FreakTakes An Oral History Interview with ARIA CEO Ilan Gur
11 snips
Jun 12, 2025 Ilan Gur, CEO of the UK's Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) and a metascience enthusiast, dives deep into the groundbreaking mission of ARIA. He discusses innovative funding models that foster independent research, aligning incentives with impactful advancements. The conversation explores the intersection of science and entrepreneurial spirit through historical figures like Edison and Curie. Gur highlights the importance of diverse perspectives in driving innovation and the challenges of merging academic research with market needs.
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ARIA as a Catalyst for Impact
- ARIA aims to be a catalyst that mobilizes others to create massive impact beyond single products or companies.
- Success means sparking entire new industries or technology platforms, not just isolated innovations.
Angie's Programmable Plants Story
- Dawn Angie's journey highlights turning disinterest in plants from experts into excitement with a bold vision.
- Her program "programmable plants" leverages synthetic biology to address food security and climate at a massive scale.
Early Magnetic Storage Research
- Ilan Gur's early material science project on magnetic storage had futuristic implications resembling modern data storage.
- It involved using molecular sieves to create nanostructured magnetic media to vastly increase storage density.