Interviews
Yuan Tseh Lee
It’s not every day you get to hang out with a Nobel Prize laureate. Lee was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986 ‘for contributions to the dynamics of chemical elementary processes’. Beyond his scientific achievements, he is a vocal critic of the economic models that prioritize consumerism over sustainability. Peace, humility, and simplicity are at the core of his worldview. We met at the 2012 edition of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. In this interview, we discuss the complex interplay between science, environmental challenges, and political action (or inaction, to be more precise).
Um químico idealista
Ciência Hoje, 2012
Dan Shechtman
Interesting guy! Not only because he was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2011, "for the discovery of quasicrystals”. This Israeli physicist is also a passionate advocate of the idea that we should teach scientific concepts to kids at a very early age. Starting from kindergarten! Why not? Don't underestimate how intelligent youngsters can be. "They are perfectly capable of understanding basic mathematical concepts, logical reasoning, and even Newton’s laws", he told me. At the time of this interview, Shechman was launching a pilot project in Haifa, Israel, aimed at fostering scientific curiosity in young minds.
Ciência na mais tenra idade
Ciência Hoje, 2012
John Reganold
This gentleman is the author of one of the most influential papers in the field of sustainable farming, titled 'Organic agriculture in the twenty-first century', published in Nature Plants in 2016. Reganold is a professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at Washington State University. We talked about the various metrics and methodologies he employs to compare conventional farming systems with agroecological ones, and how these comparisons may impact global food security.
Agricultura mais ecológica depende de hábitos do consumidor, diz professor
Folha de S.Paulo, 2017
Torkjell Leira
Norway plays an ambiguous role in the Amazon rainforest. Between 2009 and 2019, the country invested around 8 billion NOK in conservation initiatives. Simultaneously, however, more than 40 billion NOK have been funneled into actions contributing to the destruction of one of the world’s most fragile ecosystems. This is what I learned from Mr Torkjell Leira. He is a Norwegian geographer whom I had the honor of interviewing. You can find a summary of our conversation in the link below. The interview took place amidst the autumn colors of Oslo’s Botanical Garden, where nature’s beauty and Norway’s paradoxes both came into sharp focus.
Da responsabilidade à omissão: o papel controverso da Noruega na Amazônia brasileira
O Eco, 2020
Timothy Walker
The intriguing research conducted by this American historian reveals how the Inquisition Tribunal addressed medical practices based on superstition in the 18th century. It’s one of those stories that makes you grateful for living today rather than during that time.
Medicina e superstição
Ciência Hoje, 2015
Sari Hanafi
He is a Palestinian sociologist born in the Shatila refugee camp in Lebanon. I chatted with him during his visit to Brazil: ‘It seems that the favelas in Rio de Janeiro bear many similarities to Middle Eastern refugee camps,’ he told me before the interview. With a background in civil engineering and a career change to sociology, Hanafi incorporates advanced statistical and programming techniques in his sociological analyses. As a professor at the American University of Beirut and vice-president of the International Sociological Association (ISA), he is a prominent intellectual in the Arab world. In our conversation, he shared insights on Islamic sociology and the current Middle Eastern political landscape.
Por uma sociologia libertária
Ciência Hoje, 2014
Rodolfo Dirzo & Mauro Galetti
Since the Age of Exploration began in the 16th century, human actions have led to the extinction of 322 vertebrate species, with many more threatened. Biologists Rodolfo Dirzo and Mauro Galeti argue that humanity may be on the brink of a sixth mass extinction. Their findings, published in the prestigious journal Science, discuss the impact of Homo sapiens on the delicate balance of global biological diversity.
Bem-vindos à sexta extinção em massa
Ciência Hoje, 2014
Paulo Artaxo
Covering climate change has never been an easy task! Especially in a time when the debate was – and still is, to a great extent – intoxicated by political clashes and ideological dogmas. The role of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is often misunderstood. That’s why I decided to interview physicist Paulo Artaxo, an IPCC member and lead author. He helps us establish a clear distinction between what is hardcore science and what is just geopolitical interests disguised as technocratic discourse. Although this debate has evolved quite a lot in recent years, I sometimes feel like we’re walking in circles…
O tal do IPCC
Ciência Hoje, 2012
Jurgen Schmid
A leading authority in the field of renewable energy, Schmid believes humanity faces its greatest challenge yet: urgently revolutionizing the global energy system. With a background in aerospace engineering and nuclear energy, Schmid teaches at the University of Kassel in Germany. He also directs the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology. In this interview, he explains why he is optimistic but very cautious about our planet’s energy future.
Revolução energética: a última encruzilhada
Ciência Hoje, 2009
Newton da Costa
One of the sharpest minds I’ve encountered along my path. It was sad to hear the news: Da Costa died in April 2024, at the age of 94. His legacy will live on: he helped lay the foundations of what we now call “paraconsistent logic", a branch of non-classical logic. Sounds abstract, I know. It’s just a formal system that allows us to deal with contradictions in a non-disruptive way. It has profound implications in fields such as engineering, computer science, philosophy of science, and many others. By the way, Da Costa was from my hometown. We met for coffee a few times. He was the one who first introduced me to the works of Bertrand Russell, for which I am grateful.
Um lógico irredutível
Ciência Hoje, 2010