FOCUS 1

> Milestone moment for pandemic treaty in Geneva // 26.11.2021, Health Policy Watch
As pandemic treaty negotiations kick off again at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva this week, countries face a stark choice. Will they decide to move ahead on a new system that vests an independent entity with greater powers to monitor their own national alert and responses – in the name of faster pandemic response for everyone?

Related articles:

• World Health Assembly appears set to move ahead on Pandemic Treaty Negotiations – With very different views about outcomes // 29.11.2021, Health Policy Watch
• Consensus in extremis à Genève pour négocier un instrument légal de riposte aux futures pandémies // 28.11.2021, Le Temps
• Omicron collaboration shows need for pathogen sharing deal  // 29.11.2021, Financial Times

FOCUS 2

> Wellcome Global Monitor 2020: Covid-19 // 29.11.2021, Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Global Monitor: Covid-19, the largest study of its kind, explores how the pandemic has affected the lives of people around the world and influenced their perceptions of science, healthcare systems and governments. Insights found levels of trust in scientists have increased since 2018, placing it on par with doctors and nurses.

FOCUS 3

> What happened to the ‘CRISPR babies’? // 29.11.2021, Nature Biotechnology
In 2018, biophysicist He Jiankui shocked the world by announcing that he had used the CRISPR genome-editing technique to alter embryos that were implanted and led to the birth of two children. But what happened to the babies? They are said to be healthy toddlers, reports Nature Biotechnology. It investigates how the edits to the girls’ genomes might translate into health benefits or risks, how their condition might be monitored, considering the jailing of He and the closure of his lab, and how other researchers might ethically study the gene-edited girls’ data.

Related article: Toward inclusive global governance of human genome editing // 23.11.2021, PNAS

FOCUS 4

> Can a digital reality be jacked directly into your brain? // 24.11.2021, WIRED
The idea of a synthetic experience uploaded to the mind has been a sci-fi fantasy forever. New brain-computer interfaces are making it nonfiction – very slowly.

FOCUS 5

> How to program biology like a computer // 24.11.2021, AXIOS
The growing synthetic biology industry is developing tools to allow companies to program living cells the way we program computers. Why it matters? Turning cellular engineering from an art to an industry could open the door to more sustainable energy, food and materials, but it carries the risk of making it much easier to create the biological equivalent of malware.
 
Related article: Can synthetic biology save us? This scientist thinks so // 23.11.2021, New York Times
Drew Endy is squarely focused on the potential of redesigning organisms for useful purposes. He also acknowledges significant challenges.

FOCUS 6

> 'It’s time to widen the lens of sustainable finance' // 29.11.2021, Geneva Solutions
The UN climate conference in Glasgow brought fresh commitments from financial institutions to align investments with the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change. However, if unaccompanied by investments to improve the lives of people around the world, the effort may be doomed from the start, write Nadia Isler, director of SDG Lab at UN Geneva, and Sandrine Salerno, executive director of Sustainable Finance Geneva, the organiser of the Building Bridges summit which kicked off on 29 November.
 
Related article: Building Bridges: quatre défis durables accessibles pour la place financière suisse // 29.11.2021, Le Temps

FOCUS 7

> Access for all: the democratisation of AI // 10.11.2021, Engineering & Technology
The process of providing access to AI tools must be carefully managed – which is why democratising AI is an important step in its development.

Related articles:

• Our AI odyssey // 26.11.2021, Project Syndicate
  The powerful effects of artificial intelligence are already being felt in business, politics, medicine, war, and almost every other domain of twenty-first century life. For all of its positive potential, the technology presents significant risks that are best addressed sooner rather than later.
• Our global agreement on AI could reduce bias and surveillance // 26.11.2021, NewScientist
  Nearly 200 countries have signed up to UNESCO's agreement on the ethics of artificial intelligence. This could help make the technology fairer for all.

FOCUS 8

> How to make a carbon club work // 29.11.2021, Foreign Policy
States are strongly encouraged to reduce emissions, but they can’t be forced to do so, and if they fall short of targets, there will be few repercussions—if any. As a result, some experts are putting their money on economic rather than political solutions to the climate crisis.One of them is “club theory,” popularized by Nobel Prize-winning economist William Nordhaus in 2015. The “club” is a group of countries wherein members adhere to a common carbon tax or “price on pollution.” Nonmember countries are subjected to a 3 percent tariff on products they sell to members, incentivizing them to join. To date, more than 3,600 economists have signed a statement saying carbon taxes are the most “cost-effective lever to reduce carbon emissions.” With that regards, the Canadian system is a promising – and politically palatable – prototype for other large emitters.

