Podcasts about epfl

Invité: Luca Pattaroni. Lorsquʹon ouvre un livre, lorsquʹon visite une expo dʹart contemporain, ou quʹon regarde un film, on a vite tendance à sʹévader, à ne plus penser aux contingences matérielles. Cʹest dʹailleurs souvent ce que lʹon recherche. Cʹest oublier un peu vite que derrière chaque produit culturel, aussi abstrait soit-il, il y a de la matière, de la sueur, des énergies. Pour Luca Pattaroni, il est important de se rappeler que les arts ne sont pas "hors-sol", mais s'enracinent dans la matière, les gestes et les lieux. Luca Pattaroni est professeur de sociologie urbaine à lʹEPFL et signe ce livre, "La condition terrestre de la culture - Le livre à main nue", chez EPFL Presse.

Invité-es: Rudolf Mahrer et Aline Perrenoud. Certains enfants ont beaucoup de facilité à lʹécole et, parfois, sʹennuient. Un nouveau programme destiné aux élèves motivées, douées ou à haut potentiel intellectuel a ouvert dans le canton de Vaud à l'été 2015. Le cours Saussure, c'est son nom, sʹadresse aux ados dʹenviron 14 à 17 ans, en parallèle à leur scolarité. Les cours sont donnés à lʹUniversité de Lausanne, les vendredis après-midi, et visent à développer les compétences des élèves dans les sciences humaines. Comment fonctionnent ces cours? Jusquʹoù faut-il nourrir intellectuellement des élèves qui ont beaucoup de la facilité à lʹécole? Tribu reçoit Rudolf Mahrer, professeur de linguistique à lʹUniversité de Lausanne et à lʹEPFL, et initiateur et directeur du cours Saussure et Aline Perrenoud, enseignante, responsable dʹune classe haut potentiel pour adolescents et conseillère pédagogique du cours Saussure.

Dans le cadre des portes ouvertes à RTS Ecublens, le public est invité à juger les prestations dʹexperts-expertes, journalistes scientifiques et également de lʹintelligence artificielle. Trois thèmes sont présentés en deux minutes maximum. Expert.e.s : Alexis Berne, professeur à lʹEPFL au Laboratoire de Télédétection Environnementale, Carole Clair, médecin-cheffe du département des policliniques à Unisanté à Lausanne et Baptiste Lavie, astrophysicien à lʹObservatoire de lʹUniversité de Genève Journalistes scientifiques : Huma Khamis, Cécile Guérin et Bastien Confino

Claire chatted to Josie Hughes from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) about using generative AI to develop new designs for robotic manipulators. Josie Hughes is an Assistant Professor at EPFL, where she established the CREATE Lab in 2021. She completed her PhD in the Bio-inspired Robotics Lab at the University of Cambridge, examining the role of passivity in bio-inspired manipulators. Her research focuses on developing novel design paradigms for designing robot structures that exploit their physicality and interactions with the environment. This includes the development of robotic hands, soft manipulators, and automation systems for applications focused on sustainability and science. This episode is powered by the Advanced Research + Invention Agency's Robot Dexterity programme, which aims to transform robotic capabilities and unlock a step-change in human productivity. Support Robot Talk on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ClaireAsher Find out more about ARIA: https://aria.org.uk/ 

Cette exposition explore le vaste domaine de la représentation graphique en architecture à travers quinze années dʹenseignement de la représentation architecturale à lʹEPFL, au tournant des années 2000. Lʹexposition présente une centaine de peintures sur bois, travaux didactiques réalisés entre 1997 et 2007 dans les Unités dʹEnseignement de lʹartiste peintre Arduino Cantàfora. Il est au micro de Florence Grivel. Archizoom, Une éducation au réel, jusquʹau 5 juin.

Un inventeur génial en RDC se mure dans la solitude avec ses automates jusqu'à une visite inattendue. Inspiré du spectacle original de 2009 avec les robots de lʹEPFL et de lʹECAL, ainsi que du créateur dʹautomates François Junod, Christian Denisart met en scène "Robots Kinshasa", 15 artistes dans une version "low cost/low tech" inventive, mêlant musiciens et roboticiens congolais pour une histoire portée par la musique et la danse. "Robots Kinshasa" à voir au Théâtre Barnabé à Servion les 29 et 30 mai. Le metteur en scène lausannois Christian Denisart et les Kinois Bienvenu Nanga, Junior Longalonga et Tshoper sont les invités de Pierre Philippe Cadert.

Installée en 1985 sur l'esplanade centrale de l'EPFL, la sculpture Element Blanc de la bâloise Owsky Kobalt a été démontée il y a quelques mois pour laisser place au chantier de nouveaux bâtiments. Pour garder une trace de cette oeuvre et à la demande du Pôle Culture de l'EPFL dirigé par Véronique Mauron Layaz, le réalisateur Bastien Genoux a réalisé un court métrage qui raconte l'origine, la vie et la dislocation de la monumentale sculpture en marbre de Carrare. Bastien Genoux et Véronique Mauron Layaz sont les invité.e.s d'Anne Laure Gannac A voir : Element Blanc, film projeté lundi 11 mai et suivi d'une rencontre, au Forum du RLC (EPFL), dans le cadre du festival Les Culturelles qui se tient à l 'EPFL jusqu'au 11 mai 2026.

➡️ Tu veux investir dans l'immobilier en Suisse ? Conseils, analyses et rendez-vous ici : https://taap.it/fixer_unrendezvousL'After, le podcast qui aide les investisseurs à comprendre le marché immobilier et le business en Suisse.Dans cet épisode, on s'attaque à une question centrale pour l'immobilier en Suisse :

In this episode, we explore the emerging field of wetware computing with Dr. Fred Jordan, CEO and Co-Founder of AlpVision and FinalSpark. With deep expertise in anticounterfeiting technology and biocomputing, Dr. Jordan is both a scientist and entrepreneur working to redefine the future of computing… Hit play to discover:  What brain organoids are, and how they are structured.  The advantages of using living neural systems for computation. The difference between how AI thinks and how humans think. How close we are to scaling brain-based computers for real-world use. Dr. Fred Jordan is a Swiss scientist and entrepreneur, and a co-founder of FinalSpark, a company developing a groundbreaking computing approach powered by biological neural networks. He earned his Ph.D. in signal processing from EPFL and previously co-founded AlpVision, a global leader in digital anti-counterfeiting solutions, before shifting his focus toward next-generation computing technologies. He has authored 19 scientific publications and holds more than 50 patents. To learn more about Dr. Jordan and his work, click here now!

In this episode, we are joined by Maria Clara Sayeg from the World Economic Forum to discuss the transformative impact of AI and data on modern supply chains and how its role creates a responsive and transparent supply chain. Download the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠episode transcript⁠⁠===== In this episode, we are joined by Maria Clara Sayeg from the World Economic Forum to discuss the transformative impact of AI and data on modern supply chains and how its role creates a responsive and transparent supply chain. We will discuss the importance of real-time data and the need for cross-industry collaboration. The episode also addresses future trends in manufacturing, focusing on autonomous systems, circular resource flows, and augmented workforce capabilities. ===== Guest: Maria Clara Sayeg Ribeiro Maria Clara Sayeg Ribeiro is an industrial AI strategist and product builder who's spent the last decade at the intersection of management consulting and technology, first at DuPont Sustainable Solutions, where she led engagements across industrial clients and built a global SaaS portfolio, and now at the World Economic Forum, where she leads AI and Data Strategy for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains. With a background spanning four languages, an Executive MBA from EPFL, and deployments across 190+ industrial sites globally, Maria brings a rare mix of strategic perspective and hands-on product instinct to every conversation. She's passionate about making industrial AI real, not just a slide deck, but a working system that drives measurable outcomes in sustainability, resilience, and operational performance.Host 1: Richard Howells⁠⁠Richard Howells⁠⁠ has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP's ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.Host 2: Sin ToSin brings over 15 years of experience in the digital media and technology industry – primarily in marketing, business development, thought leadership, and editorial. At SAP, they ensure that SAP's supply chain solutions are properly visible with a focus on future trends and sustainable innovations as part of the Thought Leadership & Awareness Supply Chain Team.===== Show Links:SAP Digital Supply Chain: www.sap.com/scmWorld Economic Forum (WEF):https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/factories-that-think/https://centres.weforum.org/centre-for-advanced-manufacturing-and-supply-chains/luminahttps://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Value_Chains_Outlook_2026.pdfhttps://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Lighthouse_Network_2026.pdfFollow Us on Social Media : Maria Clara Sayeg Ribeiro: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariaclarasayeg/ Richard Howells:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/richardjhowells Sin To: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sin-to-5334208 SAP Digital Supply Chain:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/sapdsc/ Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!  ===== Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction to Future Supply Chains00:00:43 Meet the Guest Maria Clara Sayeg00:02:18 AI and Data in Modern Supply Chains00:04:08 Real-World AI Implementations00:10:03 Transparency and Sustainability00:12:41 Data Integration Challenges00:16:04 Cross-Industry Collaboration00:20:20 Future Trends in Manufacturing00:24:12 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

