Welcome to the After-On podcast. I'm your host, Rob Reed.

And this is a series of conversations with thinkers, founders, and scientists.

Take a little time and stretch out because these talks are unhurry and meant to bring you

to a top percentile understanding of something important.

So whether you're ready to start up square ideas, a techie or a lit major, take your time,

engage your mind, and you'll be glad you did it.

Especially this week when we'll be talking to Onika Harris.

Like me, Onika is a non-scientist, too, nonetheless, spends a huge fraction of awaking hours

marinating in scientific concepts.

Now I'm obviously a fanatical proponent of hearing directly from the people who are conducting

research and pioneering emerging fields.

But I also believe that non-scientists are often among the best guides to complex disciplines.

For one thing, they have a visceral understanding for what their fellow non-scientists could

use a little help understanding.

And also for what general audiences don't actually need to be told, because it's just

too remedial.

And above all, they know what their audiences will almost certainly find completely inaccessible.

Many of all had the experience of listening to gifted experts who are so deep in a field

they've lost all awareness of where the boundaries of common knowledge lie.

And while they are rightly heroes to their peers, such people often have little to communicate

to the outside world.

The other big benefit is that when a creative non-scientist does conquer an especially complex

...