Night Science 72 | David Baker and the lab's communal brain
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Mar 24, 2025 
David Baker, a University of Washington professor and 2024 Nobel Prize winner, shares insights on designing proteins with AI. He discusses his lab's innovative 'communal brain' structure, where researchers work interconnectedly to foster creativity. The conversation dives into AI's role in scientific inquiry, questioning its true creative potential. Baker also addresses the pressing funding crisis affecting young researchers, emphasizing the need for a collaborative atmosphere to drive future breakthroughs in science.
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Communal Brain
- David Baker views his lab as a "communal brain" where each researcher acts like a neuron.
- Maximizing connectivity among lab members is key to fostering scientific creativity.
Building a Creative Lab Environment
- Foster a collaborative atmosphere where brainstorming and open discussion are encouraged.
- Create regular social events and group meetings to facilitate idea exchange.
The Gorilla Experiment
- Students given a dataset to analyze were three times more likely to see a hidden gorilla image if not asked for a p-value.
- ChatGPT, however, could not see the gorilla, highlighting AI's current limitations in open-ended tasks.