FOCUS 9

> Quel avenir pour la Genève internationale à l’heure du virtuel? // 27.11.2021, RTS/GenèveVision
Le virtuel va-t-il s’imposer de plus en plus au détriment des réunions physiques comme la pandémie nous y a contraints? Genève, ce haut-lieu des rencontres et des négociations rapprochées gardera-t-elle sa place privilégiée à l’heure du distanciel ? A-t-elle les outils numériques pour répondre aux nouvelles configurations de ce multilatéralisme hybride? La thématique était au cœur d’une table ronde organisée par le pôle international de la RTS Genève Vision et le Club diplomatique de Genève jeudi 25 novembre.

FOCUS 10

> Taking the pulse of science diplomacy and developing practices of valuation // 17.11.2021, Science and Public Policy
Science diplomacy has caught remarkable attention in public policy and academic research over the last fifteen years. However, the concept is plagued by a huge talk–action discrepancy: its public discourse has reached a problematic state of dazzling self-adulation, while it is unclear if and how the actual policies and associated organizations live up to these expectations. This article reconstructs three structural causes to explain the recent hype about science diplomacy. It further encourages actors to organize evaluations that ask whether and how actions of science diplomacy can be valuable. In this regard, a first set of fundamental principles is proposed for setting up an evaluative framework. In conclusion, the article advises science diplomacy actors from democratic states and institutions, from both academic research and public policy, to stop dreaming about soft power influence on authoritarian states and regimes but rather face new geopolitical realities.

GOOD READS ABOUT GESDA'S PLATFORMS THEMES

Platform 1: Quantum Revolution & Advanced AI

Quantum and physics 

> «Wir haben immer noch nicht den Punkt erreicht, wo ein Quantencomputer einen echten Vorteil bietet» // 16.11.2021, NZZ
Kaum ein Tech-Unternehmen kommt am Thema Quantencomputer vorbei. Dario Gil, seit 2019 Forschungsdirektor von IBM, erklärt im Interview, was diese Rechner bereits können – und was nicht.

> The Quantum Daily launches its Market intelligence platform, rebrands to “The Quantum Insider” // 23.11.2021, Yahoo!Finance

> Smart Internet Lab will deliver Quantum Data Centre of Future // 27.11.2021, MirageNews

> Role of quantum computing and AI in healthcare industry // 24.11.2021, Analytics Insight

Artificial intelligence 

> White House technology policy chief says AI bill of rights needs ‘teeth’ // 20.11.2021, FedScoop

> South Korea starts work on $330m national AI complex//24.11.2021, Global Construction Review

> Supercomputers flex their AI muscles: new benchmarks reveal science-task speedups // 20.11.2021, IEEE Spectrum

> AI will soon oversee its own data management // 24.11.2021, VentureBeat
 
> Artificial intelligence proves its protein-folding power // 25.11.2021, Nature

Platform 2: Human Augmentation

Genomics

> The Gene-Synthesis Revolution // 24.11.2021, New York Times
Researchers can now design and mass-produce genetic material — a technique that helped build the mRNA vaccines. What could it give us next?

> Genetic engineering: why some fear the next pandemic could be lab-made // 17.11.2021, Financial Times
US government funding for scientific research that splices deadly viruses to make them more transmissible is under scrutiny amid safety concerns.

> The UK Government wants to sequence your baby’s genome // 25.11.2021, WIRED

Neurosciences 

> How AI is deepening our understanding of the brain //23.11.2021, SingularityHub


Longevity and health

> Digital technologies: a new determinant of health // November 2021, The Lancet

> Bioengineering human placentas: social implications of an advancing field // 26.11.2021, Trends in Biotechnology
 
> UNAIDS warns of millions of AIDS-related deaths and continued devastation from pandemics if leaders don’t address inequalities // 29.11.2021, UNAIDS
The warning comes in a new report by UNAIDS launched ahead of World AIDS Day (1 December).
 
> L’EPFL ouvre une piste pour fabriquer des organes artificiels // 29.11.2021, Heidi.news
 
> It's time to fear the fungi // 23.11.2021, WIRED
Humans have long been protected from fungal infections, thanks to our nice, warm blood. Climate change could ruin that.

Platform 3: Eco-regeneration & Geoengineering

Resources

> Humans have broken a fundamental law of the ocean // 23.11.2021, WIRED

> India’s foray into hydroponics, will it usher in a new green revolution? // 21.11.2021, SMEFutures

> Material inspired by blood vessels can extract uranium from seawater // 29.11.2021, New Scientist
The oceans are a huge untapped store of uranium, which is vital for nuclear energy, and new technology could ensure a long-lasting supply


Biotechnologies

> Future buildings could be made from 3D printed microbes // 23.11.2021, Daily Beast

> Living robots made from frog cells can replicate themselves in a dish // 29.11.2021, New Scientist
Swarms of tiny "xenobots" can self-replicate in the lab by pushing loose cells together – the first time this form of reproduction has been seen in multicellular organisms


Space

> China’s space programme will go nuclear to power future missions to the moon and Mars // 24.11.2021, South China Morning Post

> Chinese space firms present big ambitions at commercial space forum // 26.11.2021, SpaceNews
 
