The Swiss Connection

AI is changing so much in the world of healthcare, including diagnosing illnesses. The technology means this can be done much faster and more accurately than ever before. Between a lack of funding and a shortage of pathology expertise, nearly half of the global population is currently missing out on accessing proper diagnostics. It’s a problem that AI can help with, and in this episode of the Swiss Connection science podcast, we will find out how.

Join host Jo Fahy and healthcare reporter Aylin Elçi to look at how the rapid advance of AI in the field is solving some problems, while also creating some new ones.

In this episode we gain expert insight from Dr Laura Rubbia-Brandt, head of the pathology division at Geneva hospital; Dr Francis Meier, one of the three cofounders of the “Centre Suisse de Médecine Préventive” (Swiss Center for Preventive Medicine) in Geneva, which works in collaboration with the “Hôpital de La Tour"; and Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan, a consultant neurologist at University College London.

Journalists: Aylin Elçi
Host: Jo Fahy
Audio editor: Michele Andina
Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

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

What if we told you there was a way to cut emissions from your car and it didn’t involve any changes to the engine? A Swiss chemical engineer is developing a synthetic, “drop‑in” fuel that works with existing vehicle and aircraft parts and infrastructure.

In this episode of The Swiss Connection science podcast, host Jo Fahy and SWI swissinfo.ch journalist Simon Bradley find out how the fuel is made and why it isn’t already available at your local petrol pump.

Journalist: Simon Bradley
Host: Jo Fahy
Audio editor: Michele Andina
Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

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

Who does AI really serve in the end? Is it the people? The companies that profit from this technology? Or is the truth more nuanced? On this episode of the Swiss Connection podcast, Swissinfo science journalist Sara Ibrahim talks to Tammy Mackenzie, co-founder of The Aula Fellowship, a think tank and NGO with the mission to ensure that everyone can access the conversation on how AI is being implemented in society.

Journalists: Sara Ibrahim
Host: Jo Fahy
Audio editor: Michele Andina
Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

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

Switzerland wants greater digital sovereignty. But how easy is it to break free from Google, Apple and Microsoft? Two Swissinfo journalists attempted to replace Big Tech services with Swiss and other European alternatives. Their experiment revealed the hidden dependencies, frustrations and surprising freedoms of life without the tech giants.

Journalists: Sara Ibrahim, Kristian Foss Brandt
Host: Jo Fahy
Audio editor: Michele Andina
Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

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

In this episode host Jo Fahy talks to swissinfo.ch journalist Luigi Jorio about how ordinary people have been using the legal system to hold companies to account over their alleged contributions to climate change. We find out how islanders from an Indonesian archipelago have challenged Swiss cement company Holcim in a court in Switzerland. Christina Voigt, one of the world’s leading experts in environmental law and climate litigation, joins us to explain why the courts are being used in this way and how effective it’s proving.

Journalist: Luigi Jorio
Host: Jo Fahy
Audio editor: Michele Andina
Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

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

In this episode of The Swiss Connection science podcast, we're digging into the push to create a Swiss FabLab, a shared chip fabrication laboratory that brings public research and private industry together under the Swiss Chip Alliance. Our host Jo Fahy is joined by swissinfo.ch's business and tech specialist Matthew Allen to unpack what’s being proposed near Zurich, why it’s still at the conceptual phase, and what it could mean for Switzerland's semiconductor industry as global investment surges.

You can read more about the Swiss semiconductor industry here.

Journalist: Matthew Allen
Host: Jo Fahy
Audio editor: Michele Andina
Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

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

Where do people go when the water takes their land? Guided by a three-year ETH Zurich study and first-hand voices, we trace a pattern that defies the headlines: most climate migration is short and local, driven by community ties, scarce resources, and the will to stay near what remains.

If you would like to find out more about the climate challenges in Bangladesh and read the collection on climate solutions, and more stories, please visit Swissinfo Science.

Journalist: Giannis Mavris

Host: Jo Fahy

Audio editor: Michele Andina
Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

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

A bin bag can tell you a lot about a country. We follow the trail of rubbish from Swiss kitchen cupboards and discover why one of Europe’s wealthiest nations still throws away so much edible food. With fresh data, on‑the‑ground auditing, and candid insights from practitioners, we break down the gap between lofty goals and everyday habits, and why households remain the biggest lever for climate impact.

If you would like to see a video and read about the topic of the food waste in Switzerland and read the collection on climate solutions, and more stories, please visit Swissinfo Science.

Jounalist: Kristian Foss Brandt

Video journalist: Vera Leysinger
Host: Jo Fahy
Audio editor: Michele Andina
Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

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

What does a good life look like when you cap your energy use at 2,000 watts? We take you inside Zurich’s "Hunziker Areal", a car‑free, cooperative neighbourhood turning a bold climate target into liveable daily routines. From shared workshops and tool libraries to efficient buildings and smart mobility, we unpack how design and community can shrink environmental impact while expanding comfort, connection, and choice.

If you would like to see the a video of the Hunziker Areal and read the collection on climate solutions, or to discover more stories, please visit Swissinfo Science.

Jounalist: Kristian Foss Brandt

Video journalist: Vera Leysinger
Host: Jo Fahy
Audio editor: Michele Andina
Distribution and Marketing: Xin Zhang

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

Lost cells on Apple, Spotify and any where you listen to your podcasts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 formore 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

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

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 formore 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
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.