Shaping Science with Nick Dirks

Laura Spinney joins Nick Dirks in the latest episode of Shaping Science to discuss how the “Spanish” flu got its name, why societies change over time, and the role of genetics and DNA in understanding language origins in Eastern Europe. Laura Spinney is a science journalist and author whose work explores how science, society, and culture intersect. She is best known for her international bestseller Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World’ which redefined how we understand pandemics and their social aftermath. A fluent writer in both English and French, Spinney contributes to The Economist, The Guardian, Nature, and National Geographic. Her latest book ‘Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global traces how one language left the steppes of Ukraine and went on to become the dominant language family on Earth.

This episode of Shaping Science was made possible with the generous support of Tata Sons.

For more info, visit: ⁠nyas.org/ideas-insights/podcasts⁠

00:00 Intro  
03:46 Collective Memory and the 1918 Flu Pandemic 
09:20 Why Was it Called the “Spanish” Flu? 
13:42 Using Linguistics, Archeology, and Genetics to Explore the Origins of Language 
17:14 Language and its Relationship to Politics 
25:15 The Role of Genetics and DNA in Understanding Language Origins in Eastern Europe 
35:52 Adaptability: How Societies Change Socially and Economically Over Time 
40:43 A Global Tableau: Explaining the Complexity of Identity  
44:00 How to Make History Resonate with Younger Audiences 

Agustín Fuentes, PhD, joins Nick Dirks in the latest episode of Shaping Science to discuss his boundary-crossing work in anthropology; humanist questions around the power of belief; and the biological character of gender and sex. Dr. Fuentes is a biological anthropologist whose research challenges entrenched ideas about what it means to be human. A professor at Princeton University, he is known for his work on human evolution, cooperation, creativity, and is the author of influential books including Why We Believe: Evolution and the Human Way of Being and Race, Monogamy, and Other Lies They Told You.   

This episode of Shaping Science was made possible with the generous support of Tata Sons.

For more info, visit: ⁠nyas.org/ideas-insights/podcasts⁠

00:00 Intro

03:10 Anthropology: Uniting the Natural Sciences, the Social Sciences, and the Arts

07:04 Finding the Balance Between Biological Anthropology and Cultural Anthropology

10:29 Anthropological Considerations Around Race and Racism

18:30 Debunking Biological Myths and Theoretical Framings of Biology

24:35 Exploring the Humanist Questions Around the Power of Belief

29:00 What is Distinctively Human?

32:06 The Biological Character of Gender and Sex, And the Biological Limits of the Binary

39:05 Pushing Back Against Binary Distinctions

43:50 Language’s Role in the Distinctiveness of Being Human

Angus Fletcher, PhD, joins Nick Dirks in the latest episode of Shaping Science to discuss how the humanities inform the sciences, the role of neurons as action initiators, and why he thinks artificial general intelligence (AGI) is a hoax. With degrees from the University of Michigan and Yale University, he is currently a professor of story science at Ohio State University’s Project Narrative. Trained in both neuroscience and literature, Prof. Fletcher bridges the sciences and humanities to explore how stories shape the human mind, inspire innovation, and foster resilience. His latest book  ‘Primal Intelligence: You Are Smarter Than You Know’ – argues that it’s our unique form of human intuition, imagination, and emotional intelligence that give humans an edge even in the age of AI.   

This episode of Shaping Science was made possible with the generous support of Tata Sons.

For more info, visit: ⁠nyas.org/ideas-insights/podcasts⁠

00:00 Intro 
05:10 A Quest to Understand How the Brain Works 
09:19 From the Science Lab to the Literature Classroom 
15:45 How the Brain Operates as a Distinctly Human Attribute 
21:45 Narrative Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence 
25:58 Language as Communication and the Development of the Human Brain 
30:05 How Effective Leaders Utilize Storytelling 
32:29 Narrative, Humans, and the Hoax of Artificial General Intelligence 
36:40 How Advances in Computation Negatively Impact Education 
40:33 Teaching Creativity 
44:04 The Future of the Humanities in Higher Education 

D. Graham Burnett, PhD, joins Nick Dirks in the latest episode of Shaping Science to discuss the role of democracy in science and the impact technology has on attention spans. Prof. Burnett is the Henry Charles Lea Professor of History at Princeton University. He co-authored the paper “Attention sanctuaries: Social practice guidelines and emergent strategies in attention activism” published in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences: https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nyas.15313. 

