The Art of Funding the Next Scientific Renaissance | Jolie Gan

Beauty & the Math | Ep 1 The next scientific renaissance won’t fund itself. Who will back the ideas that don’t fit the system—and how do we make people care? Jolie Gan joins physicist Yu-Dai Tsai to explore who gets to do science, who pays for it, and what makes discovery capture the public imagination. From scientific patronage to art exhibitions, from historical experiments to San Francisco’s research culture, we discuss how ambitious ideas find their supporters—and how young scientists can build lives beyond the conventional career path. In this episode: Who funds unconventional science, and how researchers find support What past eras of discovery can teach the next generation How art, exhibitions, and storytelling bring science to life Private funding, frontier labs, and San Francisco culture AI and the changing possibilities for a life in science For scientists looking for another path, funders wondering what to support, and anyone who wants discovery to feel like an adventure. If you could fund one bold scientific idea, what would it be? Tell us in the comments. ABOUT THE GUEST — JOLIE GAN Jolie is the founder of The Distressed Scientists’ Department and an O’Shaughnessy Fellow. Through writing and exhibitions, she explores the history, aesthetics, and human stories of science. [The Distressed Scientists’ Department](https://distressedscientists.substack...) · [Website](https://www.joliegan.com/) · [X: @joliegans](https://x.com/joliegans) ABOUT THE HOST — YU-DAI TSAI Physicist, Royal Society Research Fellow, and host of Beauty & the Math. [X: @Dr_Dark_Matter_](https://x.com/Dr_Dark_Matter_) · [LinkedIn](  / yu-dai-tsai-1825635a  ) Subscribe for the next Beauty & the Math conversation.