Prey or Pioneer, you decide.
Apologies for missing last week’s Monday M.A.G.I.C. Message, but I was busy swimming with sharks. You see, for the past 6 months, my team has been hard at work on what may prove to be a major discovery in cosmology. I’ll share the news soon once the embargo on it ends. But in the meantime, share the feeling of being a scientist working in a competitive landscape every bit as perilous as the Super Bowl!
I’ve been spending a lot of time in a mental space where a looming shadow threatens the thrill of discovery: the risk of being scooped. Imagine pouring your heart into research, only to find another team has beaten you to publication. This isn’t just about knowledge; it’s a race where timing and smarts are everything. The dread of someone else unveiling what you’ve dedicated months or even years to before you’re ready is a constant companion. And believe me, for the tasty cosmic meal on tap, the sharks eagerly pounce on the smallest drop of blood in the water.
In my journey, as our team edged closer to finishing a significant piece of research, this pressure intensified. Every detail had to be flawless, leading me to miss sending out my usual Monday update. But this wasn’t a sign of weakness. It was a deep dive into focus, a battle to survive in these competitive waters and emerge as a leader. This experience, fraught with sleepless nights and the weight of expectation, is a raw glimpse into the life of a scientist. It’s not just about the pursuit of knowledge but also about the personal battles we fight in the silence of our labs, hoping to make a mark before the sharks close in. Wish me luck or just sing the Jaws theme song for me to scare off other predators.
Appearance
I’ll be appearing at TEDx SanDiego in April! Tickets are available here.
While you wait, you can watch my 2015 TedX talk below.
Genius
These CAPTCHA’s are getting out of controll
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The Crescent Moon and the gas giant, Jupiter, appeared to be snuggled up on Valentine’s Day with nothing more than a few inches separating them.
The night sky can be deceiving, though… there was about 227 MILLION miles between them.
Conversation
Meet researcher, bestselling author, and Stanford University professor — Robert Sapolsky! Roberts’s journey has led him from studying stress and neuronal degeneration in wild baboons in Kenya to exploring the relationship between schizotypal disorders and the emergence of shamanism and the major Western religions.
But more recently, Sapolsky has plunged into philosophical waters, studying free will, or rather the lack thereof, to develop A Science of Life Without Free Will.
Today, he’s here to present his case! Watch as I push back, respectfully but forcefully, challenging Robert’s bold claims. You’ll see things got heated. But in the end, I always want to ask the questions you would ask if you had the opportunity. Let me know — who won the debate, or was it pre-determined even before it started.