This episode of Shaping Science was made possible with the generous support of Tata Sons.

For more info, visit: ⁠nyas.org/ideas-insights/podcasts⁠

00:00 Intro 
02:28 Is a Whale a Fish or a Mammal? 
06:26 Pre-Darwin Taxonomy of Animals 
12:21 The Role of Democracy in Science 
15:58 The History and Philosophy of Science 
26:18 The Crisis of Attention Exploitation and Human Fracking 35:30 How Does Technology Impact Attention Span? 
44:40 Using Artificial Intelligence in Teaching

Stuart Firestein, PhD, joins Nick Dirks in the latest episode of Shaping Science to discuss the science of smells, learning from failure, and the utility of uncertainty. Formerly the Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University, Prof. Firestein is the author of “Ignorance: How it Drives Science” and “Failure: Why Science is So Successful,” which have been translated into 12 languages.

This episode of Shaping Science was made possible with the generous support of Tata Sons.

For more info, visit: ⁠nyas.org/ideas-insights/podcasts⁠

00:00 Intro

01:59 How Memorizing Theatre Lines Led to Success in Organic Chemistry

10:04 Debating the Sensory Dominance of Smell for Dogs

15:01 The Most Interesting Components of Smell for Humans

18:50 Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence

20:49 Controlling for the Aging Brain

26:56 Ignorance and Knowing What You Don't Know

32:49 Handling Failure and Uncovering the Unknown Unknowns

36:08 Finding the Balance Between Failure and Success

39:39 Assessing the Current State of Funding for Science

Peter Salovey joins Nick Dirks in the latest episode of Shaping Science to discuss his groundbreaking work on emotional intelligence and lessons he’s learned after more than two decades in higher education leadership. Prof. Salovey served as the twenty-third president of Yale University from 2013 to 2024 and currently is Sterling Professor of Psychology at Yale with secondary appointments in the Schools of Management and Public Health. A clinical psychologist by training, Prof. Salovey is renowned for his work in the realm of emotional intelligence, which focuses on the important role emotions play in thinking and behavior. 

This episode of Shaping Science was made possible with the generous support of Tata Sons.

For more info, visit: ⁠nyas.org/ideas-insights/podcasts⁠

00:00 Intro 
01:45 How Emotional Intelligence Revolutionized the Field of Psychology  
10:10 The Role of Dan Goleman and Journalism in Emotional Intelligence 
17:13 Emotional Intelligence and Intelligence Quotient (IQ) 
21:50 How Effective Leaders Utilize Emotional Intelligence  
26:13 Challenges in Higher Education Administration: Renaming Yale’s Calhoun College 
36:25 “No Jump Balls” and Differentiating Principle from Application of Principle 
44:52 How Scientific Leaders Should Respond to the Current Moment

Ariel Ekblaw, PhD, founder and CEO of Aurelia Institute, joins Nick Dirks in the latest episode of Shaping Science to discuss the complexity and promise of modern space exploration. Dr. Ekblaw talks about the work her nonprofit is doing in developing “space LEGOs” to create customizable space structures for humans, the utility of zero gravity for medical applications, and her thoughts on democratizing space travel to make it as accessible as possible.  

This episode of Shaping Science was made possible with the generous support of Tata Sons.

For more info, visit: ⁠nyas.org/ideas-insights/podcasts⁠

Also read from Dr. Ekblaw: https://on.ft.com/4gJuSkx 

Mary Woolley, President of Research!America, joins Nick Dirks in the premiere episode of Shaping Science, The New York Academy of Sciences' new podcast. Mary discusses her more than three-decade career at the helm of Research!America, the importance of federal support for research, and hope for the future of science, despite recent challenges.

This episode of Shaping Science was made possible with the generous support of Tata Sons.

For more info, visit: nyas.org/ideas-insights/podcasts

Welcome to the "Shaping Science" podcast where we talk with experts from science, academia, industry, and beyond to explore the latest in research, education and innovation for the public good.