Horizons magazine: men, women and all the others
Some people are neither man nor woman. The latest edition of Horizons explores how medicine and society attempt to explain and treat such ambivalence. In addition, the magazine takes a close look at internet channels that reach millions by presenting research in the form of attractively packaged news stories.
There is more to gender in nature than just male and female. The concepts most frequently used to describe other variants are intersex, third gender and hermaphrodite. A lot more people are born with ambiguous sex characteristics than is generally assumed. The latest issue of Horizons explains the biological factors that influence the development of "variant genders" and shows why societies and legal systems are still searching for an adequate approach to intersexuality.
Another key topic of the Swiss research magazine's November issue is the new generation of science communicators. In the digital sphere, research stories are short, punchy and colourful and they reach millions via Youtube, Facebook and numerous blogs.
The magazine also includes a profile of this year's Latsis prizewinner, biologist Richard Benton. He is studying the sense of smell in an insect often found in Swiss kitchens during the summer: the fruit fly.
Other articles focus on Kurdish history, the anthropology of Art Basel, X-rays of the pigment Prussian blue and perovskite, the stuff of dreams for applications in solar electricity, laser and energy.
The Swiss research magazine Horizons brings you the latest science news from Switzerland and addresses current research policy issues in an international context. It is published four times a year in German and French by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences; an English version is available online.