In this episode, Peter Swartz, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Altana, reveals how the company's AI-powered supply chain knowledge graph has helped stop hundreds of millions of dollars in forced labor goods from crossing borders and contributed to some of the largest counter-narcotics seizures in investigators' careers. Peter shares the real-world impact Altana is making across both the public and private sectors.Peter breaks down how Altana's multi-tier supply chain visibility works to trace forced labor cotton through global networks, how dual-use chemicals are being diverted into fentanyl production, and how the platform helps governments and enterprises collaborate to avoid billions of dollars in trade disruptions while saving hundreds of millions in tariff fees.Key Topics Covered- How Altana blocked hundreds of millions of dollars in forced labor goods at U.S. borders- The role of AI knowledge graphs in mapping multi-tier global supply chains- How Altana supports CBP enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act- Product passports and how they expedite legitimate goods through customs- The difference between forced labor entering legit supply chains vs. legit goods entering illicit ones- How logistics companies use Altana to prevent their networks from being misused- Proactive vs. reactive approaches to supply chain risk using probabilistic AI models- Scenario modeling for geopolitical disruptions including Taiwan and global conflicts- Saving billions in supply chain disruptions and hundreds of millions in tariff feesEpisode Timestamps00:00 - Introduction and overview of Altana's real-world impact00:41 - Understanding forced labor as a multi-tier supply chain problem03:09 - Hundreds of millions in forced labor goods stopped at borders03:45 - How the AI knowledge graph maps global supply chain connections04:15 - Working with CBP on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act04:35 - Product passports and expediting goods through customs04:51 - Counter-narcotics and the dual-use chemical problem05:45 - Helping logistics companies stop network misuse06:27 - From alert to action and the system handoff process06:49 - Responsible AI and the role of human-in-the-loop decisions07:33 - Proactive vs. reactive supply chain intelligence08:08 - Scenario modeling for geopolitical disruptions and resiliencyAbout Peter SwartzPeter Swartz is Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Altana. He has spoken on global trade, supply chains, and machine learning at the World Trade Organization, the World Customs Organization, the U.S. Court of International Trade, and the National Academies of Medicine. Previously, Peter was Head of Data Science at Panjiva, listed as one of Fast Company's most innovative data science companies in 2018 and later acquired by S&P Global. He holds patents in machine learning and global trade, and completed his education at Yale, MIT, and EPFL.About AltanaAltana is the world's first Value Chain Management System, providing AI-powered supply chain intelligence to governments, enterprises, and logistics providers. The platform is built on a proprietary knowledge graph comprising more than 2.8 billion shipments, tracking over 500 million companies and 850 million facilities globally. Altana covers more than 50% of global trade, making it the most comprehensive and accurate supply chain map available.Resources Mentioned- Altana Atlas platform and AI knowledge graph- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)- Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)- Product passports for cross-border compliance- Altana's disruption and tariff scenario modeling toolsPeter's Socials:LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/pgswartz/Partner LinksBook Enterprise Training — https://www.upscaile.com/

Künstliche Intelligenz entwickelt sich schneller, als selbst Fachleute erwartet haben. Für Marcel Salathé beginnt die eigentliche Revolution jetzt: mit «agentischer KI», die nicht nur antwortet, sondern Aufträge erledigt. Massenarbeitslosigkeit erwartet er nicht, wohl aber tiefgreifende Verschiebungen in Arbeitswelt und Wertschöpfung. Die Schweiz bringe vieles mit, so der Professor der EPFL: starke Forschung, gute Bildung, stabile Strukturen. Doch eine politische Vision, mutige Investitionen und klare technologische Verantwortung auf Bundesebene fehlen. Das Gespräch führt Lukas Schmid, Senior Fellow bei Avenir Suisse. The post Zu Gast: Der KI-Standort Schweiz hat noch viel Luft nach oben appeared first on Avenir Suisse.

Artiste visuel genevois, Séverin Gulepa propose un travail à la croisée entre sculpture, installation, architecture et video, développé à l'issue de longues expéditions dans des lieux emblématiques des bouleversements climatiques. En ayant recours à des matériaux bruts (pierre, terre, métal…) et des jeux de miroirs, il suggère une réflexion sur le rapport entre nature et culture, entre les éléments et nous. Une de ses œuvres intitulée "Tremblement" et composée de huit sculptures, est à voir en ce moment sur le campus de lʹEPFL. "Tremblement" : à voir au centre du Rolex Learning Center de l'EPFL jusqu'au 26 avril. Séverin Guelpa est l'invité d'Anne Laure Gannac.

Claire chatted to Elmira Yadollahi from Lancaster University about how children interact with and relate to robots. Elmira Yadollahi is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Lancaster University. She has a joint PhD in robotics and computer science from EPFL in Switzerland and Instituto Superior Técnico in Portugal. Her research tackles explainability in robotics, as well as multimodal perception and explanation methods. Her core expertise is in child–robot interaction, with a focus on expectation management, trust, and AI literacy. She has organised workshops on Explainability in Human-Robot Interaction and the Design and Development of Robots and AI with Children. Support Robot Talk on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ClaireAsher  

Invité: Joseph Tarradellas.  La Suisse est réputée pour ses chocolats et ses montres. Il y a un autre domaine, peut-être moins connu, où la Suisse excelle: la maîtrise du son. Les techniques helvétiques de captation et de diffusion de l'audio ont su conquérir le monde, des enregistreurs Nagra ou Revox aux platines Thorens. Comment la Suisse sʹest-elle imposée comme un acteur important dans le domaine du son? Quʹen est-il aujourdʹhui à lʹheure du tout numérique? Tribu reçoit Joseph Tarradellas, professeur honoraire de lʹEPFL et passionné de musique. Il signe "L'aventure mondiale du son suisse", chez Savoir suisse.

Invité: Olivier Cavaleri. Près de 7000 bornes frontières suivent le pourtour de la Suisse. Elles témoignent de la formation des États actuels. Se balader pour les répertorier permet de remonter le passé. En les arpentant on y découvre par exemple le temps où le royaume de Sardaigne côtoyait la République du Valais. Pour nous faire voyager à travers le temps, Tribu reçoit Olivier Cavaleri, ingénieur EPFL et historien diplômé de lʹUNIL. Il a consacré son travail de mémoire et six ouvrages à la thématique des bornes frontières. Son dernier livre a pour titre "Histoires de bornes. La frontière entre le canton du Jura et la France" (Ed. Slatkine).

(3:07) – A biodegradable smart sensor to monitor sensitive goodsThis episode was brought to you by Mouser, our favorite place to get electronics parts for any project, whether it be a hobby at home or a prototype for work. Click HERE to learn more about the potential for sensing technology in cold-chain logistics. Become a founding reader of our newsletter: http://read.thenextbyte.com/ As always, you can find these and other interesting & impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.

Scientists have made a nano breakthrough with a huge potential impact - one that puts printable electronics on the horizon. The scientists have solved a long-standing mystery governing the way layered materials behave, which has yielded a universal, predictive framework for the future of the 2D semiconductor industry [Friday 5th December 2025]. Imagine wearable health sensors, smart packaging, flexible displays, or disposable IoT controllers all manufactured like printed newspapers. The same technology could underpin communication circuits, sensors, and signal-processing components made entirely from solution-processed 2D materials. But until now, finding and developing the 2D materials that could enable such devices was largely trial and error. We hadn't known why some layered materials "electrochemically exfoliate" into nanosheets while others fail completely. Electrochemical exfoliation uses an electrical current to force ions into the layers of a bulk material, weakening the forces that hold them in shape, and causing the material to form thin, 2D nanosheets, if successful - some of which have myriad uses. "Because there has never been the means to predict which materials will behave like this, and produce nanosheets with the properties we need to unlock various applications, only a handful of 2D materials have ever been processed into networks of printed 2D transistors," said Dr Tian Carey, a newly appointed Royal Society-Research Ireland Research Assistant Professor from Trinity College Dublin's School of Physics and AMBER, the Research Ireland Centre for Advanced Materials and BioEngineering Research. "Here, we've shown that we can unlock dozens of new 2D semiconductors. We've already fabricated state-of-the-art printed transistors with over 10 new materials, unlocking new circuits for the first time. these include printed digital-to-analogue converters and BASK communication circuits, which are capable of encoding digital messages into high-frequency signals - the fundamental building blocks of modern computing." The key seemingly lies in ensuring "in-plane stiffness" is higher than out-of-plane stiffness. This represents a measure of how resistant the material is to deformation when put under pressure from different perspectives (in-place being along the material; out-of-plane being perpendicular). The research, led by Dr Tian Carey, in collaboration with Prof. Jonathan Coleman and colleagues, now has a predictive framework pinpointing the stiffness thresholds required for successful exfoliation across many different materials. Using this, they created high-aspect-ratio nanosheet inks and built working transistors and circuits from them, including the first printed DACs and communication circuits. Dr Carey added: "It's very exciting to imagine a new wave of electronic innovations, all of which could be manufactured like printed newspapers one day in the future. In theory, this approach could yield abundant low-cost, flexible, and high-performance 2D electronics." "We now also understand from this work that each transistor's performance is limited by junctions between semiconductors rather than by defects within the semiconductors themselves, which is important in helping us direct future efforts. With this in mind, our next step will be to reduce the impact of these 'flake-to-flake' junctions to unlock the next big performance jump." Other collaborating institutions on this work include Politecnico di Milano, TU Delft, EPFL, and UCT Prague. The project received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, for example via the HYPERSONIC project awarded to Prof. Coleman, AMBER; via a Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (project MOVE); and a Royal Society-Research Ireland University Research Fellowship (project THINK). Dr Carey recently secured a prestigious Royal Society University Research Fellowship (URF) to build an independent research group in Trinity. URFs, awarde...

