Is the Scientific Enterprise Too Risk-Averse?

About this episode

The episode debates whether the scientific enterprise is too risk-averse, featuring experts from various fields.

Modern science has given us the ability to edit our genes, life-saving vaccines, and glimpse the origins of the universe. But is the same system holding itself back? Critics argue that the pressure to publish and fierce competition for funding rewards safe, incremental work over bold thinking. Others see a system still capable of paradigm-shifting discoveries — one where global collaborations and long-term thinking motivate scientists to pursue grand, ambitious ideas. Now we debate: Is the Scientific Enterprise Too Risk-Averse? This debate was produced in partnership with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, as part of The Hopkins Forum series. Arguing Yes: Tyler Cowen, Author of "The Great Stagnation"; Economics Professor at George Mason University; Founder of Emergent Ventures; Host of "Conversations with Tyler" podcast Brandon Ogbunu, Computational Biologist; Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University; Professor at the Santa Fe Institute Arguing No: Kate Biberdorf (“Kate the Chemist”), Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University…

People in this episode

Host: John Donvan

Guests: Tyler Cowen, Brandon Ogbunu, Kate Biberdorf, Sethuraman Panchanathan

Topics covered

• science
• risk aversion
• innovation
• funding
• collaboration
• debate

Keywords

• scientific enterprise
• risk aversion
• funding competition
• bold thinking
• paradigm-shifting discoveries

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Johns Hopkins University, George Mason University, Yale University, Santa Fe Institute, University of Notre Dame, National Science Foundation, Arizona State University

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