‘The more you know, the more wonderful it becomes’: Brian Cox on science and awe

In an age where information is readily available and where we're fed an unending stream of content, have we lost our sense of wonder?

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

We live in a time where technology has made information more readily available than ever. Curiosity has been the main driver of human discovery since the beginning of time but when faced with a barrage of information, have we stopped wanting to know more?

In this episode of In Your Opinion, senior columnist Rohit Brijnath speaks with celebrated physicist, educator and rock star Brian Cox. Currently on a world tour with his live show, Emergence, he takes us on a journey across the cosmos, civilisation and human curiosity all while attempting to answer the question: how do we find wonder?

Emergence will be in Singapore on June 10.

Highlights (click/tap above):

4:46 Should people be more curious?

8:51 Keeping a sense of wonder through life

10:36 Are there aliens out there?

15:38 There are things I don't actually know

19:55 Kepler, Galileo and Einstein around a table

29:13 Two weeks in space is ideal

32:46 Why world leaders should go to space

36:11 Are there mysteries that should remain?

38:29 What to look for in the night sky

41:31 Can you see planets in Singapore?

42:06 Is an uncurious person a failure?

47:21 Brian Cox's top musical highlight

55:06 The AI revolution and social change

Books Brian Cox recommended:

The Six-Cornered Snowflake by Johannes Kepler
The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution by David Wootton
The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle In The Dark

Read Rohit’s columns: https://str.sg/wFu2

Host: Rohit Brijnath (rohitb@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim and Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Elizabeth Law and Danson Cheong

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