What role do chance and intention play in scientific discovery?
In this conversation, Irv Epstein reflects on two major research breakthroughs to explore how serendipity and deliberate choice interact in complex chemical research. Drawing on his work in pattern formation and nonlinear dynamics, the discussion highlights how scientific progress often emerges through experimentation and creative problem-solving rather than along a linear path.
Irving Epstein is the Henry F. Fischbach Professor of Chemistry and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor at Brandeis University, as well as a founding member and former Chair of the Board of Directors of NECSI.
Learn more about his work here: https://www.brandeis.edu/chemistry/faculty/epstein.html
