The Future of Science Takes Shape Today

Welcome to “Shaping Science,” the podcast where we talk with experts from science, academia, industry, and beyond to explore the latest in research, education and innovation for the public good. You’ll hear directly from many of today’s pioneering minds and will gain valuable insights and perspectives into what’s fueling the most urgent scientific debates of our time. In this era of short attention spans, our freewheeling, no holds barred interview format enables us to go deep–without sacrificing nuance or complexity.

Chandrika Tandon joins Nick Dirks on Shaping Science to discuss how perseverance and determination have fueled every aspect of her life, from her childhood in India, to working her way up to the top of the corporate world as a partner at McKinsey, to becoming a visionary philanthropist with a passion for music and education. The Chair of the Board of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, which bears her name following a landmark $100 million gift, Chandrika Tandon also serves on the Board of Governors at The New York Academy of Sciences.

Ian Bogost, PhD, joins Nick Dirks in the latest episode of Shaping Science to discuss the intersection of philosophy and technology, how gaming compares to previous moral panics, and new approaches to integrating AI in higher education. Prof. Bogost is a philosopher, author, game designer, and professor whose work explores the intersection of technology, media, and culture. He is currently Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor at Washington University in St. Louis.

Nicolas Langlitz, MD, PhD, joins Nick Dirks in the latest episode of Shaping Science to discuss medical anthropology, the anti-psychiatric movement, and the therapeutic potential of LSD. Prof. Langlitz is a German-born anthropologist and historian of science, currently serving as a Professor of Anthropology at The New School for Social Research., where he also oversees the Psychedelic Humanities Lab at The New School. He holds both an M.D. and a Ph.D., reflecting his interdisciplinary expertise spanning medicine, anthropology, life sciences, and the history of science. His dissertation evolved into the book Neuropsychedelia: The Revival of Hallucinogen Research since the Decade of the Brain (University of California Press, 2012), an ethnographic study of psychedelic research laboratories in Switzerland and California.

Laura Spinney joins Nick Dirks in the latest episode of Shaping Science to discuss how the “Spanish” flu got its name, why societies change over time, and the role of genetics and DNA in understanding language origins in Eastern Europe. Laura Spinney is a science journalist and author whose work explores how science, society, and culture intersect. She is best known for her international bestseller Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World, which redefined how we understand pandemics and their social aftermath. A fluent writer in both English and French, Spinney contributes to The Economist, The Guardian, Nature, and National Geographic. Her latest book Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global traces how one language left the steppes of Ukraine and went on to become the dominant language family on Earth.

Agustín Fuentes, PhD, joins Nick Dirks in the latest episode of Shaping Science to discuss his boundary-crossing work in anthropology; humanist questions around the power of belief; and the biological character of gender and sex. Dr. Fuentes is a biological anthropologist whose research challenges entrenched ideas about what it means to be human. A professor at Princeton University, he is known for his work on human evolution, cooperation, creativity, and is the author of influential books including Why We Believe: Evolution and the Human Way of Being and Race, Monogamy, and Other Lies They Told You. His most recent book, Sex Is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary, was published in 2025.

Angus Fletcher, PhD, joins Nick Dirks in the sixth episode of Shaping Science to discuss how the humanities inform the sciences, the role of neurons as action initiators, and why he thinks artificial general intelligence (AGI) is a hoax. With degrees from the University of Michigan and Yale University, he is currently a professor of story science at Ohio State University’s Project Narrative. Trained in both neuroscience and literature, Prof. Fletcher bridges the sciences and humanities to explore how stories shape the human mind, inspire innovation, and foster resilience. His latest book – ‘Primal Intelligence: You Are Smarter Than You Know’ – argues that it’s our unique form of human intuition, imagination, and emotional intelligence that give humans an edge even in the age of AI.   

D. Graham Burnett, PhD, joins Nick Dirks in the fifth episode of Shaping Science to discuss the role of democracy in science and the impact technology has on attention spans. Prof. Burnett is the Henry Charles Lea Professor of History at Princeton University. He co-authored the paper “Attention sanctuaries: Social practice guidelines and emergent strategies in attention activism” published in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

Stuart Firestein, PhD, joins Nick Dirks in the fourth episode of Shaping Science to discuss the science of smells, learning from failure, and the utility of uncertainty. Formerly the Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University, Prof. Firestein is the author of “Ignorance: How it Drives Science” and “Failure: Why Science is So Successful,” which have been translated into 12 languages. "Ignorance: How it Drives Science" was released by Oxford University Press in 2012. His second book, "Failure: Why Science is So Successful," appeared in October 2015. They have been translated into 12 languages.

Peter Salovey joins Nick Dirks in the third episode of Shaping Science to discuss his groundbreaking work on emotional intelligence and lessons he’s learned after more than two decades in higher education leadership. Prof. Salovey served as the twenty-third president of Yale University from 2013 to 2024 and currently is Sterling Professor of Psychology at Yale with secondary appointments in the Schools of Management and Public Health. A clinical psychologist by training, Prof. Salovey is renowned for his work in the realm of emotional intelligence, which focuses on the important role emotions play in thinking and behavior.

Ariel Ekblaw, PhD, founder and CEO of Aurelia Institute, joins Nick Dirks in the second episode of Shaping Science to discuss the complexity and promise of modern space exploration. Dr. Ekblaw talks about the work her nonprofit is doing in developing “space LEGOs” to create customizable space structures for humans, the utility of zero gravity for medical applications, and her thoughts on democratizing space travel to make it as accessible as possible.  

Mary Woolley is the President and CEO of Research!America, a nonprofit advocacy alliance committed to making research to improve health a higher national priority. A long-time champion of public engagement with science, Woolley has been at the forefront of efforts to increase federal funding for scientific research and to ensure that science policy reflects the public interest.

A widely respected and highly influential historian and anthropologist, and a prominent leader in higher education, in June 2020, Dirks assumed leadership of The New York Academy of Sciences as President and Chief Executive Officer. Founded in 1817, The New York Academy is among the oldest scientific organizations in the United States.

The mission of the Academy is to drive innovative solutions to society’s challenges by advancing scientific research, education, and policy.

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