Topic: public understanding

Stuart Firestein examines why productive science depends on ignorance, unsuccessful experiments and uncertainty as well as established knowledge. The conversation considers research at the boundary of what is understood, the role of conjecture and testing, and the absence of a guaranteed method for making discoveries. It also asks how public understanding and science education can better represent the process of investigation.

Hannah Fry discusses receiving the 2026 Leelavati Prize, mathematics as part of culture, and her experiences communicating mathematical ideas. The conversation explores why public understanding matters and how sharing mathematical insights can connect research with a wider audience.