Where knowledge begins
Basic research has the aura of pure intellectual curiosity and true science. In its 150th issue, Horizons examines its very foundations with a mix of appreciation and critical scrutiny.
Horizons has now been published 150 times. That is why this issue celebrates its achievements since 1988. There have been some wonderful and quirky headlines, researchers who accurately predicted the future, and a shift in content towards a stronger focus on people and opinions. Over this period, the magazine has grown in page count, and since 2017, Horizons has also been available online. To mark the anniversary, the editorial team also speaks to the magazine’s first female editor-in-chief and a long-standing reader about their very personal stories with the research magazine.
With its focus on basic research, the 150th issue has a fitting theme that neatly ties the magazine’s history back to the very first issue. Even back then, it was dedicated, amongst other things, to the fundamental work of researchers.
Around the world, curiosity continues to drive the investigation of every conceivable – and inconceivable – question. Today, basic research is regarded as the cornerstone of all innovations. Yet, despite all the promising buzzwords, it constantly struggles for recognition. The 150th issue of Horizons showcases eight projects that exemplify the great ingenuity behind the smallest of questions. Together with the philosopher of science and ERC co-founder Helga Nowotny, it explores how this major European funding initiative came about in the first place. And it delves into the foundations of a rhetoric that promises more than it can deliver.
The current issue of Horizons is as diverse as the research itself – and, as always, freely accessible to all.