Nobel Prize Conversations

“I am very bad at giving up.” – Get to know one of the greatest minds of today, physicist Roger Penrose. At 89, he seems to be working more than ever and is engaged in various research projects. In an intimate conversation with the Nobel Prize’s Adam Smith, Penrose speaks about how 2020 was a year that gave him time to reflect and develop even more research ideas – until he was awarded the Nobel Prize! Black holes, magic blackboards and childhood aspirations are other topics that are up for discussion. Roger Penrose was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics "for the discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"This is the first time we have had a completely novel virus infection and we are trying to vaccinate our way out of it." In conversation with Nobel Prize’s Adam Smith, Medicine Laureate Peter Doherty speaks about how we should learn from the current corona pandemic to be better prepared for and preferably prevent future pandemics. Doherty was awarded the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for research on how the immune system recognises virus-ridden cells. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Known for his contagious energy and sometimes unconventional advice, Paul Nurse talks about Brexit and its effects on scientists and research, and why he has heeded the call to leadership in science – the same science that politicians say they're following. He also recalls his early years in biology as a spider hunter and why he thinks it's vital to ponder the big questions like "What is life?" Paul Nurse received the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for discoveries of key regulators of the cell cycle", sharing the distinction with Tim Hunt and Leland Hartwell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we hear 2020 Nobel Chemistry Laureate Emmanuelle Charpentier speak about the drive you need as a researcher and what impact awards can have on a career. Her road to the Nobel Prize was a winding journey, and she recalls how science was her stability. Charpentier shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Jennifer Doudna for discovering key aspects of a naturally-occuring defence mechanism in bacteria, called CRISPR/Cas9, and developing it into one of gene technology's sharpest tools. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meet astrophysicist Andrea Ghez, recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics "for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the centre of our galaxy." In this energy-packed conversation with Adam Smith, you can hear about prima donna galaxies, Ghez’s personal pet star, and how she overcame one of her biggest childhood fears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meet astrophysicist Kip Thorne, who was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics "for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves.". In a wide-ranging conversation with host Adam Smith they cover Albert Einstein’s importance to the field of science, whether time travel is actually possible, and what it was like to be the physics guru inside the blockbuster film ’Interstellar’. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I was always interested in big problems, and when I see a big problem I say, 'Let’s try to solve it, let’s try to think of a solution!'" Meet Christopher Pissarides, a humble London School of Economics professor who finished his PhD in two years and was awarded the 2010 Prize in Economic Sciences. He and his co-laureates Peter Diamond and Dale Mortensen were awarded the prize for finding ways to incorporate real-world frictions into the mathematical models that describe market behaviour. Their Diamond-Mortensen-Pissarides (DMP) model is one of the most widely-used analytical tools for labour markets. Besides discussing labour markets, we speak about educational systems, how life has been affected by covid-19 and how Pissarides experienced moving from Cyprus to the UK. This the is final episode of Nobel Prize Conversations season one. We hope you have enjoyed the podcasts and we look forward to welcoming you back soon for season two. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Esther Duflo’s research improves our ability to fight global poverty. In just two decades, co-laureates Duflo, Banerjee and Kremer have transformed development economics with their innovative experiment-based approach, which is now a flourishing field of research. Thanks to their work we have clearer perspectives on the core problems within areas such as education and health.In this episode Adam Smith speaks to Esther Duflo about how her drive to understand and fight poverty began at an early age. They discuss the world in coronavirus times, and the fears and prejudices connected to migration. Duflo also shares her tips for managers and her best collaboration techniques.Esther Duflo received the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2019 together with Abhijit Banerjee and Michael Kremer for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does it feel to be one of the most famous behavioural psychologists of our time? Daniel Kahneman says that it is perfectly fine to be famous as long as you don’t let it go to your head. From an early age, Kahneman was interested in people - his mother, both with irony and objectivity, observed and was fascinated with people in her surroundings. In this digital conversation podcast host Adam Smith speaks to Daniel Kahneman in New York on eureka moments, scientific collaborations, stereotypes and racial discrimination, and also advice: “In general I try to give as little advice as possible.”  Daniel Kahneman was awarded the 2002 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel "for having integrated insights from psychological research into economic science, especially concerning human judgment and decision-making under uncertainty”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine you’re married, but you never discussed children with your partner beforehand. Then imagine your partner doesn’t want children, but you do. Your wedding day contract made no mention of kids, and legally everything is fine – but you’re still disappointed. Contracts are everywhere in society, and the example of children and marriage is just one example that shows that many contracts are - as Oliver Hart would say - incomplete.In a conversation with The Nobel Prize’s Adam Smith, Hart explores the importance of words and language for a researcher, how being good at economics is about learning to THINK like an economist and how Oliver Hart’s parents influenced him to think that anyone who’s not left-wing is an idiot.In 2016 Oliver Hart was awarded the Prize in Economic Sciences, together with the Finnish economist Bengt Holmström, for his contribution to contract theory.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.