People I (Mostly) Admire

Suleika Jaouad was diagnosed with cancer at 22. She made her illness the subject of a New York Times column and a memoir, Between Two Kingdoms. She and Steve talk about what it means to live with a potentially fatal illness, how to talk to people who've gone through a tragedy, and ways to encourage medical donations.  

Physicist and former pop star Brian Cox tells Steve about discovering the Higgs boson, having a number-one hit, and why particle physics research will almost certainly not create a black hole that destroys all life on earth.  SOURCES:Brian Cox, physicist at the University of Manchester.  RESOURCES:Black Holes: The Key

Irving Finkel is an expert on cuneiform — the oldest known writing system. He tells Steve the amazing story of how an ancient clay tablet unlocked the truth about Noah’s ark (and got Finkel in trouble with some Christians).  SOURCES:Irving Finkel, curator in the department of the Middle East at the British Museum.  RES

Moon Duchin is a math professor at the University of Chicago whose theoretical work has practical applications for voting and democracy. Why is striving for fair elections so difficult?  SOURCES:Moon Duchin, professor of mathematics at Cornell University.  RESOURCES:"Gerrymandering: The Origin Story," by Neely Tucker (

Frances Arnold pioneered the process of directed evolution — mimicking natural selection to create new enzymes that have changed everything from agriculture to laundry.  SOURCES:Frances Arnold, professor of chemistry at the California Institute of Technology.   RESOURCES: "Innovation by Evolution: Bringing New Chemistr

Steven Pinker’s new book argues that all our relationships depend on shared assumptions and “recursive mentalizing” — our constant efforts to understand what other people are thinking. He and Steve talk about the psychology of eye contact, the particular value of Super Bowl ads, and what it’s like to get cancelled.  SO