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i love all the SI Conversations podcast so far. but since i'm a technology junkie, my favorite would be the Dean Kamen interview. it's a must-hear.
Heinz Award Winner Series: Dean Kamen
Although he is considered one of the preeminent inventors of the modern age, Dean Kamen describes himself as a cockroach: He simply refuses to die. More specifically, he won't let his ideas die until they become reality. This holder of over 400 US and International patents and inventor of the Segway People Mover likes to tackle big problems. He identifies those problems that the “gatekeepers” think that we shouldn't dedicate resources to–either because the problem is too big or too unthinkable–and then he solves it. Host Tim Zak asks Kamen what it takes to persevere in the face of public and professional criticism. What has propelled him through the years of persuasion required to change lots of people's lives for the better?
Kamen addresses the unintended consequences of injecting new technologies into the complex systems that inhabit the planet, and reminds us: “Technology is an amplifier of human capability. It allows you to do good, more better [sic]. And it allows you to do more bad, more better too!”
From water filtration to modern pharmaceuticals to the lowly toilet bowl, Kamen addresses the effect of technology on society, and the attitudes of those who take these social innovations for granted. He points out that “technology” is anything that wasn't around when you were a kid. He has powerful advice for all US businesses and governments, namely if we do not change the attitudes of a large amount of kids in this country, and inspire them to pursue careers in the sciences, then life as we know it will not be able to sustain itself.
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