Beauty At Work

Elizabeth Oldfield is the author of Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times . She has spent her career trying to lever open space for deeper conversations - about what it means to be a human being, where we can find wisdom and how we build a society where we hate each other a little less. She has worked at BBC Radio 4, led a Westminster think tank, and is now the host of The Sacred pod...

This is the second part of our conversation with Andy Youniss, founder and former President and CEO of Rocket Software.  Youniss has been the guiding force behind Rocket’s innovation, acquisitions, partnerships, strategy, culture, and values since the company launched in 1990. Today, Rocket serves a diverse customer community all around the globe and continues to differentiate itself by delivering...

In this episode, sociologist Brandon Vaidyanathan interviews Andy Youniss, founder and former President and CEO of Rocket Software.  Andy has been the guiding force behind Rocket’s innovation, acquisitions, partnerships, strategy, culture, and values since the company launched in 1990. Today, Rocket serves a diverse customer community all around the globe and continues to differentiate itself by d...

This episode is a conversation with two experts combating our current loneliness crisis: Ron Ivey and Monika Jiang. Ron Ivey is a writer, researcher, and strategic advisor to business, governments, and philanthropies with a focus on social trust, belonging, and human flourishing.  Ron is currently the Managing Director of the Humanity 2.0 Institute and a Research Fellow at the Harvard Human Flouri...

Sociologist Brandon Vaidyanathan talks to two experts combating our current loneliness crisis: Ron Ivey and Monika Jiang. Ron Ivey is a writer, researcher, and strategic advisor to business, governments, and philanthropies with a focus on social trust, belonging, and human flourishing.  Ron is currently the Managing Director of the Humanity 2.0 Institute and a Research Fellow at the Harvard Human...

Nalini Nadkarni’s unique academic career interweaves her scientific research on rainforest canopy biota with innovative public engagement. She has written 150 scientific papers and books on the composition and ecological roles of canopy-dwelling communities, supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society. She also engages with those who do not or cannot gain acces...

Nalini Nadkarni’s unique academic career interweaves her scientific research on rainforest canopy biota with innovative public engagement. She has written 150 scientific papers and books on the composition and ecological roles of canopy-dwelling communities, supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society. She also engages with those who do not or cannot gain acces...

Existential psychologist Dr. Clay Routledge, Vice President of Research at the Archbridge Institute, discusses the science of nostalgia, and why our yearning for beautiful memories is not simply an escape to the past but a vital resource for innovation. Clay is a highly cited researcher who has published more than 100 scholarly papers, co-edited three academic books, authored three books, and rece...

Existential psychologist Dr. Clay Routledge, Vice President of Research at the Archbridge Institute, discusses the science of nostalgia, and why our yearning for beautiful memories is not simply an escape to the past but a vital resource for innovation. Clay is a highly cited researcher who has published more than 100 scholarly papers, co-edited three academic books, authored three books, and rece...

Season 3 of the podcast launches in July. We have a great lineup of guests coming up!  I'd also love to hear your recommendations for guests and topics that you'd like to hear on the show. Please feel free to reach out at beautyatworkpodcast@gmail.com Support the show

What, if anything, is beautiful about democracy? Is it meaningful to talk about beauty when it comes to politics?  These questions were discussed (and even fiercely debated) in our final plenary session of the Beauty at Work international symposium held at The Catholic University of America, May 27, 2023.  This episode is the second part of the discussion. Please listen to the first part here if y...

What, if anything, is beautiful about democracy? Is it meaningful to talk about beauty when it comes to politics?  These questions were discussed (and even fiercely debated) in our final plenary session of the Beauty at Work international symposium held at The Catholic University of America, May 27, 2023.  We will share this session with you over the next couple of episodes.  Panelists for the ses...

This is part 2 of a 2-part episode examining how beauty works to shape our brains, the spaces we inhabit, and the communities we build.  Please check out part 1 if you haven't already: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/15078668 These questions were the focus of the second plenary session of our International Symposium on Beauty at Work that we held in Washington DC in May 2023.  Our panelist...

How does beauty shape our brains, the spaces we inhabit, and the communities we build? These questions were the focus of the second plenary session of our International Symposium on Beauty at Work that we held in Washington DC in May 2023.  The panelists in this second session of our Symposium tackle these questions Anjan Chatterjee, University of Pennsylvania Julio Bermudez, The Catholic Universi...

This episode is the second part of our plenary session on the meaning and value of beauty in science which opened  the International Symposium on Beauty at Work that we held  in Washington DC in May 2023. Please check out part 1 of the discussion here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/15037678 The session was a discussion between four scientists: Dr. Robert Gilbert (Professor of Biochemistry, Un...

What does Beauty mean to scientists? Why does it matter for the practice of science? These questions drive the opening plenary session of the Beauty at Work international symposium held at The Catholic University of America, May 26, 2023. We’re going to share this session with you over the next couple of episodes. The session opened with remarks from the President of the Catholic University of Ame...

In July 2022, we held an interdisciplinary panel at the University of Oxford on the role of beauty in science. The event was sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust and Magdalen College. The panel represented perspectives from diverse disciplines: mathematics, physics, biology, philosophy of science, and sociology. This is the third episode in the series. In this episode, I present results from the...

In July 2022, we held an interdisciplinary panel at Magdalen College the University of Oxford on the role of beauty in science. The event was sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust and Magdalen College. The panel represented perspectives from diverse disciplines: mathematics, physics, biology, philosophy of science, and sociology. You can see the slides from the panelists’ presentations on the YouT...

In July 2022, we held an interdisciplinary panel at Magdalen College at the University of Oxford on the role of beauty in science. The event was sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust and Magdalen College. The panel represented perspectives from diverse disciplines: mathematics, physics, biology, philosophy of science, and sociology. We’re going to share this conversation with you over the next few...

Is beauty a reliable guide to truth in science? No, says physicist, author, and science communicator Dr. Sabine Hossenfelder. In this clip, she discusses how the concept of “naturalness” is related to beauty and why it’s misleading For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/12833522   For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.net Support us on Patreon: https://ww...

Iconographer David Clayton, who was trained in materials science at Oxford, discusses why it seems that there is a gulf between art and science, and shares ideas for how to bring the two closer together. For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/12739891     For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.net Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWork...

What does math teach us about beauty? In this clip, mathematician Dr. Carlo Lancellotti discusses how the search for an elegant, simple equation is similar to the quest to build a beautiful cathedral. He also discusses the link between math and spirituality. For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/12648186 For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.net Support...

Where do scientists find beauty in their work and why does it matter to them? Immunologist Dr. Mark Painter argues that what’s central here is not simply the visual or sensory beauty he encounters in the phenomena he studies, but the beauty of understanding that science affords. For the full interview see: ttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/12547248 For the broader project, visit: https://www.beaut...

Why does wonder matter? In this clip, Yale psychologist Dr. Frank Keil discusses the importance of facilitating wonder in education, why we shouldn’t underestimate kids, and why cultivating wonder matters especially for science. For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/12434669   For the broader project, visit: https://www.beautyatwork.net Support us on Patreon: https://www.p...

When we think of the applied sciences, we usually think they’re important because they are useful. But can they also be beautiful? In this clip, public health expert Dr. Marcia Otto shares what inspired her career path from theoretical physics to epidemiology, and discusses where she finds beauty in her work. For the full interview see: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2043099/12342419 For the broader p...