Gleb Kurovskiy, Luminary Chief Digital Officer (PhD)Gleb Kurovskiy is a leading fintech innovator and Chief Digital Officer at Luminary Bank, specializing in blockchain, AI, and payments. With 8 years of experience in finance, including a tenure as Lead Economist at the Central Bank, and a PhD from EPFL, one of the world's top technical universities, Gleb combines deep academic expertise with hands-on experience in building high-impact financial systems.As a forward-thinking leader, Gleb has successfully driven the implementation of crypto lending, staking, and blockchain protocol integrations, achieving in months what traditional banks often take years to build. He believes in leveraging the best of traditional finance and blockchain to create efficient, interoperable systems, redefining the way modern financial infrastructure is designed and operated.Gleb is widely recognized for his vision at the intersection of finance and technology. A finalist of the Econometric Game — World Championship in Econometrics, he continues to shape the future of digital finance, exploring the programmability of money and building next-generation financial systems that are fast, yield-bearing, and reliable.Gleb has a publication at the Swiss National Bank FinTech Conference on Crypto assets and Financial Innovation: “How algorithmic stablecoins fail”.LinkedINTwitter

Gleb Kurovskiy, Luminary Chief Digital Officer (PhD)Gleb Kurovskiy is a leading fintech innovator and Chief Digital Officer at Luminary Bank, specializing in blockchain, AI, and payments. With 8 years of experience in finance, including a tenure as Lead Economist at the Central Bank, and a PhD from EPFL, one of the world's top technical universities, Gleb combines deep academic expertise with hands-on experience in building high-impact financial systems.As a forward-thinking leader, Gleb has successfully driven the implementation of crypto lending, staking, and blockchain protocol integrations, achieving in months what traditional banks often take years to build. He believes in leveraging the best of traditional finance and blockchain to create efficient, interoperable systems, redefining the way modern financial infrastructure is designed and operated.Gleb is widely recognized for his vision at the intersection of finance and technology. A finalist of the Econometric Game — World Championship in Econometrics, he continues to shape the future of digital finance, exploring the programmability of money and building next-generation financial systems that are fast, yield-bearing, and reliable.Gleb has a publication at the Swiss National Bank FinTech Conference on Crypto assets and Financial Innovation: “How algorithmic stablecoins fail”.LinkedINTwitter

Our latest guest is Maya Ackerman — AI‑creativity researcher, professor, and author of Creative Machines: AI, Art & Us (Wiley), as well as founder of WaveAI and LyricStudio (View recent colab with NVidia).Maya's perspective is not just insightful — it's a necessary reality check for anyone building AI today. She challenges the comforting narrative that AI is a neutral tool or a natural evolution of creativity. Instead, she exposes a truth many in tech avoid: AI is being deployed in ways that actively diminish human creativity, and businesses are incentivized to accelerate that trend.Her research shows how overly aligned, correctness-first models flatten imagination and suppress the divergent thinking that defines human originality. But she also shows what's possible when AI is designed differently — improvisational systems that spark new directions, expand a creator's mental palette, and reinforce human authorship rather than absorbing it.This episode matters because Maya names what the industry refuses to admit. The problem is not “AI getting too powerful,” it's AI being used to replace instead of elevate. Businesses are applying it as a cost-cutting mechanism, not a creative amplifier. And unless product leaders intervene, the damage to creativity — and to the people who rely on it for their livelihoods — will become irreversible.Listen to the Episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YoutubeWe're engineering a global creative regression and pretending we aren't.Generative AI could radically expand human imagination, but the systems we deploy today overwhelmingly suppress it. The literature is unequivocal:* AI boosts creative output only when tools are intentionally designed for exploration, not correctness.* When aligned toward predictability, AI drives conformity and sameness.* The rise of “AI slop” is not an insult — it's the logical outcome of misaligned incentives.* New evidence shows that AI-assisted outputs become more similar as more people use the same tools, reducing collective creativity even when individual outputs look “better.”* Homogenization is measurable at scale: marketing, design, and written content generated with AI converge toward the same tone and syntax, lowering engagement and cultural diversity.* Repeated reliance on AI weakens human originality over time — users begin outsourcing ideation, losing confidence and capacity for divergent thought.Resources:* The Impact of AI on Creativity: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/395275000_The_Impact_of_AI_on_Creativity_Enhancing_Human_Potential_or_Challenging_Creative_Expression* Generative AI and Creativity (Meta-Analysis): https://arxiv.org/pdf/2505.17241* AI Slop Overview: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI_slop* Generative AI Enhances Individual Creativity but Reduces Collective Novelty:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11244532/* Generative AI Homogenizes Marketing Content:https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/5367123.pdf?abstractid=5367123* Human Creativity in the Age of LLMs (decline in divergent thinking):https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.03703 BOTTOM LINE: If your product optimizes for correctness, brand safety, and throughput before originality, you are actively contributing to the global collapse of creative quality. AI must be designed to spark—not sanitize—human imagination.Thanks for reading Design of AI: Strategies for Product Teams & Agencies! This post is public so feel free to share it.Award-winning creative talent is disappearing at scale, and the trend is accelerating.The global creative workforce is shrinking faster than at any time in modern history. Companies claim AI is “enhancing creativity,” yet most restructuring reveals the opposite: AI is being deployed primarily to cut labor costs. In general, layoff announcements top 1.1 million this year, the most since 2020 pandemic.What's happening now:* Omnicom announced 4,000 job cuts and shut multiple agencies — Reuters reporting: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/omnicom-cut-4000-jobs-shut-several-agencies-after-ipg-takeover-ft-reports-2025-12-01/* WPP, Publicis, and IPG executed multi-round layoffs across design, writing, strategy, and production.* Digiday interviews confirm AI is used mainly to eliminate junior and mid-level creative roles: https://digiday.com/marketing/confessions-of-an-agency-founder-and-chief-creative-officer-on-ais-threat-to-junior-creatives/The most important read on the future & destruction of agencies comes from Zoe Scaman. She always brings a powerful and necessary mirror to the shitshow that is modern corporate world. Read it here:Freelancers and independent creatives are being hit even harder:* UK survey: 21% of creative freelancers already lost work because of AI; many report sharply lower pay — https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2025/03/report-finds-creative-freelancers-hit-by-loss-of-work-late-pay-and-rise-of-ai/* Illustrators, motion designers, and concept artists report declining commissions as clients adopt Midjourney-style pipelines.* Voice actors face shrinking bookings due to synthetic voice models.* Stock photography, stock audio, and digital concepting have been heavily cannibalized by tools like Midjourney, Runway, and Suno.The research into AI shows even deeper risks:* The Rise of Generative AI in Creative Agencies — confirms agencies deploy AI for margin protection rather than creative innovation: https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2%3A1976153/FULLTEXT03.pdf* IFOW/Sussex study shows AI exposure correlates with lower job quality and salary stagnation for creatives: https://www.ifow.org/news-articles/marley-bartlett-research-poster---ai-job-quality-and-the-creative-industriesBOTTOM LINE: Creative roles are vanishing because AI is being optimized for efficiency rather than imagination. If we want creative industries to survive, AI must expand human originality — not replace the people who produce it.:** Creative roles are vanishing because AI is being deployed for efficiency rather than imagination. If we want a future with vibrant creative industries, AI must be designed to amplify human originality — not replace it.Please participate in our year-end surveyWe are studying how AI is restructuring careers, skills, and expectations across product, design, engineering, research, and strategy.Your responses influence:* the direction of Design of AI in 2025,* what questions we investigate through research,* what frameworks we build to help leaders adapt—and protect—their teams.Take the survey: https://tally.so/r/Y5D2Q5Understand your cognitive style so you know how to best leverage AI to boost youThe Creative AI Academy has developed as an assessment tool to help you understand your creative style. We all tackle problems differently and come up with novel solutions using different methods. Take the ThinkPrint assessment to get a blueprint of how you ideate, judge, refine, and decide. Knowing this will help you know in which ways AI can boost —rather than undermine— your originality. For me it was powerful to see my thinking style mirrored back at me. It gave structure to what enhances and undermines my creativity, meaning I better understand what role (if any) AI should play in expanding my creative capabilities. Thank you to Angella Tapé for demonstrating this tool and presenting the perfect next evolution of Dr. Ackerman's lessons about needing AI to be a creative partner, not cannibalizer. BOTTOM LINE: Without cognitive self-awareness, you're not “partnering” with AI—you're surrendering your creative identity to it. Take the ThinkPrint assessment and redesign your workflow around human-led, AI-supported thinking.We are trading away human intellect for productivity—and the safety evidence is damning.The research is now impossible to ignore: AI makes us faster, but it makes us worse thinkers.A major multi-university study (Harvard, MIT, Wharton) found that users with AI assistance worked more quickly but were “more likely to be confidently wrong.”Source: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4573321This pattern shows up across cognitive science:* Stanford and DeepMind researchers found that relying on AI “reduced participants' memory for the material and their ability to reconstruct reasoning steps.”Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.01832* EPFL showed that routine LLM use “led to measurable declines in writing ability and originality over time.”Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.00612* University of Toronto researchers warn that repeated LLM use “narrows human originality, shifting users from creators to evaluators of machine output.”Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.03703In other words: we are outsourcing the exact cognitive muscles that make human thinking valuable — creativity, reasoning, comprehension — and replacing them with pattern-matching convenience.And while we weaken ourselves, the companies building the systems shaping our cognition are failing at even the most basic safety expectations.The AI Safety Index (Winter 2025) reported:“No major AI developer demonstrated adequate preparedness for catastrophic risks. Most scored poorly on transparency, accountability, and external evaluability.”Source: https://futureoflife.org/ai-safety-index-winter-2025/A companion academic review by Oxford, Cambridge, and Georgetown concluded:“Safety commitments across leading LLM developers are inconsistent, largely self-regulated, and often unverifiable.”Source: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2508.16982We are weakening human cognition while trusting companies that cannot prove they are safe. There is no version of this trajectory that ends well without deliberate intervention.Resources:* The Hidden Wisdom of Knowing in the AI Era: * A Critical Survey of LLM Development Initiatives: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2508.16982* Future of Life AI Safety Index (Winter 2025): https://futureoflife.org/ai-safety-index-winter-2025/* Supporting Safety Documentation (PDF): https://cdn.sanity.io/files/wc2kmxvk/revamp/79776912203edccc44f84d26abed846b9b23cb06.pdfBOTTOM LINE: Tools that reduce effort but not capability are not accelerators—they are cognitive liabilities. Product leaders must design for mental strength, not dependency.Schools are producing prompt operators, not original thinkers.Education systems are bolting AI onto decades-old learning models without rethinking what learning is. Instead of cultivating reasoning, imagination, and embodied intelligence, schools are teaching children to rely on AI systems they cannot critique.Resources:* UNESCO: AI & the Future of Education: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/ai-and-future-education-disruptions-dilemmas-and-directions* Beyond Fairness in Computer Vision: https://cdn.sanity.io/files/wc2kmxvk/revamp/79776912203edccc44f84d26abed846b9b23cb06.pdf* AI Skills for Students: https://trswarriors.com/ai-education-preparing-students-future/BOTTOM LINE: If we do not redesign education, we will create a generation of humans who can operate AI but cannot outthink, challenge, or transcend it.Featured AI Thinker: Luiza JarovskyLuiza Jarovsky is one of the most essential voices in AI governance today. At a time when global AI companies are actively pushing to loosen regulation—or bypass it entirely—Luiza's work provides a critical counterbalance rooted in human rights, safety, law, and long-term societal impact.Why her work matters now:* She exposes the structural risks of deregulated AI adoption across governments and corporations.* She documents how weak or performative governance puts vulnerable communities at disproportionate risk.* She offers practical frameworks for ethical, enforceable AI oversight.Follow her work:BOTTOM LINE: If you build or deploy AI and you are not following Luiza's work, you are missing the governance lens that will define which companies survive the coming regulatory wave.Recommended Reality ChecksTwo critical signals from the field this week:* Ethan Mollick on the accelerating automation of creative workflowshttps://x.com/emollick/status/1996418841426227516AI is quietly outperforming human creative processes in categories many believed were “safe.” The speed of improvement is outpacing organizational awareness.* Jeffrey Lee Funk on markets losing patience with empty AI narrativeshttps://x.com/jeffreyleefunk/status/1996612615850676703Investors are separating real AI value from hype. Companies promising transformation without measurable impact are being punished.BOTTOM LINE: The creative and product landscape is shifting beneath our feet. Those who don't adapt—intellectually, strategically, and operationally—will lose relevance.Final Reflection — Legacy Is a Product DecisionEverything in this newsletter points to a single, unavoidable truth:AI does not define our future. The product decisions we make do.We can build tools that:* expand human originality,* strengthen cognitive resilience,* elevate creative careers,* and produce a generation capable of thinking beyond the machine.Or we can build tools that:* replace the creative class,* hollow out human judgment,* weaken educational outcomes,* and leave society dependent on systems controlled by a handful of companies.As product leaders—designers, strategists, researchers, technologists—we decide which future gets built.Legacy isn't abstract. It's the cumulative effect of every interface we design, every shortcut we greenlight, every metric we reward, and every model we deploy.If you want to build AI that strengthens humanity instead of diminishing it, reach out. Let's design for human outcomes, not machine efficiency.arpy@ph1.ca This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit designofai.substack.com

In this episode of the Epigenetics Podcast, we talked with Fides Zenk from the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne about her work on transgenerational inheritance in Drosophila and brain organoids for human development insights. Dr. Zenk begins by sharing her journey into the field of biology, revealing her childhood fascination with nature and the intricate details of plant development. Her transition from an interest in ecology to a deep dive into molecular biology and gene regulation lays the groundwork for understanding her current research focus. We explore how her early experiences continue to shape her scientific curiosity, particularly her passion for studying cellular changes over time during embryonic development. As the conversation progresses, Dr. Zenk paints a vivid picture of her work at EPFL, where she combines functional genomics, chromatin profiling, and molecular biology techniques. She elaborates on her initial research during her PhD with Nicola Iovino, where she investigated the transgenerational inheritance of histone modifications in Drosophila. This discussion includes fascinating insights into how histone modifications can carry information across generations and their implications in gene expression regulation during early embryonic stages. Dr. Zenk also provides a glimpse into her postdoctoral work with Barbara Treutlein, where she shifted focus to human models and quantitative analysis using brain organoids. This segment of the episode reveals her commitment to translating molecular mechanisms to human health, especially in understanding the intricacies of brain development and neurogenesis. She describes how her team mapped dynamic changes in histone modifications during critical developmental stages, integrating various data modalities to build an intricate developmental atlas.   References Zenk F, Loeser E, Schiavo R, et al. Germ line-inherited H3K27me3 restricts enhancer function during maternal-to-zygotic transition. Science (New York, N.Y.). 2017 Jul;357(6347):212-216. DOI: 10.1126/science.aam5339. PMID: 28706074. Zenk F, Zhan Y, Kos P, et al. HP1 drives de novo 3D genome reorganization in early Drosophila embryos. Nature. 2021 May;593(7858):289-293. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03460-z. PMID: 33854237; PMCID: PMC8116211. Zenk F, Fleck JS, Jansen SMJ, et al. Single-cell epigenomic reconstruction of developmental trajectories from pluripotency in human neural organoid systems. Nature Neuroscience. 2024 Jul;27(7):1376-1386. DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01652-0. PMID: 38914828; PMCID: PMC11239525. Related Episodes The Role of Small RNAs in Transgenerational Inheritance in C. elegans (Oded Rechavi) Mapping the Epigenome: From Arabidopsis to the Human Brain (Joseph Ecker) Contact Epigenetics Podcast on Mastodon Epigenetics Podcast on Bluesky Dr. Stefan Dillinger on LinkedIn Active Motif on LinkedIn Active Motif on Bluesky Email: podcast@activemotif.com

What if you could analyze every metabolite, glycan variant, and unknown impurity in your bioprocess sample—not just the targets you're looking for, but everything that's actually there? Cryogenic infrared ion spectroscopy combined (CIRIS) with AI-powered analysis transforms untargeted screening from aspiration to reality.This episode moves from fundamental principles to practical applications. While Part 1 established how CIRIS overcomes mass spectrometry's structural limitations, Part 2 reveals what becomes possible when you can definitively identify complex mixtures: better mAb characterization, earlier disease detection, and process decisions based on complete data rather than educated guesses.Professor Tom Rizzo returns to discuss Isospec Analytics' path from laboratory innovation to commercial service platform. His transition from academic leadership at EPFL to biotech entrepreneurship offers insights for any scientist considering whether breakthrough research deserves a startup—and what that journey actually requires.For bioprocess scientists drowning in unidentified peaks, struggling with glycan heterogeneity, or making critical manufacturing decisions with incomplete analytical data, this conversation demonstrates how next-generation analytics powered by quantum chemistry and machine learning can illuminate what's been hidden in your samples all along.Episode Highlights:Why targeted metabolomics creates a "streetlight effect"—and how untargeted CIRIS analysis reveals the complete molecular landscape (00:00)Isomer-specific glycan characterization for mAbs: distinguishing structural variants that impact efficacy and immunogenicity (03:17)Advanced disease detection and biomarker discovery: identifying diagnostic signatures in complex biological matrices (05:21)AI meets quantum chemistry: automated spectral library building and machine learning algorithms that accelerate molecule identification from hours to seconds (06:05)From data generation to decision-making: how comprehensive analytics and AI transform bioprocess development workflows (09:23)Isospec's commercial roadmap: service platform for comprehensive sample analysis and projected timeline for benchtop instrumentation (10:09)Academic to entrepreneur: Tom Rizzo's perspective on leaving tenure for a startup, with practical advice for scientists evaluating the leap (12:05)Personal motivation behind early diagnostics: cancer and leukemia experiences that drive Isospec's clinical applications (14:11)Technical deep dive: messenger tagging methodology and achieving single-ion infrared detection sensitivity (15:41)The transformative capability: adding a structural dimension to mass spec data that eliminates ambiguity in complex mixture analysis (17:55)Mass spectrometry tells you what masses are present. Cryogenic infrared ion spectroscopy tells you what molecules they actually are. When coupled with AI-powered analysis, this combination enables truly comprehensive characterization—from process impurity identification to critical quality attribute assessment to early disease biomarker discovery.If you're making bioprocess decisions with incomplete analytical information, managing glycan complexity in biologics development, or exploring how emerging analytical technologies could solve your toughest characterization challenges, this episode provides both the technical foundation and the commercial pathway forward.