> A new look at the cosmos: the James Webb Telescope, a long-delayed instruement, will soon soar into the heavens // 27.11.2021, The Economist
 
> Manifesto seeks to re-invigorate Europe in space //19.11.2021, BBC News
Read the Manifesto here

Climate and environment

> How a new global carbon market could exaggerate climate progress // 24.11.2021, MIT Technology Review
 
> Portugal establishes the largest fully protected marine reserve in Europe & North Atlantic // 29.11.2021, PortugalGlobal
 
> Network-based forecasting of climate phenomena // 23.11.2021, PNAS

> Using space to foster development assistance for disaster resilience // 23.11.2021, ESA
 
> Global trends in the invention and diffusion of climate change mitigation technologies // November 2021, Nature Energy


Energy

> Hydrogen: price transparency will help fuel a green revolution // 24.11.2021, Financial Times

> Nuclear fusion: why the race to harness the power of the sun just sped up // 24.11.2021, Financial Times

Platform 4: Science & Diplomacy

> Biden administration gears up to expand global science cooperation //23.11.2021, Science|Business
Reversing Trump-era isolationism, Washington announces new science collaborations with funding agencies in Bern and Ottawa – and upcoming meetings with Brazil, France, India, Japan and Korea

>  Mit parteiübergreifend vereinten Kräften für eine nachhaltigere Schweiz // 30.11.2021, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Switzerland
Die Schweiz hat sich 2015 zu den UN-Zielen für nachhaltige Entwicklung 2030 verpflichtet. Bald ist Halbzeit und unser Land fällt bei der Zielerreichung immer weiter hinter andere Länder zurück. Mit Unterstützung von SDSN Switzerland formieren sich jetzt erstmals Parlamentarierinnen und Parlamentarier unter Einbezug aller Fraktionen zur UN-Agenda 2030. Sie wollen diese gemeinsame Plattform nutzen, um die Chancen der Schweiz für ein Voranbringen der SDGs aktiv anzugehen und Akzente für eine nachhaltigere Entwicklung zu setzen.

> Swiss strike deal for COVAX to get 1 mln Moderna doses more quickly // 24.11.2021, Reuters
Related article: «L'attitude de la Suisse prolonge la pandémie» // 29.11.2021, Blick.ch
Le futur de la pandémie aurait dû se décider à Genève cette semaine, lors des débats désormais annulés de l'OMC sur la levée des brevets. Seuls les pays européens, au premier plan la Suisse, s'y opposent.

> Les États membres de l'UE s'accordent sur la régulation des géants du numérique // 25.11.2021, Le Figaro

OF INTEREST

> The history of poop is really the history of technology // 06.11.2021, WIRED
Sure it's gross, but human mastery over its chemistry allowed the success of agriculture – and the rise of civilization.

> Will the future of the Internet be voice? Proposing a World Wide Voice Web // 02.11.2021, HAI Stanford University Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence
 
> Humans didn’t invent mathematics, it’s what the world is made of // 25.11.2021, SingularityHub
Many people think that mathematics is a human invention. To this way of thinking, mathematics is like a language: it may describe real things in the world, but it doesn’t “exist” outside the minds of the people who use it. But the Pythagorean school of thought in ancient Greece held a different view. Its proponents believed reality is fundamentally mathematical. More than 2,000 years later, philosophers and physicists are starting to take this idea seriously.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

TOOLS, RESOURCES AND PARTNERS

> I-DAIR launches Global Research Map (GRM) for digital health and AI // 24.11.2021, I-DAIR
I-DAIR’s Digital Health and AI Global Research Map is an interactive tool designed to provide awareness of the global, regional and national landscapes of digital health and AI research and innovation. Its objectives are to enhance visibility and understanding of current research and investment trends, identify gaps, and foster multi-stakeholders collaboration on AI and digital health to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG.3)

>  Des panels citoyens au chevet d’une démocratie en panne // 27.11.2021, Le Temps
Alors que les trois chantiers de l'Europe, du défi climatique et du financement des assurances sociales sont dans l'impasse en Suisse, les panels citoyens pourraient-ils constituer une piste à suivre? Reportage à Genève et à Uster (ZH). (©ReneRuis/LeTemps)

EVENTS

> Reith Lectures 2021 - Living With Artificial Intelligence // December 2021, BBC
Stuart Russell, Professor of Computer Science and founder of the Center for Human-Compatible Artificial Intelligence at the University of California, Berkeley will be the 2021 BBC Reith Lecturer. Russell will deliver four lectures this autumn, which will explore the impact of AI on our lives and discuss how we can retain power over machines more powerful than ourselves.

• Devjani Saha, Director of Neurology Regulatory Affairs at MCRA;
• Martina Coscia, Senior Consultant at Confinis;
• Rob Franklin, Director of Brain Interfaces at Blackrock;
• Ricardo Chavarriga, Head of the CLAIRE office Switzerland.