Science

Encore: She Pioneered Directed Evolution

January 30, 2023 Tim Episodes, History, Life & Style, Media, People, Science, Society 00:26:16 Comments Off on Encore: She Pioneered Directed Evolution

Nobel Prize recipient Frances Arnold joins Tim to talk about winning a Nobel Prize honor for her pioneering work in “directed evolution,” which harnesses the power of evolution to enhance products throughout society – from biofuels and pharmaceuticals, to agriculture, chemicals, paper products and more. Directed evolution was in the news this week tied to Covid jab research. We talk with Frances about her journey and her work that is changing the world for the better. This episode was originally released November 5, 2018.

Read More

Neuroscientist Karl Friston on Intelligence and Free Energy

August 29, 2022 Tim Episodes, Life & Style, People, Science, Society 01:07:55 Comments Off on Neuroscientist Karl Friston on Intelligence and Free Energy

Pioneering neuroscientist Karl Friston joins Tim to talk about a concept he’s developed called the free-energy principle, which may hold the key to advancing the understanding human intelligence as we know it. Karl is a theoretical neuroscientist. He’s an authority on brain imaging. His work has advanced mankind’s understanding of schizophrenia, among other things. At the moment, he’s becoming better known as the originator of the free-energy principle for human action and perception. In this episode, we’ll talk with Karl about that free-energy principle, what it is, what it means and what it can mean for the future.

Read More

O’Brien Communications’ Shaping Opinion Podcast is an award-winning podcast about people, events and things that have shaped the way we think. It sits at the corner of culture, history and communication.

We publish new episodes on Mondays. Each episode features a conversation between Tim O’Brien and a guest.

Get in touch! Use our Contact Form to get in touch. We love to hear from listeners!

Your Host

Tim O’Brien is a Pittsburgh-based communications veteran with experience in complex matters that have ranged from marketing and C-suite issues, to crisis and issues management. He’s the producer and host of Shaping Opinion, where he talks to guests on a wide range of topics at the intersection of communications, history and culture. He’s available to provide media interview coaching,  consulting and speaking, and of course, he is always interested in your thoughts for the podcast. Just get in touch.