What if you could identify every structural variant in your biologics—without ambiguity, without massive sample requirements, and without the guesswork that plagues traditional mass spectrometry? Cryogenic infrared ion spectroscopy (CIRIS) makes it possible, transforming molecular characterization from frustrating puzzle to precise science.Today's guest, Professor Tom Rizzo, bridges the gap between academic innovation and industrial application. As former Dean of the School of Basic Sciences at EPFL in Lausanne and now Chief Scientific Officer at Isospec Analytics, Tom has spent over two decades developing analytical techniques that solve problems conventional methods can't touch.His journey from a childhood fascination sparked by chemistry demonstrations at the 1964 New York World's Fair to pioneering a breakthrough technology reveals both the persistence required for true innovation and the pathway from laboratory curiosity to commercial reality. For bioprocess scientists struggling with glycan characterization, isomer identification, or any structural puzzle where mass spec alone falls short, this conversation offers both validation and solutions.Episode Highlights:The fundamental limitations of current biomolecular analysis methods and why innovation is critical (02:51)From World's Fair chemistry demos to laser spectroscopy: Tom Rizzo's path to analytical innovation (03:31)The two-decade quest to combine mass spectrometry sensitivity with laser spectroscopy precision—and the machine that finally made it work (04:26)Why Tom transitioned from academic leadership to Isospec Analytics: bringing lab techniques to production environments (09:17)CIRIS fundamentals: how cooling ions to 10 Kelvin unlocks molecular fingerprints that room-temperature methods miss (11:14)CIRIS advantages for biologics: single-ion sensitivity, isomer discrimination, and unique molecular "fingerprints" for definitive identification (14:25)Integrating CIRIS into existing bioprocess workflows: LC-MS compatibility and the path to commercial instrumentation (17:29)Hard-won lessons from translating academic breakthroughs into industrial tools (17:43)When mass spectrometry hits its limits—distinguishing isomers, characterizing glycans, identifying unknowns in complex mixtures—cryogenic infrared ion spectroscopy provides the structural resolution you need. This isn't incremental improvement; it's a fundamental expansion of what's analytically possible.If you're facing molecular identification challenges that conventional methods can't solve, or if you're curious how next-generation analytical techniques will transform bioprocess development, this episode delivers actionable insights from a scientist who's lived both the innovation and implementation journey.Connect with Tom Rizzo:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-rizzo-4a0a6314/Contact email: tom@isospec.chIsospec Analytics website: www.isospecanalytics.comNext step:Book a 20-minute call to help you get started on any questions you may have about bioprocessing analytics: https://bruehlmann-consulting.com/call

Timestamps04:53 - Product-Led vs. Sales-Led Growth14:22 - How to Educate a Slow-Moving Market24:43 - Sales Metrics in a product vs sale- led approach34:16 - Choosing between product-led or sales-ledThis episode was produced by Founders Hive — a community of founders, experts, and investors driving entrepreneurship in Switzerland. We support early-stage startups in becoming investment-ready and guide them through the fundraising journey. As a partner of the Entrepreneurship Training programme, empowered by Innosuisse — Switzerland's innovation agency — we contribute to strengthening startups, SMEs, and research institutions in their innovation and growth.Checkout this link to learn more about Founders Hive, empowered by Innosuisse.Episode Summary:Igor Martin is the CEO of Hydromea, a Swiss deep-tech company building underwater wireless networks and portable intelligent robots to make data collection below the surface faster, safer, and cleaner. He holds an MBA in Business Administration and Management from Saint Louis University.Ramzi Bouzerda is the Founder and CEO of Droople, a B2B cleantech startup developing a water intelligence platform that digitizes the “last mile” of water, from faucets to appliances, combining IoT, AI, and SaaS to help buildings save resources and money. He holds a Masters Degree in Computer Science from EPFL. In this Opposing Views episode, they debate what really drives startup growth: sales-led or product-led strategies. Drawing from opposite industries - one building beneath the ocean, the other inside buildings. They reveal how timing, product maturity, and customer education shape growth models.They discuss why hybrid models often win in industrial tech, how to balance education with revenue, and what metrics truly matter beyond vanity KPIs. The conversation also dives into managing long sales cycles, using customer feedback loops to guide product evolution, and the ultimate truth every founder learns: great sales can't save a bad product.The cover portrait was edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Smartportrait. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Don't forget to give us a follow on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠so you can always stay up to date with our latest initiatives. That way, there's no excuse for missing out on live shows, weekly giveaways or founders' dinners.

L' EPFL démontre qu'on peut moduler la mémoire chez la souris Les brèves du jour Grande invitée : Shelly Masi primatologue et autrice de Queen Kong sur les gorilles de l'Ouest

Découverte EPFL : rebonds prolongés de gouttelettes sur surface vibrante Les brèves du jour Il y a de plus en plus d'allergiques, à voir demain soir dans 36.9 Pourquoi les félins retombent-ils toujours sur leurs pattes? Dictionnaire du sang 2/4 : EPO, fer, hémochromatose et héparine

Timestamps:6:51 - Is it possible to protect your mental health as a Founder?20:00 - How to know when you've transitioned from a startup to a scale-up?23:42 - What creates the most pressure for Founders?35:49 - How do we build up resilience?This episode was co-produced with Innovaud, the innovation and investment promotion agency for the canton of Vaud.Episode Summary: Sahar Hosseinian, Co-Founder and former CTO of Novigenix, spent over a decade building AI-powered oncology diagnostics before joining Zurich-based Prevision Medicine as Chief Quality Officer. She holds a PhD in Statistics from EPFL. Charlotte Ducrot is Head of Scaleups & Growth at Innovaud, the innovation and investment promotion agency for the canton of Vaud. She holds an MA in International Affairs from the Geneva Graduate Institute and worked for companies like Swisscontact and the WEF before joining Innovaud in 2022.During their chat with Merle, Sahar and Charlotte dive into why mental health remains one of the biggest unspoken challenges for founders, even in high-performing Swiss startups. Sahar shares the emotional highs and lows of raising CHF 25 million in MedTech, while Charlotte explains how burnout risk spikes after funding success. They discuss how pressure from investors, teams, and personal expectations can compound - and how self-awareness, boundaries, and community can counter it.They also get into the specifics of resilience and building systems that prevent chronic stress, breaking down how founders can recognize early warning signs, create support networks, and align their work with their personal values. Charlotte introduces the “Realize-Regulate-Recover” framework and Sahar reflects on redefining success beyond constant hustle. Together, they remind founders that protecting mental health isn't a weaknes, but a strategic advantage for scaling sustainably.The cover portrait was edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Smartportrait. ⁠⁠⁠⁠‍‍‍‍Don't forget to give us a follow on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠so you can always stay up to date with our latest initiatives. That way, there's no excuse for missing out on live shows, weekly giveaways or founders' dinners.

Invitée: Sonia Curnier. Les préaux scolaires sont utilisés par les élèves environ neuf heures par jour, de 7h30 à 16h30. Mais au-delà, ces grands espaces sont bien souvent vides. De nombreuses communes commencent à prendre conscience du potentiel de ces grands espaces pour les habitants du quartier. Faut-il davantage ouvrir au public les cours dʹécole? Et si oui, comment? Quelles places les préaux scolaire peuvent-ils jouer dans un quartier? Tribu accueille Sonia Curnier, professeure de théorie de lʹarchitecture et de la ville à la Haute école d'ingénierie et d'architecture de Fribourg. Elle a mené une recherche financée par lʹEPFL sur lʹouverture des cours dʹécoles au public, intitulée "Public Schoolyards".

