Night Science

Renowned philosopher Daniel Dennett discusses his 'intuition pumps' and the importance of creativity, consciousness, and free will. He shares insights on the use of analogies in science, the potential dangers of chat GPT, and the collaboration between philosophy and science. The podcast also explores the intersection of science and philosophy in neuroscience and the significance of addressing questions beyond consciousness. A fascinating discussion on creativity and 'real magic'.

Howard Stone, a Princeton Engineering Professor, dives into the thrilling world of fluid dynamics. He discusses how blending different scientific disciplines can unlock new insights. Stone emphasizes the importance of creativity and collaboration in research, likening scientific inquiry to detective work filled with curiosity and confidence. He also highlights the need for simplicity in tackling complex systems and champions a flexible mentorship style that nurtures innovative thinking among students.

Prisca Liberali, a senior group leader at a biomedical research institute, shares insights into the creative process, the role of curiosity, and risk-taking in science. They discuss the differences and similarities in approaches to creativity between scientists and artists. The podcast also explores the importance of 'why' questions in science and the role of conferences in scientific research.

Tom Mullaney, a Professor of History at Stanford University, and Chris Rea, a Professor of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia, discuss self-centered research, the power of vulnerable self-confidence in research, and the necessity of personal biases in noticing anything interesting. They highlight the importance of choosing a meaningful research problem, exploring personal connections in research topics, and the value of self-reflection and engaging with the world. They also delve into the relationship between bias and the research process and the need to test and contrast ideas with reality.

Bonnie Bassler is the Chair of the Molecular Biology Department at Princeton. In this episode, Bonnie talks about her passion for scientific inquiry, creativity, mentorship, and how the journey of discovery is about asking the right questions, distinguishing between what you can do and what you should do, and about embracing the unexpected. In our very lively and fun discussion, we explore the significance of asking "why" questions to fuel passion and curiosity – even if only the if/what/when/how questions lead to clear answers – and we explore the balance between chaos and control in the scientific process. And so while the pay might be bad and the hours long, the joy of doing science and living on the edge in a “nerdy kind of way” makes it all worthwhile.For more information on Night Science, visit https://www.biomedcentral.com/collections/night-science  .

Yukiko Yamashita is a biology professor at MIT and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Yukiko’s research is amazingly broad, perhaps because she often only realizes at the end of a project which question she was asking by what she had been doing, as she explains in this episode. She likens research to solving 5000-piece jigsaw puzzles – not one at a time, but with the pieces from hundreds of puzzles all dumped together. So that while we put the pieces together, we have to be always watching ourselves: does that come from the same picture? Yukiko sees her role in the lab like that of an old wise woman in a tribe, a kind of ancient memory that still remembers their conversation with former lab members – stimulating creativity by bridging projects and generations of researchers.For more information on Night Science, visit https://www.biomedcentral.com/collections/night-science  .

In this engaging discussion, Stephen Wolfram, CEO of Wolfram Research and creator of Mathematica and Wolfram Alpha, dives into the essence of computation as the foundation of the universe. He emphasizes the importance of selecting the right problems in scientific inquiry, showcasing his unique approach to blending creativity with foundational principles. Stephen explores the interplay between basic science and technology, and how collaboration can lead to groundbreaking insights. Discover the aesthetic pursuit of scientific truth and the balance between 'night science' and 'day science' as he shares his innovative vision.

Laurence Hurst is a professor of Evolutionary Genetics and the founding Director of the Milner Centre for Evolution at The University of Bath. Martin actually learned biology from Laurence as a postdoc, and he still likes to quote Laurence’s favorite question after the departmental seminars: “Why is this interesting?” In this episode, Laurence explains his Slime Mold Model of the scientific process, advises us to follow the data, and tells us that much of his research springs from him being a magpie for funny little observations that don’t fit into the current scientific worldview. For more information on Night Science, visit https://www.biomedcentral.com/collections/night-science .

Edith Heard, a leading authority in epigenetics and director at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, shares her insights on innovation in science. She discusses how stepping out of one's comfort zone fuels creativity and the role of music in her problem-solving process. Edith contrasts the naive optimism seen in US scientific culture with the more rigid European approach. She emphasizes the importance of deep knowledge balanced with humility, and how she patiently stores questions until the right methods emerge to explore them.

Ewan Birney is the deputy director general of the European Molecular Biology Lab (EMBL) and  co-director of the European Bioinformatics Institute. In his research, Ewan combines his training in biochemistry with computer science, which made him one of the heroes of the human genome project. In this episode, he describes that an “emotional” understanding of science is often enough to have valuable discussions with experts in different fields, a concept that forms the basis of his diamonds-and-whiskers model of successful scientific teams. Ewan also explains how for him, problems have personalities, and why thinking about science while driving is a bad idea. And he discusses with us how “humans are a complicated species” can be all the scientific hypothesis you need for a grant application, and how Mendel – but not Darwin! – was an early data scientist. For more information on Night Science, visit https://www.biomedcentral.com/collections/night-science .