Speaker Series

Deborah Blum on Science Journalism

Deborah Blum is an acclaimed science journalist, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and Director of the Knight Science Journalism program at MIT. With a career spanning decades, she has worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between science and the public through her compelling storytelling and her commitment to advancing science literacy. Her influential books, including The Poisoner’s Handbook and The Poison Squad, explore the intersection of science, history, and societal impact, earning her widespread recognition. At the Knight Science Journalism program, Deborah leads efforts to train and support journalists worldwide, fostering a global community dedicated to improving the quality of science communication and addressing pressing challenges like misinformation and declining public trust in science. In this conversation, Deborah discusses the evolving role of science journalism in today’s complex information landscape. From her leadership at the Knight Science Journalism Program to her insights on science literacy and the challenges of misinformation, Deborah explores how journalists and scientists can work together to build a more informed and trusting society. She emphasises the importance of education, social justice, and effective communication in fostering a science-literate public while highlighting the program’s global impact in empowering the next generation of science journalists and the power of storytelling in bridging the gap between science and society. Read more here [https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/article/meet-deborah-blum/] and ⁠⁠watch the episode here [https://youtu.be/iXry3WOwG08]⁠⁠. Series lead and interviewer: ⁠⁠Dr Suze Kundu⁠⁠ [https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/people/suze-kundu/], Director of Researcher and Community Engagement, ⁠⁠Digital Science⁠⁠ [https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/]. Filming and production support: Huw James, Science Story Lab. Filmed at the Knight Science Journalism headquarters, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA. Recorded in April 2024.

Dr Danny Hillis on Technology and Truth

For our host Suze, the countdown to Christmas means three things - excitement, new gadgets, and an almost daily dose of Disney in one form or another. So, since it's December, let's tick off a hattrick of all three of those boxes with this special extra-long conversation with Dr Danny Hillis - inventor, innovator, and the founder of Applied Invention. Want to avoid that annual appraisal or procrastinate around your 2025 planning? Grab a drink and a chocolate orange, and spend 50 minutes hearing from the legend that developed the knowledge graph that provides the foundations for Google Search. In this conversation, Danny chats with Dr Suze Kundu about his journey from building the fastest computers to founding Applied Invention, emphasising the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in solving complex problems. He reflects on the legacy of Thinking Machines and its impact on parallel computing and artificial intelligence, as well as his role in developing the Google Knowledge Graph. Danny also addresses the challenges of misinformation in the digital age and the need for a robust infrastructure to discern truth. He highlights the significance of aesthetic design in technology and the potential for future advancements in knowledge representation. Read more here⁠⁠ [https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/article/technology-and-truth-meet-dr-danny-hillis/] and ⁠⁠watch the episode here⁠⁠ [https://youtu.be/k8mX_prIllI?feature=shared]. Series lead and interviewer: ⁠⁠Dr Suze Kundu⁠⁠ [https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/people/suze-kundu/], Director of Researcher and Community Engagement, ⁠⁠Digital Science⁠⁠ [https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/]. Filming and production support: Huw James, Science Story Lab. Filmed at the Applied Invention Massachusetts office, Cambridge, MA, USA. Recorded in April 2024.

Professor Jenny Reardon on Science and Social Justice

As the Aaron Sorkin global political drama that is 2024 reached its season finale in the USA in November, Suze sat down for a chat about the politicisation of research with Professor Jenny Reardon, Professor of Sociology at the University of California Santa Cruz, and the Founder of Science and Justice Research Center. Jenny and Suze met back in June when they both attended a workshop on Science at Social Justice at the Lorenz Center in Leiden, The Netherlands, as a result of a session at Sci Foo 2023 where like-minded people gathered to talk about the state of research and its impact on all of society. Read more here⁠⁠ [https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/article/science-and-social-justice-meet-professor-jenny-reardon/] and ⁠⁠watch the episode here⁠⁠ [https://youtu.be/cI8kQ_GNV50?feature=shared]. Series lead and interviewer: ⁠⁠Dr Suze Kundu⁠⁠ [https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/people/suze-kundu/], Director of Researcher and Community Engagement, ⁠⁠Digital Science⁠⁠ [https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/]. Filming and production support: Huw James, Science Story Lab. Filmed at the Møller Institute, Churchill College at the University of Cambridge, UK. Recorded in July 2024.

Dr Gilbert De Gregorio on Incentives for Innovation

People who win awards tend to win more awards in the future. Even putting yourself forward for self-nominated awards falls along the lines of privilege and confidence. And even if you win awards, there is no guarantee that it will have a positive impact on your research career as measured by traditional metrics of success. How can we diversify the talents we celebrate and support, and ensure that no groundbreaking discoveries are overlooked, to truly tackle the global challenges we are facing as a society? This is something Suze chatted about with Dr Gilbert De Gregorio, Associate Director of the Frontiers Planetary Prize. Suze and Gilbert also chat about the benefits of prize programs in encouraging and rewarding creativity in overcoming global challenges, and how prize committees must look beyond those who are victims of the "success snowball" to find the most innovative people and ideas. Read more here⁠ [https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/article/incentives-for-innovation-meet-dr-gilbert-de-gregorio/] and ⁠watch the episode here⁠ [https://youtu.be/7mXQcStElEU?feature=shared]. Series lead and interviewer: ⁠Dr Suze Kundu⁠ [https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/people/suze-kundu/], Director of Researcher and Community Engagement, ⁠Digital Science⁠ [https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/]. Filming and production support: Huw James, Science Story Lab. Filmed at Falling Walls 2023 in Berlin, Germany. Recorded in November 2023.

Dr Eugenia Cheng on the Reality of Maths

If I said the word “mathematics”, it is a fairly safe bet that reactions would be mixed. While many people love maths, the subject can provoke quite a different response in others. It is common for folks to be transported back in time to childhood memories of formulae written on classroom whiteboards in what feels like a different language. However, mathematician, concert pianist, and author Dr Eugenia Cheng – is on a mission to change that perception of the subject she loves and showcase the joy, creativity and wonder of maths, and how it underpins our everyday lives, from the food we eat to the entertainment we consume. Dr Suze Kundu caught up with Eugenia ahead of her talk at the Ri in June 2024 [https://youtu.be/_FNpKjs0Va0?feature=shared] in the spectacular Faraday Lecture Theatre to talk about the creativity, wonder and relatability of maths, and how we can all engage with it in ways that bring us joy. Read more here⁠ [https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/article/the-reality-of-maths-meet-dr-eugenia-cheng/] and ⁠watch the episode here⁠ [https://youtu.be/wF73zsoONYE?feature=shared]. Series lead and interviewer: ⁠Dr Suze Kundu⁠ [https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/people/suze-kundu/], Director of Researcher and Community Engagement, ⁠Digital Science⁠ [https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/]. Filming and production support: Huw James, Science Story Lab. Filmed in the Faraday Lecture Theatre at The Royal Institution. Recorded in June 2024.