1) Notre vision vs la vision de l'IA Nous sommes nettement plus doué.es que lʹIA pour reconnaitre les objets qui sont en partie cachés, pour donner du sens à une image fragmentaire. Cʹest ce que montre une étude qui nous permet de mieux comprendre comment fonctionne notre vision et celle des réseaux de neurones artificiels, comme lʹexplique Elsa Scialom, chercheuse en neurosciences à lʹEPFL, au Laboratoire de psychophysique. 2)Tout sur la foudre La foudre est tombée cet été sur un bâtiment lausannois emblématique. Lʹoccasion de se demander comment se produit ce genre de phénomène. Quels endroits sont plus à risque que dʹautres? Comment sʹen protéger? Pourquoi les bovins sont plus en danger que les êtres humains? 3) Un petit ongle, la clé de la réussite des rongeurs Ils représentent 40% des mammifères et ont colonisé tous les continents, des forêts aux déserts. On attribue souvent le succès des rongeurs à leurs incisives redoutables ou à leur capacité d'adaptation. Mais une récente étude publiée dans Science révèle un secret bien plus discret de leur incroyable diversification : un minuscule ongle situé sur leur pouce. Loin d'être un simple vestige de l'évolution, cet appendice, souvent confondu avec une griffe, serait en réalité fondamental. Il leur offre un avantage crucial pour attraper et manipuler leur nourriture, une capacité clé pour leur survie et leur diversification.

UZIC live on 90.4 FM or EVENTS https://uzic.ch/live-dj-events/ NEWSIFA 2025 draws a successful conclusion: https://www.ifa-berlin.com/press-releases/ifa-2025-draws-a-auccessful-conclusion-092025 Eufy Marswalker : le premier robot aspirateur capable de monter les escaliers L'IA pratiqueGemini Nano Banana & AI image generator https://gemini.google/overview/image-generation/ Otter Meeting Agent - AI Notetaker, Transcription, Insights https://otter.ai/ Oracle stock gains 36% to post best day since 1992, adding $244 billion in value https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/10/oracle-stock-cloud-backlog-ai.htmlAnthropic agrees to pay $1.5 billion to settle author class action. Is this the beginning ? https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/anthropic-agrees-pay-15-billion-settle-author-class-action-2025-09-05/ The web has a new system for making AI companies pay up https://www.theverge.com/news/775072/rsl-standard-licensing-ai-publishing-reddit-yahoo-medium The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), in collaboration with ETH Zurich and the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS), launched Apertus, Switzerland's first large-scale, open-source, multilingual large language model (LLM) Inspiration#RIP Coach George Raveling https://x.com/GeorgeRaveling/status/1962895175535198644 #PODCAST ::Inside AI at EPFL https://open.spotify.com/show/4iVpk9fbozjYpUfK5qBazg Tibo InShape YouTubeur Le Syndrome du personnage principal https://www.gdiy.fr/podcast/tibo-inshape/ #AUDIOBOOK :: On Character: Choices That Define a Life by General Stanley McChrystal https://www.amazon.com/Character-Choices-That-Define-Life/dp/0593852958 #SERIE :: Chief of War https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19381692/ #QUOTE :: « Pain falls drop by drop upon the heart, until in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom, through the awful grace of the divine. » Aeschylus Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the past few weeks, beginning with a recap of SlatorCon Silicon Valley 2025, where the duo noted strong localization buyer and user turnout, and tech-focused discussions across presentations and panels.One key highlight was Cohere's well-timed launch of Command A Translate, which allowed Kelly Marchisio to share details on building multilingual LLMs. Esther notes that Cohere's multilingual models focus on high-quality coverage of about 20 languages rather than attempting hundreds.Florian turns to the Apertus launch in Switzerland, where EPFL, ETH Zurich, and the Swiss Supercomputing Centre released a multilingual model trained on over 15 trillion tokens and covering more than 1,000 languages, including Swiss German and Romansh.Esther reveals that Middlebury Institute will phase out its graduate translation and interpretation programs by 2027, marking the loss of a key training ground.Esther reports on TransPerfect's acquisition of Unbabel, with plans to integrate its AI tools, such as TowerLLM and EuroVLM, into GlobalLink, while CEO Vasco Pedro will stay briefly during the transition. Florian outlines Apple's launch of AirPod Pro 3 with live AI translation and Google's new Gemini-powered updates for AI live speech translation.Esther concludes with the Inc. 5000 rankings, highlighting 11 language industry companies. She highlights Propio, Boostlingo, and CQ Fluency as repeat entrants, with Propio topping the list but also announcing job cuts following its acquisition of CyraCom.

Almost every corner of modern medicine and sustainable food production today is facing a massive challenge: how do we outpace drug-resistant “superbugs” and create food for a growing population using fewer resources? The answer, it turns out, may come down to how well we understand and control the biomanufacturing processes underpinning these biomaterials and biomolecules.In this episode, David Brühlmann speaks with Carmen Jungo Rhême, Full Professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Fribourg, Switzerland and Director of the Biofactory Competence Center. With years in the pharmaceutical industry at Lonza, Merck Serono, UCB Farchim, and CSL Behring, she now tackles global challenges like antimicrobial resistance, sustainable food, and digitalization. From her beginnings in chemical engineering at EPFL to leading at the nexus of academia and industry, Carmen is helping shape the future of smarter, more robust biotech.Here are three reasons why this episode is a must-listen:Antimicrobial Resistance - Smarter Solutions: Carmen explains how phage therapy, recombinant proteins like endolysins, and smart bioprocess design are helping outmanoeuvre drug-resistant pathogens. In partnership with the University Hospital in Lausanne, her team is developing GMP-ready phage production using quality-by-design methods from mainstream recombinant protein manufacturing, bringing phages back into clinical relevance.From Cheese Whey to Microalgae: Applying pharma-grade principles to food, BCC is turning Swiss cheese by-products into nutrient-rich microalgae, offering a new path for sustainable protein and lipid production while transforming food waste into valuable resources.Digitalization - The Connecting Thread: Mapping and controlling hundreds of process parameters is key to robust, reproducible innovation. Carmen shows how data-driven process characterization links antimicrobial strategies and sustainable food production through the power of digital analytics.Curious about how smarter bioprocesses could help you solve tomorrow's biggest biotech challenges? Tune in to hear how Carmen's approach could transform your perspective on both health and food security.Connect with Carmen Jungo Rhême:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/carmenjungoWebsite: www.heia-fr.ch/en/applied-research/bcc/Next step:Book a free consultation to help you get started on any questions you may have about bioprocess development: https://bruehlmann-consulting.com/call

Timestamps:6:00 - Tackling the early detection of sepsis 17:17 - Why obsess over hard challenges?27:41 - Marketing a new biomarker 34:20 - Expanding and delegating to distributors  This episode was co-produced with Innovaud, the innovation and investment promotion agency for the canton of Vaud.About Patrick Pestalozzi & François Capel:Patrick Pestalozzi is a former management consultant and Silicon Valley executive with 3 decades of global experience, most recently as the Vice-President of Global Strategic Accounts for Mindmaze and as the CEO at GaitUp, a Mindmaze subsidiary. In 2024 he became the CEO at Abionic, a medtech EPFL spin-off founded back in 2010.François Capel is an Innovation Director with 10+ years of experience driving innovation within fast-paced environments and innovation-driven industries. He is currently a full-time advisor at Innovaud, the innovation and investment promotion agency for the canton of Vaud.During his chat with Merle and François, Patrick shared his experience as Abionic CEO. Abionic is on a mission to transform sepsis diagnoses through the use of nanofluids, and their flagship product, abioSCOPE®, a near-patient rapid diagnostic platform, delivers lab-quality results from a drop of blood within minutes, providing valuable clinical insights and actionable information at the point-of-care.Don't forget to give us a follow on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠so you can always stay up to date with our latest initiatives. That way, there's no excuse for missing out on live shows, weekly giveaways or founders' dinners.

Lʹappartement-atelier de Le Corbusier, conçu à Paris entre 1931 et 1934, est le premier immeuble dʹhabitation de verre de lʹhistoire de lʹarchitecture. A lʹoccasion des 60 ans de la disparition de Le Corbusier, Monumental sʹintéresse à lʹimmeuble Molitor avec Giulia Marino, architecte, professeure à lʹUniversité catholique de Louvain ainsi quʹà lʹEPFL et Franz Graf, architecte et professeur à lʹEPFL.

Invitée: Fiona Del Puppo. Le marché immobilier est très tendu en Suisse romande, à quelques exceptions près. Difficile de trouver un appartement, surtout en ville, et encore plus si le budget nʹest pas élevé. Quelles sont les conséquences sociétale de cet pénurie de logement? Quelles sont les stratégies mises en place par le personnes qui cherchent un nouveau toit? Tribu reçoit Fiona Del Puppo, chercheuse au Laboratoire de sociologie urbaine à lʹEPFL.

