For two decades, Matt Kaplan has covered science for The Economist.

He’s seen breakthroughs often occur in spite of, rather than because of, the behavior of the research community,

and how support can be withheld for those who don’t conform or have the right connections.

In his latest book, I Told You So! Scientists Who Were Ridiculed, Exiled and Imprisoned… For Being Right,

Matt shines a light on some of these cases, both past and present.

From Galileo being threatened with torture

To Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó being fired when on the brink of discovering how to wield mRNA–a finding that proved pivotal for the creation of the Covid-19 vaccine.

In today’s conversation we’ll explore some of these stories,

Why scientists have had to fight for their revolutionary ideas to be accepted,

And reflections on how we can, and need to, do better.

Matt’s work offers a poignant reminder:

If we are going to solve the grand challenges we’re facing,

From natural disasters to global pandemics,

We need science.

And, we need each other.

The creativity, innovation, and scientific discovery

That will help us find our way forward

Will come from more humble ways of working together,

Recognizing our shared humanity,

And ultimately redesigning the systems scientists work in -

to prioritize collaboration over cutthroat competition.

For more on Matt, his books, writing, and other offerings please visit: somuchsciencesolittletime.com

Enjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!

Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:

Thanks for listening!

Support the show

On Science, Hope, and Humanity | Matt Kaplan