Eric Gilliam, a writer and researcher focused on organizational impacts on scientific progress, shares fascinating insights from his work at the Good Science Project. He discusses how successful models from institutions like Bell Labs can inform modern science. Eric highlights the importance of integrating historical context into research funding and organizational structures. He also emphasizes overcoming bureaucratic hurdles, the role of mentors in innovation, and the potential for interdisciplinary advancements to shape the future of fields like AI and biotech.
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Gilliam's Start in Science History
Eric Gilliam's passion for studying the history of science started unexpectedly after reading about the Manhattan Project.
He began writing deeply researched pieces to influence new science organizations to adopt better models.
insights INSIGHT
Bell Labs' Research Management
Bell Labs managed research with 'long leash within a narrow fence': freedom to explore bounded by practical problem relevance.
Systems engineers identified billion-dollar practical problems guiding research focus effectively.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Customize History Use
Tailor historical examples to each organization's needs rather than forcing general solutions.
Let organizations lead with their inspirations, then suggest relevant practical lessons.
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The book describes the 100 years following 1870 as the 'Special Century,' a period of revolutionary growth and prosperity driven by innovations such as electric lighting, indoor plumbing, motor vehicles, air travel, and television. Gordon argues that this era of growth has been flatlining since 1970, marked by growing inequality, stagnating education, an aging population, and rising debt. He contends that the productivity growth of the past cannot be repeated and identifies several 'headwinds' that will continue to slow American economic growth. The book is divided into two main parts, covering the period from 1870 to 1940 and from 1940 to 2010, and includes detailed statistical analysis and historical anecdotes to support its arguments.
Freakonomics
A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Andrea Montero Cusset
Steven D. Levitt
Stephen J. Dubner
Freakonomics is a collaboration between economist Steven D. Levitt and journalist Stephen J. Dubner that delves into the riddles of everyday life, from cheating and crime to parenting and sports. The book argues that economics is fundamentally the study of incentives and how people get what they want or need, especially when others want or need the same thing. It covers various topics such as the inner workings of a crack gang, the truth about real estate agents, and the secrets of the Ku Klux Klan, using forceful storytelling and wry insight to challenge conventional wisdom.
Eric Gilliam studies how organizations like Bell Labs, early MIT, and the Rockefeller Foundation helped drive scientific progress — and what made them unusually effective.
In this conversation, we explore how those models worked, why many of them disappeared, and what it would take to bring them back. Eric explains why fast-moving, engineering-driven labs like BBN (which built the first nodes of the internet) may be essential to accelerating progress in fields like AI, biotech, and beyond.
We also cover:
Why most funders underuse applied history
How systems engineers at Bell Labs identified billion-dollar problems
What a $100M research organization should do differently
What makes Eric hopeful about the future of meta-science
Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.
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