Inside our heads we carry around an infinite and endlessly unfolding map of the world. Navigation is one of the most ancient neural abilities we have―older than language. In Dark and Magical Places: The Neuroscience of Navigation (Norton, 2022), Christopher Kemp embarks on a journey to discover the remarkable extent of what our minds can do. Fueled by his own spatial shortcomings, Kemp describes the brain regions that orient us in space and the specialized neurons that do it. Place cells. Grid cells. He examines how the brain plans routes, recognizes landmarks, and makes sure we leave a room through a door instead of trying to leave through a painting. From the secrets of supernavigators like the indigenous hunters of the Bolivian rainforest to the confusing environments inhabited by people with place blindness, Kemp charts the myriad ways in which we find our way and explains the cutting-edge neuroscience behind them. How did Neanderthals navigate? Why do even seasoned hikers stray from the trail? What spatial skills do we inherit from our parents? How can smartphones and our reliance on GPS devices impact our brains? In engaging, engrossing language, Kemp unravels the mysteries of navigating and links the brain's complex functions to the effects that diseases like Alzheimer's, types of amnesia, and traumatic brain injuries have on our perception of the world around us. A book for anyone who has ever felt compelled to venture off the beaten path, Dark and Magical Places is a stirring reminder of the beauty in losing yourself to your surroundings. And the beauty in understanding how our brains can guide us home. Galina Limorenko is a doctoral candidate in Neuroscience with a focus on biochemistry and molecular biology of neurodegenerative diseases at EPFL in Switzerland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Inside our heads we carry around an infinite and endlessly unfolding map of the world. Navigation is one of the most ancient neural abilities we have―older than language. In Dark and Magical Places: The Neuroscience of Navigation (Norton, 2022), Christopher Kemp embarks on a journey to discover the remarkable extent of what our minds can do. Fueled by his own spatial shortcomings, Kemp describes the brain regions that orient us in space and the specialized neurons that do it. Place cells. Grid cells. He examines how the brain plans routes, recognizes landmarks, and makes sure we leave a room through a door instead of trying to leave through a painting. From the secrets of supernavigators like the indigenous hunters of the Bolivian rainforest to the confusing environments inhabited by people with place blindness, Kemp charts the myriad ways in which we find our way and explains the cutting-edge neuroscience behind them. How did Neanderthals navigate? Why do even seasoned hikers stray from the trail? What spatial skills do we inherit from our parents? How can smartphones and our reliance on GPS devices impact our brains? In engaging, engrossing language, Kemp unravels the mysteries of navigating and links the brain's complex functions to the effects that diseases like Alzheimer's, types of amnesia, and traumatic brain injuries have on our perception of the world around us. A book for anyone who has ever felt compelled to venture off the beaten path, Dark and Magical Places is a stirring reminder of the beauty in losing yourself to your surroundings. And the beauty in understanding how our brains can guide us home. Galina Limorenko is a doctoral candidate in Neuroscience with a focus on biochemistry and molecular biology of neurodegenerative diseases at EPFL in Switzerland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/medicine

Inside our heads we carry around an infinite and endlessly unfolding map of the world. Navigation is one of the most ancient neural abilities we have―older than language. In Dark and Magical Places: The Neuroscience of Navigation (Norton, 2022), Christopher Kemp embarks on a journey to discover the remarkable extent of what our minds can do. Fueled by his own spatial shortcomings, Kemp describes the brain regions that orient us in space and the specialized neurons that do it. Place cells. Grid cells. He examines how the brain plans routes, recognizes landmarks, and makes sure we leave a room through a door instead of trying to leave through a painting. From the secrets of supernavigators like the indigenous hunters of the Bolivian rainforest to the confusing environments inhabited by people with place blindness, Kemp charts the myriad ways in which we find our way and explains the cutting-edge neuroscience behind them. How did Neanderthals navigate? Why do even seasoned hikers stray from the trail? What spatial skills do we inherit from our parents? How can smartphones and our reliance on GPS devices impact our brains? In engaging, engrossing language, Kemp unravels the mysteries of navigating and links the brain's complex functions to the effects that diseases like Alzheimer's, types of amnesia, and traumatic brain injuries have on our perception of the world around us. A book for anyone who has ever felt compelled to venture off the beaten path, Dark and Magical Places is a stirring reminder of the beauty in losing yourself to your surroundings. And the beauty in understanding how our brains can guide us home. Galina Limorenko is a doctoral candidate in Neuroscience with a focus on biochemistry and molecular biology of neurodegenerative diseases at EPFL in Switzerland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/medicine

Inside our heads we carry around an infinite and endlessly unfolding map of the world. Navigation is one of the most ancient neural abilities we have―older than language. In Dark and Magical Places: The Neuroscience of Navigation (Norton, 2022), Christopher Kemp embarks on a journey to discover the remarkable extent of what our minds can do. Fueled by his own spatial shortcomings, Kemp describes the brain regions that orient us in space and the specialized neurons that do it. Place cells. Grid cells. He examines how the brain plans routes, recognizes landmarks, and makes sure we leave a room through a door instead of trying to leave through a painting. From the secrets of supernavigators like the indigenous hunters of the Bolivian rainforest to the confusing environments inhabited by people with place blindness, Kemp charts the myriad ways in which we find our way and explains the cutting-edge neuroscience behind them. How did Neanderthals navigate? Why do even seasoned hikers stray from the trail? What spatial skills do we inherit from our parents? How can smartphones and our reliance on GPS devices impact our brains? In engaging, engrossing language, Kemp unravels the mysteries of navigating and links the brain's complex functions to the effects that diseases like Alzheimer's, types of amnesia, and traumatic brain injuries have on our perception of the world around us. A book for anyone who has ever felt compelled to venture off the beaten path, Dark and Magical Places is a stirring reminder of the beauty in losing yourself to your surroundings. And the beauty in understanding how our brains can guide us home. Galina Limorenko is a doctoral candidate in Neuroscience with a focus on biochemistry and molecular biology of neurodegenerative diseases at EPFL in Switzerland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science

Inside our heads we carry around an infinite and endlessly unfolding map of the world. Navigation is one of the most ancient neural abilities we have―older than language. In Dark and Magical Places: The Neuroscience of Navigation (Norton, 2022), Christopher Kemp embarks on a journey to discover the remarkable extent of what our minds can do. Fueled by his own spatial shortcomings, Kemp describes the brain regions that orient us in space and the specialized neurons that do it. Place cells. Grid cells. He examines how the brain plans routes, recognizes landmarks, and makes sure we leave a room through a door instead of trying to leave through a painting. From the secrets of supernavigators like the indigenous hunters of the Bolivian rainforest to the confusing environments inhabited by people with place blindness, Kemp charts the myriad ways in which we find our way and explains the cutting-edge neuroscience behind them. How did Neanderthals navigate? Why do even seasoned hikers stray from the trail? What spatial skills do we inherit from our parents? How can smartphones and our reliance on GPS devices impact our brains? In engaging, engrossing language, Kemp unravels the mysteries of navigating and links the brain's complex functions to the effects that diseases like Alzheimer's, types of amnesia, and traumatic brain injuries have on our perception of the world around us. A book for anyone who has ever felt compelled to venture off the beaten path, Dark and Magical Places is a stirring reminder of the beauty in losing yourself to your surroundings. And the beauty in understanding how our brains can guide us home. Galina Limorenko is a doctoral candidate in Neuroscience with a focus on biochemistry and molecular biology of neurodegenerative diseases at EPFL in Switzerland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychology

Inside our heads we carry around an infinite and endlessly unfolding map of the world. Navigation is one of the most ancient neural abilities we have―older than language. In Dark and Magical Places: The Neuroscience of Navigation (Norton, 2022), Christopher Kemp embarks on a journey to discover the remarkable extent of what our minds can do. Fueled by his own spatial shortcomings, Kemp describes the brain regions that orient us in space and the specialized neurons that do it. Place cells. Grid cells. He examines how the brain plans routes, recognizes landmarks, and makes sure we leave a room through a door instead of trying to leave through a painting. From the secrets of supernavigators like the indigenous hunters of the Bolivian rainforest to the confusing environments inhabited by people with place blindness, Kemp charts the myriad ways in which we find our way and explains the cutting-edge neuroscience behind them. How did Neanderthals navigate? Why do even seasoned hikers stray from the trail? What spatial skills do we inherit from our parents? How can smartphones and our reliance on GPS devices impact our brains? In engaging, engrossing language, Kemp unravels the mysteries of navigating and links the brain's complex functions to the effects that diseases like Alzheimer's, types of amnesia, and traumatic brain injuries have on our perception of the world around us. A book for anyone who has ever felt compelled to venture off the beaten path, Dark and Magical Places is a stirring reminder of the beauty in losing yourself to your surroundings. And the beauty in understanding how our brains can guide us home. Galina Limorenko is a doctoral candidate in Neuroscience with a focus on biochemistry and molecular biology of neurodegenerative diseases at EPFL in Switzerland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

La voiture reste de loin le moyen de transport le plus utilisé en Suisse: on monte à son bord pour faire en moyenne chaque année 9400 km. On pourrait enchaîner les statistiques: les trois quarts des déplacements liés aux achats que nous effectuons sont inférieurs à 5 kilomètres; la taille de nos voitures n'arrête pas d'augmenter, mais plus d'un ménage sur cinq en Suisse n'en possède pas; le taux de remplissage pour aller au travail n'est que de 1,14 personne par véhicule. Comment expliquer cet attachement? Qu'en est-il de la promesse d'une future voiture entièrement électrique et autonome? Sommes-nous toutes et tous égaux face à elle? Peut-on sortir collectivement de ce moyen de locomotion et est-ce souhaitable? Production : Raphaële Bouchet Réalisation : Didier Rossat Les invité.es: Tiphaine Robert Historienne, maîtresse d'enseignement suppléante à la Faculté des sciences sociales et politiques, UNIL. & Prof. Vincent Kaufmann Sociologue et directeur du LaSUR ( Laboratoire de sociologie urbaine ) EPFL.

