In this episode of We Love Science, Fatu and Shekerah explore a world that few modern-day scientists have explored, the intersection of science and philosophy. Today we are speaking with Dr. Richard Summers, a theoretical biologist and emeritus professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. His career spans from chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine to vice chancellor for research. Richard has also led cutting-edge research to understand how the human body responds to zero-gravity environments, and has even worked directly with NASA. Throughout his career, between his lab research and academic leadership positions, Richard has co-authored more than 300 publications and books.
His most recent book is “Science as Natural Philosophy and Finding Our Place in the Universe”. This book explores the rich history of the origins of science as a way of creating our worldview and understanding our place, as humans, in the world–natural philosophy, as it used to be called. The origin story of science is not only about how we as humans observe and experience the world; interestingly, it can also be deeply influenced by religious perspectives, especially during times in history when religious authorities strongly influenced what was accepted in broader society.
“We think of science, philosophy, and religion as being completely separate and conflicting schools of thought. My book connects the dots between the scientific perspective and those of philosophy and religion–on a broad scale,” explains Richard. An overarching theme of all three is to have a better experience and understanding of our world. When it comes to writing, Richard believes that good writing just has to flow, and this means writing can be slow, arduous, and often frustrating. However, this also means that it’s important to sit and try every day. Listen to the episode to learn more about Richard’s work andhis book.
Tune in to hear Richard explain:
You can find Richard’s latest book here:
Science as Natural Philosophy and Finding Our Place in the Universe
Reach out to Richard: rsummers@umc.edu
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