When the Pursuit of Knowledge Goes Wrong (w/ Physicist Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein)

Curiosity Weekly

Warner Bros. Discovery

Science

4.6 • 963 Ratings

🗓️ 13 May 2021

⏱️ 13 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Learn about Mauna Kea and how the pursuit of knowledge can be harmful. Plus: the smallest measurement of gravity ever.

Additional resources from Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein:

Pick up "The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, & Dreams Deferred" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/32JjzDu
Website: http://www.cprescodweinstein.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IBJIYONGI

Learn more about Mauna Kea:

Pu’uhuluhulu, P. o. (2020). Pu’uhonua o Pu’uhuluhulu. https://www.puuhuluhulu.com/
TMT International Observatory. (2020). TIO. https://www.tmt.org/
United States Public Law 103-150, informally known as the Apology Resolution: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-107/pdf/STATUTE-107-Pg1510.pdf
Maunakea and TMT misinformation fact check | University of Hawaii System. (2021). Hawaii.edu. https://www.hawaii.edu/maunakea-stewardship/maunakea-tmt-fact-check/

Scientists captured the smallest measurement of gravity on record by Briana Brownell

Rothleitner, C. (2021). Ultra-weak gravitational field detected. Nature, 591(7849), 209–210. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-00591-1
Westphal, T., Hepach, H., Pfaff, J., & Aspelmeyer, M. (2021). Measurement of gravitational coupling between millimetre-sized masses. Nature, 591(7849), 225–228. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03250-7
Lewis, G. (2016, February 12). Timeline: the history of gravity. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/timeline-the-history-of-gravity-54528

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, you're about to get smarter in just a few minutes with Curiosity Daily from Curiosity.com.
0:06.0	I'm Cody Goff.
0:07.0	And I'm Ashley Hamer.
0:08.0	Today you learn about how the pursuit of knowledge can sometimes get in the way of other human endeavors with help from
0:13.5	Dr. Chonda Prescott Weinstein. Then you'll learn about how scientists captured
0:17.8	the smallest amount of gravity ever recorded. Let's satisfy some curiosity.
0:23.0	Science is an important thing, but it's not always the most important thing.
0:30.0	Sometimes science gets in the way, and to see that look no further than the fight going on right now on
0:37.8	Mountikeia, Hawaii's highest peak. Astronomers wants to build a 30 meter telescope on the land.
0:46.0	Indigenous Hawaiians regard that land as sacred.
0:50.0	Our guests today is going to help explain why conflicts like these are not a simple matter of science versus anti science.
0:57.5	In fact, nothing like that.
0:59.5	These conflicts ask deep questions about our most vital priorities.
1:04.6	Dr. Chanda Prescad Weinstein is an assistant professor of physics and astronomy
1:08.8	and its core faculty in women's and gender studies at the University of New Hampshire.
1:13.2	She's also the author of the new book The Disordered Cosmos, A Journey into Dark Matter,
1:19.0	Space Time and Dreams Deferred.
1:21.4	Ashley asked her whether the pursuit of knowledge ever gets in the way of people's
1:26.4	pursuit of everything else.
1:29.1	So first of all, I'll just say that's like a great summary that sometimes pursuit of knowledge gets in the way of people's
1:34.5	pursuit of everything else.
1:37.3	And I think part of the challenge there is understanding that science doesn't happen in a vacuum, right? That science is happening alongside everything else.
	...

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