Octopuses can open jars to get food, and chimpanzees can plan for the future. An IBM computer named Watson won on Jeopardy! and Alexa knows our favorite songs. But do animals and smart machines really have intelligence comparable to that of humans? In Bots and Beasts: What Makes Machines, Animals, and People Smart? (MIT Press, 2021), Paul Thagard looks at how computers (“bots”) and animals measure up to the minds of people, offering the first systematic comparison of intelligence across machines, animals, and humans. Thagard explains that human intelligence is more than IQ and encompasses such features as problem solving, decision making, and creativity. He uses a checklist of twenty characteristics of human intelligence to evaluate the smartest machines—including Watson, AlphaZero, virtual assistants, and self-driving cars—and the most intelligent animals—including octopuses, dogs, dolphins, bees, and chimpanzees. Neither a romantic enthusiast for nonhuman intelligence nor a skeptical killjoy, Thagard offers a clear assessment. He discusses hotly debated issues about animal intelligence concerning bacterial consciousness, fish pain, and dog jealousy. He evaluates the plausibility of achieving human-level artificial intelligence and considers ethical and policy issues. A full appreciation of human minds reveals that current bots and beasts fall far short of human capabilities. Galina Limorenko is a doctoral candidate in Neuroscience with a focus on biochemistry and molecular biology of neurodegenerative diseases at EPFL in Switzerland. To discuss and propose the book for an interview you can reach her at galina.limorenko@epfl.ch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Octopuses can open jars to get food, and chimpanzees can plan for the future. An IBM computer named Watson won on Jeopardy! and Alexa knows our favorite songs. But do animals and smart machines really have intelligence comparable to that of humans? In Bots and Beasts: What Makes Machines, Animals, and People Smart? (MIT Press, 2021), Paul Thagard looks at how computers (“bots”) and animals measure up to the minds of people, offering the first systematic comparison of intelligence across machines, animals, and humans. Thagard explains that human intelligence is more than IQ and encompasses such features as problem solving, decision making, and creativity. He uses a checklist of twenty characteristics of human intelligence to evaluate the smartest machines—including Watson, AlphaZero, virtual assistants, and self-driving cars—and the most intelligent animals—including octopuses, dogs, dolphins, bees, and chimpanzees. Neither a romantic enthusiast for nonhuman intelligence nor a skeptical killjoy, Thagard offers a clear assessment. He discusses hotly debated issues about animal intelligence concerning bacterial consciousness, fish pain, and dog jealousy. He evaluates the plausibility of achieving human-level artificial intelligence and considers ethical and policy issues. A full appreciation of human minds reveals that current bots and beasts fall far short of human capabilities. Galina Limorenko is a doctoral candidate in Neuroscience with a focus on biochemistry and molecular biology of neurodegenerative diseases at EPFL in Switzerland. To discuss and propose the book for an interview you can reach her at galina.limorenko@epfl.ch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

  In this episode of Hashtag Trending, host Jim Love delves into a series of AI-related stories. Google's Gemini AI withdraws from a chess match against an Atari 2600 chess engine after realizing its limitations. Researchers from MIT and EPFL identify a 'phase transition' in AI language models where they begin to understand semantics over syntax. The episode also highlights the growing issue of AI-generated 'slop,' which overwhelms content reviewers and dilutes quality across various fields. Lastly, Amazon's strategic investment in Anthropic is explored, focusing on infrastructure rather than consumer-friendly AI applications, potentially positioning Amazon as a key player in the AI revolution. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:27 Gemini AI vs. Atari Chess Challenge 02:15 AI's Leap to Understanding Meaning 05:38 The Rise of AI-Generated Content 08:49 Amazon's Strategic Investment in AI 11:22 Conclusion and Upcoming Shows

In this illuminating episode of Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski welcomes physicist and daylighting pioneer Marilyne Andersen for a conversation that sheds new light—literally—on how architecture affects our health, productivity, and sense of well-being. From the science of chronobiology to eye morphology and colored glazing, Marilyne explains how light exposure shapes everything from our mood to our sleep cycles. She shares insights from her groundbreaking research at EPFL and her work with the Daylight Academy, revealing why daylight may be more than a design feature—it might be a human right. Plus, discover how her new role at GESDA is helping bridge the gap between scientific discovery and societal impact. A must-listen for anyone designing spaces for real human needs.More About Marilyne Andersen:Marilyne Andersen is a Full Professor at EPFL and head of the LIPID lab since 2010, after 6 years at MIT as tenure-track professor. Since April 2025, she is also the Director General of the GESDA foundation (Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator), whose mission is to anticipate emerging scientific discoveries and translate them into concrete actions for the benefit of society by engaging proactively with policymakers and diplomats. Physicist by training, she specializes in the psycho-physiological effects of (day)light with broader research interests on sustainability in the built environment. She has been Dean of ENAC at EPFL (2013-2018), Academic Director of the Smart Living Lab until 2024 and member of the Board of the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction (2015-2024). She was also Visiting Professor at the Lawrence Berkeley Lab in California and at SUTD in Singapore. Author of over 250 refereed papers with several distinctions, she was the global Daylight Research Award's inaugural laureate in 2016 and led the winning Swiss team for the Solar Decathlon 2017 competition. At EPFL, she is currently Head of the SKIL for project-based learning and PI of the Swiss-wide SWICE consortium on the energy transition. She is also co-founder of the consulting startup OCULIGHT dynamics.In parallel, she has been actively engaged in bridging the gap between art and science, notably since 2021 as co-curator of the exhibition entitled Lighten Up! On Biology and Time and as author of the Circa Diem immersive installation and policy-oriented fiction Droit au Jour ; these works have been on display in diverse venues such as the Seoul Biennale, the EPFL Pavilions, the Gewerbemuseum Winterthur, the Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts (mudac) in Lausanne, and will be showcased at the MIT Museum in 2025-2026.CONTACT:https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilyne-andersen-b617aa1/https://people.epfl.ch/marilyne.andersen Where To Find Us:https://bbfhpod.advancedglazings.com/www.advancedglazings.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/better-buildings-for-humans-podcastwww.linkedin.com/in/advanced-glazings-ltd-848b4625https://twitter.com/bbfhpodhttps://twitter.com/Solera_Daylighthttps://www.instagram.com/bbfhpod/https://www.instagram.com/advancedglazingsltdhttps://www.facebook.com/AdvancedGlazingsltd

In this eye-opening episode of Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Dr. Sandra Dedesko—engineer, indoor air expert, and healthy buildings researcher—for a compelling dive into how the air we breathe indoors is shaping our minds. From her work with Harvard's COGFX studies to her current research in Switzerland, Sandra unpacks how even low levels of CO₂ can subtly impair cognitive function—especially creativity. She shares how indoor air acts as an invisible performance driver, and why better ventilation might be the most underrated upgrade in our built environment. They also explore low-carbon ventilation strategies, wildfire smoke protection, and the powerful role of moisture in building performance. A must-listen for anyone who thinks clearer spaces start with clearer air.More About Sandra Dedesko:Sandra works at the intersection of engineering and public health to help improve the health and sustainability impacts of buildings. With a background in civil engineering and building design, Sandra elected to pursue a PhD in public health to better incorporate health into her future work. She recently completed her PhD at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health where her dissertation research focused on the link between buildings and cognitive performance. She's recently started as a scientist at EPFL in Switzerland where she continues to pursue her transdisciplinary research, passion for outdoor sports, and proficiency in French.CONTACT:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-dedesko-835b6657/ https://x.com/sdedeskoWhere To Find Us:https://bbfhpod.advancedglazings.com/www.advancedglazings.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/better-buildings-for-humans-podcastwww.linkedin.com/in/advanced-glazings-ltd-848b4625https://twitter.com/bbfhpodhttps://twitter.com/Solera_Daylighthttps://www.instagram.com/bbfhpod/https://www.instagram.com/advancedglazingsltdhttps://www.facebook.com/AdvancedGlazingsltd

Scientific Sense ® by Gill Eapen: Prof. Meret Aeppli is Assistant professor and head of the soil biogeochemistry laboratory at EPFL in Switzerland. Her group aims to elucidate the fundamental principles and mechanisms of electron transfer reactions and their role in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and metals in soil.Please subscribe to this channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/ScientificSense?sub_confirmation=1

(3:00) - Robotics meets the culinary artsThis episode was brought to you by Mouser, our favorite place to get electronics parts for any project, whether it be a hobby at home or a prototype for work. Click HERE to learn more about the rise of soft robotics in applications like 3D printing, rescue missions, and more! Become a founding reader of our newsletter: http://read.thenextbyte.com/ As always, you can find these and other interesting & impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.