Paul Nurse
The Visionary
The future, and what is barely possible, reads round the next corner.
Paul Nurse is a prominent geneticist known for his contributions to cancer research and his leadership at the Francis Crick Institute. This interview reveals his visionary approach to science, advocating for creativity and the pursuit of truth while navigating the complexities of governmental and societal challenges.
“So this was the first idea. And of course, it got nowhere because it was stupid, it wasn't built for that. And anyway, none of them. Then I was working in America and a colleague of mine, Keith Peters, got hold of me and said, you know, about this sort of merger, there might be a site here from the British Library.”
“Really extraordinary. I have to say I was really surprised because the policy wonks weren't talking about this. I mean, I read this sort of thing.”
“The UK is not too bad. I've worked across the world, I run an institute in America, I advise across the world. The UK is not too bad. I mean, you know, modern science was invented here. We are very poorly supported, and I've done a review for government, which we can talk about if you have time. Which absolutely demonstrates that.”
“WhatsApp? I said, Look, do this, WhatsApp. This, I said, take all the university medical schools and institutions, connect them to local hospitals, and get them back in work and doing testing within weeks. We were doing a couple of thousand tests a day, within weeks, and at one stage we were doing 10, 15% of all testing in the country.”
The Rest Is Politics: Leading — 28: Paul Nurse: The power of genetics, battling politicians, and the fight against cancer
LISTEN AT THE SOURCE ↗THE RECORD IS CHECKABLE