Episodes 10
Avg. Duration 24m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 5.0 (13)
Since Dec 2021
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Every 2 Weeks
Format
Episodic
Consistency
62%
Hosting
rss.buzzsprout.com

About This Podcast

With recent health, environmental, and economic crises, the capacity of humankind to innovate its way to a better future is, at times, in doubt. How are science and technology confronting our most foundational global challenges? How can we increase public trust in science? And what are the ethical and political challenges to charting a path of human progress in the 21st century? In this podcast, host Brendan Karch interviews thinkers, writers, scientists, policymakers, and researchers who are tackling these seismic questions. Tectonic is a production of Swissnex in Boston and New York, whose aim is to bring the leading ideas from our hub of academic inquiry to Switzerland and the world, in order to inspire new thinking across disciplinary and national boundaries. 

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Recent Episodes

S3E2 Beyond Human Exceptionalism with Christine Webb

Jun 03, 2026 23m Transcript

As humans, we tend to see ourselves at the top of a natural hierarchy — the most intelligent and successful species on Earth. What if that conviction isn't just wrong, but also dangerous?In this…

S3E1 Defining the Planetary with Jonathan Blake

May 19, 2026 27m Transcript

What do we mean when we talk about the planetary? Why not just use familiar terms like global or international? For the first episode of our new season on planetary diplomacy, we sat down with…

S3 Trailer: What is Planetary Diplomacy?

May 12, 2026 3m Trailer Transcript

What would it mean to create a new form of diplomacy, one that represents the interests of the more-than-human world? Welcome to Season 3 of Tectonic, where we’ll be exploring an idea we call…

S2E2 The Most Innovative Square Mile on Earth

Jul 27, 2022 25m

Massachusetts and Switzerland both often rank near the top of state and country innovation rankings. Key to this success are innovation zones, and none is more influential than Kendall Square – a…

S2E1 The Foundations of Sustainable Construction

Jul 05, 2022 29m

Switzerland famously lacks natural resources, especially wood. To build its modern economy, the mountainous country came to rely heavily on concrete – and today has become a world leader in the…

S1E5 Democratizing Innovation in Cities

Feb 01, 2022 25m Transcript

The problems of the globe are also the problems of our major cities, especially post-industrial ones: environmental damage, economic inequality, public health crises. Can we solve these problems one…

S1E4 Is the Future of Meat in the Lab?

Jan 18, 2022 25m Transcript

As our global population continues to expand, and developing societies grow wealthier, our food supply is being stretched thin. In particular, global demand for meat continues to rise – and with it…

S1E3 Renewing our Governance Systems

Jan 04, 2022 25m Transcript

What’s ailing American politics, and can the underlying ideals of US democracy be renewed? How should the US change its role in the world, and are there alternatives to solving global challenges that…

S1E2 Making Science Work for Policy and the Public

Dec 21, 2021 22m Transcript

We live an era where we need science more than ever to solve our global challenges, from global warming to pandemics. And yet science often feels under attack from multiple directions. How can…

S1E1 Rebuilding Trust in Institutions

Dec 03, 2021 24m Transcript

"I think Facebook may be one of these broken institutions, where we actually need to replace it with something different," says Ethan Zuckerman, an early internet pioneer and scholar examining the…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Tectonic have?

Tectonic has published 10 episodes since December 2021, covering topics in Nature, Science.

Is Tectonic still active?

Tectonic is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 24m.

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