#05 D. Graham Burnett on the Philosophy of Science, the Crisis of Human Fracking, and the Need for Attention Sanctuaries

D. Graham Burnett, PhD, joins Nick Dirks in the latest episode of Shaping Science to discuss the role of democracy in science and the impact technology has on attention spans. Prof. Burnett is the Henry Charles Lea Professor of History at Princeton University. He co-authored the paper “Attention sanctuaries: Social practice guidelines and emergent strategies in attention activism” published in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences: https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nyas.15313. 

This episode of Shaping Science was made possible with the generous support of Tata Sons.

For more info, visit: ⁠nyas.org/ideas-insights/podcasts⁠

00:00 Intro 
02:28 Is a Whale a Fish or a Mammal? 
06:26 Pre-Darwin Taxonomy of Animals 
12:21 The Role of Democracy in Science 
15:58 The History and Philosophy of Science 
26:18 The Crisis of Attention Exploitation and Human Fracking 35:30 How Does Technology Impact Attention Span? 
44:40 Using Artificial Intelligence in Teaching