Scientists

Sidney Altman: Unraveling the Mystery of Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)

Sidney Altman
2010

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Nobel Laureate Sidney Altman, Sterling Professor at Yale University, for a discussion of Ribonucleic Acid (RNA). Topics covered include: the importance of basic research, creativity in the sciences, the qualities and skills necessary for scientific problem solving, the evolution of Altman's career, his Nobel research unraveling the mystery of RNA's function, and the implications of his discovery for understanding the origins of life and preventing disease. Drawing on his experience as Dean of Yale College in the 1980's, he also discusses...

Roy L. Caldwell: Evolution of a Biologist

Roy L. Caldwell
2001

In this edition, UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler talks with UC Berkeley Professor Roy L. Caldwell about his work in marine biology and what his research tells us about sight in stomatopods.

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people/Caldwell/caldwell-con0.html

Key Words: Bioscience, Marine Life, Scientists

Richard C. Lewontin: Science and Politics

Richard C. Lewontin
2003

Conversations with History host Harry Kreisler talks with Richard C.Lewontin about scientific inquiry and the role of science in public policy.

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people3/Lewontin/lewontin-con0.html

Key Words: Scientists, Scientific Inquiry, Geneticists, Science and Politics, Berkeley Graduate Lecturers, Genetics, RIP

Ralph J. Cicerone: Science, Climate Change, and Leadership

Ralph J. Cicerone
2016

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Ralph J. Cicerone, President of the National Academy of Sciences for a discussion of the challenges facing the scientific community. Dr. Cicerone describes his research interests and explains the qualities of a scientist and what makes science a unique enterprise. He also focuses on leadership in science discussing his work at UC Irvine to establish a department of geosciences and his goals as President of the National Academy of Science and Chair of the National Research Council. He reflects on his work on,“Climate Change Science: An Analysis on...

Neil Shubin: Your Inner Fish

Neil Shubin
2009

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes University of Chicago Professor Neil Shubin for a discussion of his book, "Your Inner Fish, A Journey into the 3.5 Billion-year History of the Human Body". Shubin talks about his career, the interdisciplinary nature of the work of a paleontologist, and the unique skill set, scientific and personal, that is required. He also chronicles his team's discovery of the fossil Tiktaalik, the transition between fish and four-legged mammals that occurred over 350 million years ago.

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John Harte: Understanding the Global Environmental Crisis

John Harte
2009

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes Professor John Harte of UC Berkeley for a discussion of what environmental science teaches us about the potentially catastrophic consequences of a failure to address the current environmental crisis. His intellectual odyssey from physics to environmental studies offers important insight into how scientists have come to understand the relationship between humanity and nature and the necessary conditions for providing a balance that insures the well being of future generations. The conversation concludes with a discussion of how the present moment can be seized...

James E. Peebles: A Cosmologist's Intellectual Journey

James E. Peebles
2006

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Princeton cosmologist Jim Peebles for a discussion of his intellectual odyssey. They discuss his contributions to cosmology and the future of the field.

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people6/Peebles/peebles-con0.html

Key Words: Scientists, Cosmology, Astronomy, Berkeley Graduate Lecturers, Nobel Laureates

Jacques Bouchard: Nuclear Power and the Challenges of Global Climate Change and Nuclear Proliferation

Jacques Bouchard
2009

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Jacques Bouchard, Special Adviser to the Chairman of the French Atomic Energy Commission, for a discussion of French energy policy and its reliance on nuclear power. Drawing on the French experience, he argues for the utility of nuclear power in dealing with global warming and explains the role of the nuclear engineer in responding to the technical needs generated by new challenges in design and safety. Bouchard also analyzes how nuclear engineering can address the problem of nuclear proliferation in cases such as Iran.

Key Words...

Herbert F. York: Reminiscences from a Career in Science, National Security, and the University

Herbert F. York
1988

UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler interviews the Director of the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, Herbert F. York.

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people/York/york88-con0.html

Key Words: Nuclear Weapons, Arms Control, National Laboratories, Scientists, Science and Public Policy, Science and Public Policy, RIP

Harold Palmer Smith: Thinking about the 'Unthinkables' in the Post-9/11 World

Harold Palmer Smith
2006

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Harold P. Smith, Jr, former Pentagon official and Professor of Public Policy at Berkeley, for a discussion of the nuclear terrorism threat in the post 911 world.

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people6/HSmith/hsmith-con0.html

Key Words: Nuclear Weapons, Terrorism, Scientists