Horizons Newsletter: The impotence of experts
Decried as liars and know-it-alls, experts are going through troubling times. The new issue of Horizons shows why their contributions are all the more important today. Other topics - both online and in print: the new kilogram, online reviews and dangerous misunderstandings at the hospital bedside.
The new issue of Horizons focuses on the crisis of expertise. Their specialised knowledge is met with growing scepticism. Today opinions carry more weight than facts, fake news travels faster than scientific insights. Horizons shows how scientific knowledge can regain some of its validity and how scientists can deliver credible statements.
The second main article in the June issue explains why and how the kilogram will be defined by fundamental physical constants in the near future. Horizons also pursues the philosophical question of what measuring means for science.
In addition, the magazine offers a portrait of Sandra Lösch. She analyses skeletons thousands of years old to understand how people lived and died in the Stone Age. Other articles explain the dangers of misunderstandings between doctors and patients, how bio refineries will turn cooked wood into fuel and why ratings on online platforms are almost always extremely good.
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Horizons reports on scientific news and analyses research policy issues of global importance:
- Online magazine www.horizonte-magazin.ch (German, French and English)
- In the Newsletter four times a year (German, French and English)
- As a free print subscription in German and French four times a year.
The Swiss research magazine is published by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) in collaboration with the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences.