In an era of large collaborations, multi-authored papers, and enormous datasets, is there still room for the single creative idea that proves to be a gamechanger?

If everyone likes your research, you can be certain that you have not done anything important. That is the first thing to grasp. Conflict goes with the territory. Innovation comes when universities encourage risk-taking, says Andrew Oswald.

Measures of research impact are improving, but universities should be wary of their limits.

Nachwuchsforscher stehen unter hohem Druck: Gefragt sind Publikationen und Mobilität, Freiräume dagegen sind rar. Die Akademien der Wissenschaften der Schweiz machen die schwierige Situation zum Thema einer Tagung an der Universität Zürich.

Immer wieder geht das Schlagwort vom künstlichen Organismus um, wenn von der synthetischen Biologie die Rede ist. Doch wie künstlich ist das Leben, das diese Ingenieurs- disziplin der Biologie «schafft»?

Weakened by the economic crisis, European science faces increased competition from emerging countries. Helga Nowotny shares her vision for the future of European research.

Bernard Guetta is known as France's most respected geopolitical analyst. On his show on the public radio station France Inter, with its audience of 1.8 million, he deftly discusses the challenges Europe faces in the era of globalization.

Nature, the pre-eminent journal for reporting scientific research, has had to retract two papers it published in January after mistakes were spotted in the figures, some of the methods descriptions were found to be plagiarised and early attempts to replicate the work failed.

Scientists could achieve more fulfilled professional lives by embracing the skills needed for effective interaction with the public.

Every year, thousands of scientists leave Europe for jobs elsewhere, notably the United States. The Old World is trying to get them back.