Desert Island Discs

I've always been captivated by reading biographies or listening to interviews of artists. Perhaps it's their unwavering dedication to their craft, their boundless creativity, or their long-term vision that excites me -- or, all these together.

My go-to places for such interviews are the Desert Island Discs and the Bandcamp shows. The first is a BBC show running since 1942 (!) that has hosted famous actors, authors, scientists and the list goes on and on. Some of the interviews I enjoyed are those of William Gibson, the father of cyberspace, of Tom Hanks, and Emma Thompson.

Bandcamp, on the other hand, focuses on up-and-coming artists and occasionally features more established ones. It’s truly inspiring to see how much these artists love their work and how hard they try, often juggling side jobs to make ends meet while pursuing their passion. Academics, and scientists in general, can learn a lot from them. Here are some examples: Nicolas Jaar, and Perera Elsewhere