Science

People ask why we're spending money on space exploration when we have problems here on Earth. The first reaction I have to this the fact that we've had wars, poverty, and homelessness long-before anyone went into space. It's not accurate to say, 'we're doing space exploration, and that's why we have poverty.' If we stopped space exploration, those problems wouldn't be solved, they haven't been solved in thousands of years.

Renowned Astrophysicist & Director of Hayden Planetarium

You probably know your cholesterol level. You know your heart rate, your resting heart rate, the number of steps that you take per day. But most people have absolutely no idea what is happening inside their brains other than through self-reflection. So the ability to quantify that and give people direct access to information about what's happening to their brains could be radically transformational.

Neuroethicist & Duke Law professor specializing in neurorights and genetics policy

There will be no cure for cancer until real doctors with real patients in real hospitals can attempt an innovation. The court is primarily interested in the effort made, in the attempt. That is what truly counts.

Co-Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Agency

By exploring the unknown, we prepare ourselves, getting us closer to the cutting edge of science and, possibly, readying us for the next giant leap. Fortune favours the prepared mind.

Theoretical Physicist & Public Advocate for Science and Atheism

Science, akin to art, music, and literature, reshapes our perspectives, offering new insights into ourselves and our surrounding universe. This transformative aspect is what makes science as thrilling as any other facet of human culture.

Theoretical Physicist & Public Advocate for Science and Atheism

Despite being an immediate part of our existence, consciousness is potentially the most complex and elusive aspect of the universe. We haven't even begun to formulate the right questions to unravel its intricacies.

Theoretical Physicist & Public Advocate for Science and Atheism

As Einstein marveled, the universe seems to be comprehensible. It's quite remarkable that we, creatures who evolved dodging predators on the African savannah, have been able to develop quantum mechanics. I find this to be a splendid evolutionary offshoot.

Theoretical Physicist & Public Advocate for Science and Atheism

The phrase 'I don't know' serves as both an invitation and a challenge, a beckoning call to delve into the unknown and piece together the enigmatic puzzle of knowledge. Science, at its core, thrives not on regurgitating established facts but on the exhilaration of unearthing new discoveries.

Theoretical Physicist & Public Advocate for Science and Atheism

Our brains consist of about 100 billion nerve cells and neurons, with a potential for making anywhere from tens to hundreds of trillions, some even say a quadrillion, connections known as synapses. Due to a phenomenon known as neuroplasticity, our neural network continually restructures itself. Each time we learn something new or encounter a fresh experience, we trigger a reconfiguration of our brains.

Alzheimer's disease researcher and Harvard Medical School neuroscientist

Alzheimer's starts its destructive process 30 years prior to its typical diagnosis. Therefore, when considering the prevalence of this disease, we're speaking of 7 million diagnosed patients in the US. But then, one might ask, how many Americans currently have the initial stages of Alzheimer's, characterized by amyloid plaques, cell death, tangles, and inflammation, already festering in their brains? I concur with the higher estimates, suggesting around 40 million people.

Alzheimer's disease researcher and Harvard Medical School neuroscientist

Open-source evidence is essentially public information available to anyone and can be traced back to its original source. We've always maintained transparency in our methodologies and the step-by-step processes we employ to validate an image or investigate. Thus, our work can be reverse engineered. If there are any flaws in our methodology, they're readily apparent.

Founder of Bellingcat, open-source investigation journalism network

The quest for happiness is a universal, scientific, fact. We can measure happiness, we can assess it, and we can devise strategies to make ourselves happy and fulfilled human beings.

Evolutionary Psychologist & Author Known for Consumer Behavior Research

The brain's adaptability is astounding. The brain is continuously rewiring; it's different now than it was just 30 seconds ago. That is fascinating and offers great promise. We can tap into and influence these deeply ingrained behaviours and thought patterns.

Many people assume that they understand what stress truly is. Yet, I believe our collective definition might be somewhat misguided. Hans Selye, often regarded as the pioneer in stress research, characterized it as the body's non-specific response to any demand. Rather than categorizing stress as either good or bad, we should understand it as the body's reaction to any non-specific challenge.

The human mind, once the pinnacle of intelligence, is now overshadowed by computational intelligence in many domains. Algorithms understand and can guide me better than I can guide myself. The real game-changer is data. I'm willing to yield control to an algorithm that proves to be superior.

Biohacker & Blueprint Project Founder focused on extreme longevity optimization

A particular individual trait that has piqued my interest through research is intellectual humility. Embracing the possibility of being wrong enhances the likelihood of being right—a somewhat magical paradox. This notion dovetails with the scientific ethos, where the quest isn't about proving oneself right.