Jim Al-Khalili Why I Love the Life Scientific! (#223)

Jim is a theoretical physicist at the University of Surrey where he
holds a Distinguished Chair in physics as well as a university
chair in the public engagement in science. He received his PhD in
nuclear reaction theory in 1989 and has published widely in the
field. His current interest is in open quantum systems and the
application of quantum mechanics in biology. He is a prominent
author and broadcaster. He has written 14 books on popular science
and the history of science, between them translated into twenty-six
languages. His latest book, The World According to
Physics, was shortlisted for the Royal Society Book Prize. He
is a regular presenter of TV science documentaries, such as the
Bafta nominated Chemistry: a volatile history, and he
hosts the long-running weekly BBC Radio 4 programme, The Life
Scientific. Jim is a past president of the British Science
Association and a recipient of the Royal Society Michael Faraday
medal and the Wilkins-Bernal-Medawar Medal, the Institute of
Physics Kelvin Medal and the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science
Communication. He received an OBE in 2007 and a CBE in 2021 for
‘services to science’. In his latest book, The Joy of Science, Jim
presents 8 short lessons on how to unlock the clarity, empowerment,
and joy of thinking and living a little more scientifically. In
this brief guide, Professor Al-Khalili invites readers to engage
with the world as scientists have been trained to do. The
scientific method has served humankind well in its quest to see
things as they really are, and underpinning the scientific method
are core principles that can help us all navigate modern life more
confidently. Discussing the nature of truth and uncertainty, the
role of doubt, the pros and cons of simplification, the value of
guarding against bias, the importance of evidence-based thinking,
and more, Al-Khalili shows how the powerful ideas at the heart of
the scientific method are deeply relevant to the complicated times
we live in and the difficult choices we make. Available on Amazon
https://jimal-khalili.com/ https://twitter.com/jimalkhalili Topics
in this interview include: The tension between art (poetics) and
science. What can science learn from poetry? What is the difference
between wisdom and knowledge? What does the phrase "follow the
science" mean to you? What is the "scientific method”? What do you
think about Karl Popper's philosophy and the falsification rule?
The problem with authority bias. What's your philosophy regarding
science outreach and popularization? Please Visit our Sponsors:
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