Dr. Brian Keating

I always say, you know, when you solve a problem, your reward is a harder problem like that. But that if you're a scientist, that feels good because it's like I would say and I think it's one of your colleagues. I'm not I'm not sure so much good stuff and going on up there, but But there's this concept of finite games and infinite games, right? So I would say science is an infinite game.

You can't win science. It goes on forever. No one masters all of whatever science is. You can debate even what it is. But it's composed of an infinite number of finite games. Getting into college, getting into graduate school, getting a postdoc, getting a tenure track position. Those are all finite games, right? And the ultimate – what's the ultimate finite game?

You can't win science. It goes on forever. No one masters all of whatever science is. You can debate even what it is. But it's composed of an infinite number of finite games. Getting into college, getting into graduate school, getting a postdoc, getting a tenure track position. Those are all finite games, right? And the ultimate – what's the ultimate finite game?

You can't win science. It goes on forever. No one masters all of whatever science is. You can debate even what it is. But it's composed of an infinite number of finite games. Getting into college, getting into graduate school, getting a postdoc, getting a tenure track position. Those are all finite games, right? And the ultimate – what's the ultimate finite game?

A Nobel Prize because only three people can win it each year. There's only 200 people have ever won it. There's more people in the NBA than have won it in physics, right? So this is a very exclusive club and if you win it, somebody else isn't going to win it, odds are.

A Nobel Prize because only three people can win it each year. There's only 200 people have ever won it. There's more people in the NBA than have won it in physics, right? So this is a very exclusive club and if you win it, somebody else isn't going to win it, odds are.

A Nobel Prize because only three people can win it each year. There's only 200 people have ever won it. There's more people in the NBA than have won it in physics, right? So this is a very exclusive club and if you win it, somebody else isn't going to win it, odds are.

And this pressure to kind of get to that level should never exceed the passion that drove you to become a scientist in the first place. And so I was obsessed with that. And what Andrew Lang showed me is that science is its own reward. And the pleasure of finding things out, as Feynman would say, is its reward. Science is its own reward. And that's characteristic of these infinite games.

And this pressure to kind of get to that level should never exceed the passion that drove you to become a scientist in the first place. And so I was obsessed with that. And what Andrew Lang showed me is that science is its own reward. And the pleasure of finding things out, as Feynman would say, is its reward. Science is its own reward. And that's characteristic of these infinite games.

And this pressure to kind of get to that level should never exceed the passion that drove you to become a scientist in the first place. And so I was obsessed with that. And what Andrew Lang showed me is that science is its own reward. And the pleasure of finding things out, as Feynman would say, is its reward. Science is its own reward. And that's characteristic of these infinite games.

You just want to keep playing them. And the tragic thing... Is that – I'm emotional thinking about this. When Andrew was at the peak of his life, he chose to take it. He took his own life.

You just want to keep playing them. And the tragic thing... Is that – I'm emotional thinking about this. When Andrew was at the peak of his life, he chose to take it. He took his own life.

You just want to keep playing them. And the tragic thing... Is that – I'm emotional thinking about this. When Andrew was at the peak of his life, he chose to take it. He took his own life.

He killed himself. Ironically, tragically, he used helium, which is central to the formation of the universe. And the creation of our universe is reliant in large part on helium, the abundance of helium. And he asphyxiated himself in a cheap, dirty, sleazy motel. Actually, I had stayed at in Pasadena when I was visiting him for my initial job talk.

He killed himself. Ironically, tragically, he used helium, which is central to the formation of the universe. And the creation of our universe is reliant in large part on helium, the abundance of helium. And he asphyxiated himself in a cheap, dirty, sleazy motel. Actually, I had stayed at in Pasadena when I was visiting him for my initial job talk.

He killed himself. Ironically, tragically, he used helium, which is central to the formation of the universe. And the creation of our universe is reliant in large part on helium, the abundance of helium. And he asphyxiated himself in a cheap, dirty, sleazy motel. Actually, I had stayed at in Pasadena when I was visiting him for my initial job talk.

He was 41, I think.

He was 41, I think.

He was 41, I think.

He had three kids.