Ep 52: How Science and Philosophy Intertwine - The Journey

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We continue our conversation with Richard Summers, a theoretical biologist and emeritus professor at the University of Mississippi, to learn more about his career journey. Richard’s first science spark moment hit him very clearly when he was a young high schooler– he experienced first hand a lunar eclipse with his friends and this experience instilled in him a wonder for the natural world and the interconnectivity of all things. As a high school student, however, his mind was not focused yet on a potential career path; he just wanted to be cool. Once Richard entered college, he dedicated his time to find a suitable career path and spent weeks reading countless books in the college library. After reading hundreds of pages, Richard was still undecided. But he came to a wonderful conclusion: “I did realize one thing. I was limited in my understanding of what was in any of those books only by the amount of mathematics I could understand." This drive to fill in the gaps of his knowledge led Richard to pursue a degree in mathematics with a minor in physical chemistry. From his undergraduate coursework, Richard also gained an appreciation for the role of the observer within biology and this inspired him to go to medical school. His first week in medical school, however, came as a shock, when he realized there were no equations in his anatomy textbooks. After Richard graduated medical school, he had a full career as a doctor and academic. Although he has written many peer-reviewed articles throughout that time, it was not until much later in life that he considered writing books to share his ideas with broader audiences. When Richard reflects back on the many influential mentors who impacted his journey, he is grateful for two mentors he had as a post-doc after medical school. His mentors helped him to understand how to think and reason, which are lessons he carries even to this day. Now that he is retired, Richard notes that the best and worst thing about retirement is waking up and having to decide what to do everyday. Currently his family and grandchildren help him to fill the time and truly feel fulfilled in life. Listen to the episode to hear more!
In this episode, Richard will share with us:

• The defining moments that inspired his scientific pursuits
• The impact of mentorship in developing a new way of thinking about the world
• What to look forward to once you reach retirement

You can find Richard’s latest book here: Science as Natural Philosophy and Finding our Place in the Universe
Reach out to Richard by email: [e-mail]
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Capíttulos

1. Ep 52: How Science and Philosophy Intertwine - The Journey (00:00:00)

2. Did you have a science spark? (00:01:05)

3. How did your career plans evolve during your journey? (00:02:53)

4. When and why did you decide to start writing books about scientific phenomena? (00:07:29)

5. Why did you decide to write your last book about science as natural philosophy? (00:08:31)

6. Did you have any influential mentors during your career journey? (00:11:48)

7. What advice would you give your younger self? (00:13:01)

8. What's next for you? (00:13:53)

9. What do you love and hate about being retired? (00:15:02)

10. Life Lights - what brings you joy outside of your work? (00:16:37)