Yesterday while driving across the city a couple of times I was able to listen to CBC Radio1’s rebroadcast of the Killam Prize Symposium.

It featured the following four winners:

Jean Grondin is a philosopher and professor at Université de Montréal. He is an expert on the ideas of Immanuel Kant and Martin Heidegger, and the author of over twenty books.

Louis Taillefer is a physicist and a leading international researcher on the topic of superconductors. He is a professor at Université de Sherbrooke and holds the Canada Research Chair in Quantum Materials.

John Whalley is Canada’s leading research economist. He is a professor in the Department of Economics at Western University in London, Ontario and director of the school’s Centre for the Study of International Economic Relations.

Mark A.Wainberg is one of the most renowned and productive researchers in the field of HIV/AIDS. He is a professor at McGill University, and his research is aimed at slowing the spread of HIV/AIDS in southern Africa.

I particularly enjoyed the conversation about discovery generated through the interaction of the “old” and the “young.”  As well the need for PI:  Passion and Intuition in the process of discovery.

Here’s to all my friends at UBC hoping for the next great DISCOVERY!

The broadcast is 53 minutes and its worth the time.