My guest today is the astrophysicist and author Dr. Mario Livio. Dr. Livio is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. For 24 years, Dr. Livio worked with the Hubble Space Telescope. He has published more than 500 scientific articles on topics such as cosmology, supernova explosions, black holes, extrasolar planets, and the emergence of life in the universe. He is the author of seven books including The Golden Ratio, Is God a Mathematician, and Brilliant Blunders. His latest book is Galileo and the Science Deniers.

In this episode, we explore:

1. What attracted Mario to astrophysics in the first place
2. Mario’s definition of beauty in science consists of three specific criteria
3. Mario’s experiences of encountering beauty in science
4. How mathematics may be relevant to our understanding of beauty
5. Whether the beauty we can encounter in science and art are similar or different
6. Whether scientists should care about beauty in their work, and if the public should care about beauty in science

To learn more about Dr. Livio’s work, visit https://www.mario-livio.com

Also, check out his books such as:

Galileo and the Science Deniers

https://www.amazon.com/Galileo-Science-Deniers-Mario-Livio/dp/1501194747/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

The Golden Ratio

https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Ratio-Worlds-Astonishing-Number/dp/0767908163/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1660240897&sr=1-1

Is God a Mathematician?

https://www.amazon.com/God-Mathematician-Mario-Livio-ebook/dp/B004NNVFW2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1MXORNGPGLQ4C

Why? What Makes Us Curious

https://www.amazon.com/Why-What-Makes-Us-Curious/dp/1476792100/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1660241070&sr=1-1