴🥋🥌⛹️🏓👟🤾🏀⛸️ Sports coaches fail to recognise violent situations in 30 percent of cases, according to a study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Sport Magglingen. 👇

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Sports coaches turn a blind eye to violence

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Voilà ! Va bene ! Also gut ! In Switzerland, 40 percent of #children grow up with more than one #MotherTongue. But is this a blessing or a curse? Research can provide the answers we need. 👇

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Voilà, va bene! When two languages are spoken at home

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Half of #construction wood is wasted, because it does not meet industrial standards. 🤖🪵🏗️🪵🤖 An interactive #robot developed by the EPFL makes it possible to enhance these gaps by integrating them into structures.

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From scrap to frame

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

👆💶🫨 “Their decision was wrong, stupid and not evidence-based”. Environmental chemist Martin Scheringer can’t understand why the ‘Swiss Health Study’ planned by the federal government has been cancelled. Why there’s no progress on #PFAS and #pesticides.

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Flying blind with PFAS and pesticides

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Tamás Deutsch from the Hungarian Fidesz party wants to cut the EU #research budget. He’s following the right-wing #populist playbook, masking an attack on unwelcome research topics by pretending to fight for academic integrity. @jho42.bsky.social 👇

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The dangers of self-censorship

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

📄👁️🪙 An article in Nature Communication costs: 💰 EUR 29 to read 💸 more than CHF 6000 to make it open access Why does publishing academic articles cost so much? We have the answers here 👇 @scientoskop.bsky.social

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The costs of publishing

Horizons (EN) - Issue 149

Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 😱 An aversion to empty spaces – #HorrorVacui – can also be observed on shards of Venetian ceramics. These are now being investigated by a researcher at the University of Bern @unibe.ch. 👇

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Art against emptiness

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Deciphering human beings “through their beauties and defects”: This is why Laurence Toutous-Trellu became a #dermatologist. We paint a portrait between Geneva and Africa, where she scrutinises both the skin of her patients and historical medical samples.👇

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Scrutinising beauty and skin ailments

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

👁️👁️👁️ Tom Gauld’s perspective on #BehaviouralResearch…👇 @tomgauld.bsky.social

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Researching the behaviour of behavioural researchers

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

🤖📈🌎 What does AI really consume? While the numbers are often opaque, the trend is clear: Energy and environmental costs are soaring, as data centres are thrown together to meet the growing demand for AI.

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

🍫🥛🍫🥛“Of course it wasn’t about how to mix cocoa powder and cold milk”. Joint Editor-in-Chief Judith Hochstrasser @jho42.bsky.social recalls an epic debate in the café collective where she worked before university … …and draws conclusions about #democracy itself.

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Editorial: Power games via cocoa powder

Horizons (EN) - Testing democracy

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

🫀🫁🫘🧠 As if by miracle, clusters of cells come together and organise themselves to form an #organoid. We investigate how these mini-organs are made, and what they’re used for.👇

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Mini-organs are conquering the lab

Horizons (EN) - Issue 149

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

A #FlatShare is really just like a #democratic nation state. The Wimmelbilder by Simon Landrein reveal heated discussions at the kitchen table, the dictatorial tendencies of tech geeks, and one-sided decisions by the landlady. 👷‍♀️💂‍♂️👩‍🎓👨‍🏫👩‍🌾👨‍🍳👩‍🔧👨‍💼👩‍🔬👨‍💻👩‍🎨👨‍✈️👩‍🚒

horizons-mag.ch

Image series: The flat share as an allegory for the nation state

Horizons (EN) - Testing democracy

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

⛵☁️ The sea, the icebergs, the sailboat and the balloon are there for us to see. But what needs explaining are the technological feats packed into this mini flying research station that studies the aerosols responsible for cloud formation over the fjords.

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Above the poles

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Science can explain how the world works. But it cannot tell us how we should live. Especially in a democracy, values and decisions must be constantly renegotiated, writes Eri Bertsou, a political scientist at @unisg.ch.👇

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Science, democracy, and the terms of engagement

Horizons (EN) - Testing democracy

Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

When humans sleep, our brain goes through the same phases as the brain of a #chameleon. Only we don’t change colour. Inselspital Bern has been involved in a study showing how sleep rhythms can be traced far back in our evolution.👇

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A chameleon’s skin changes with its sleep cycle

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Equality in #democracies has its flaws. Examples in #Switzerland include restrictive naturalisation processes, bonuses for the rich and the priority of rural cantons. An overview of the limits of democratic participation.👇

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Democratic participation doesn’t always promote equality

Horizons (EN) - Testing democracy

Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

💡💻📱💡💻📱💡💻📱💡💻📱 “Something that used to seem unique is now part of a larger territory. #Graphene has created a new #paradigm”. How researchers view the future of two-dimensional materials in #electronics👉

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New ‘stem cells’ for electronics

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Horizons Magazine @horizons-en.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

“You have to invite people to participate in politics”, says political scientist Daniel Kübler. New methods for #democratic #participation are trending today. We take a look at a selection of them.👉

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Eight creative ideas for more democracy

Horizons (EN) - Testing democracy

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