Mouth Matters. (01/2025)

It talks, sings, eats, kisses, and laughs. We rarely give it much thought — except, perhaps, when we visit the dentist. In this issue, we give the mouth the spotlight it deserves.

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  Dossier

  News by song.

  Text: Noëmi Kern / Before we had mass media, people’s voices were instrumental in disseminating news. A research project looks at vocal culture in the early modern period.

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  Dossier

  From Elvis to Adele.

  Text: Christoph Dieffenbacher / Even today, songs have a marked influence on international pop culture. The individual voice is as important as the lyrics in conveying the message.

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  Dossier

  You do speak with your mouth full.

  Text: Yvonne Vahlensieck / Communication isn’t just about what we say. When tasting foods in the company of others, we communicate in different ways.

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  Dossier

  Replacing lost teeth.

  Text: Christel Möller / Dental implants should integrate seamlessly into the mouth and ideally last a lifetime. Scientists are researching the best material to achieve this.

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    Dossier

    New method to fight tooth decay.

    Text: Angelika Jacobs / Everyone wants to maintain healthy teeth for as long as possible. Researchers at the University Center for Dental Medicine Basel UZB are studying how to keep cavity-causing bacteria at bay.

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  Dossier

  From maws to mouths.

  Text: Angelika Jacobs and Noëmi Kern / Whether fishes or great apes, vertebrates have developed an incredible variety of mouth types. What do we know about their history and origins?

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  Dossier

  Our ever-shrinking chops.

  Text: Noëmi Kern / Can sex be determined from the size of the jawbone and teeth? And how are human teeth evolving? Answers from the field of anthropology.

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  Dossier

  The universe of the mouth.

  Illustration: Olivia Fischer / How much saliva do we produce? How long is the tongue? Join us on a journey through a small cosmos that accompanies us every day and serves us well.

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  Research

  Girls are better at languages, boys are better at math — true or false?

  Text: Jana Lindner / The cliché holds that girls have an affinity for languages, boys for technology. Parents and teachers can help to prevent this becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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  In conversation

  Joint research efforts to fight the next epidemic.

  Interview*: Angelika Jacobs / Emma Hodcroft is investigating how our coexistence with viruses changes both us and the pathogens. In terms of diseases such as bird flu and Ebola, she is concerned about the USA and the slashing of science and development aid under the current administration.

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  Portrait

  Inspired by the intangible.

  Text: Irène Dietschi / Despite just two years of physics at high school, Andrea Hofmann chose to study the subject in Zurich. Today, she develops qubits with her research group in Basel.

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  Research

  Where chemistry meets medicine.

  Text: Elizaveta Maksimova, chemist / Even as a child, Elizaveta Maksimova wanted to do something with medicine — today she is developing nanoparticles for targeted cancer therapy.

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  Opinion

  Why do we need animal testing, Ms Barkat?

  Text: Tania Rinaldi Barkat, neuroscientist /

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  Opinion

  Why do we need animal testing, Mr Müller?

  Text: Nico Müller, philosopher /

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  In pictures

  Coins for the gods.

  Text: Noëmi Kern / The Septimer Pass in the canton of Graubünden has long been an important Alpine crossing. Archaeological artifacts such as coins bear witness to this.

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    Research

    E-bikes instead of cars.

    Text: Barbara Spycher / Faster than a bicycle, more environmentally friendly than a car: e-bikes offer numerous advantages. What exactly persuades people to switch from four wheels to two?

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  Research

  How love shapes us.

  Text: Noëmi Kern / Relationships play a key role in our lives. A study by Basel psychologists shows how partnerships and personalities are interconnected.

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  Research

  What the eyes reveal about the heart.

  Text: Adrian Ritter / By examining the blood vessels of the eye, we can assess the health of vessels throughout the body. This method was developed in large part by researchers at the University of Basel. Now, it’s making its way into clinical applications.

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  Research

  Bringing expertise to politics.

  Text: Urs Hafner / Researchers can contribute much to government-commissioned political advisory committees — if they are allowed to do so. Monika Pfaffinger and Laurent Goetschel share their contrasting experiences.

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  Alumni

  The nuances of legal language.

  Interview: Marion Maurer / Karin Scherrer Reber studied law at the University of Basel. She was appointed as a federal judge in 2022 – a career development that was not necessarily planned.

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  Alumni

  The trailblazer.

  Text: Marion Maurer / Mahnaz Parian-Scherb works at Roche, researching possible applications of artificial intelligence. She also mentors students and helps them to find their own path.