"If a girl succeeds, it means that she has worked hard. And we live in a society where work is less valued than inspiration. Genius, whatever it might mean — there are people for whom things are easier, faster. Actually, we recompense velocity over consistency." —Ainhoa Aparicio-Monforte

This is the sixth episode of the AWC's podcast, featuring Ainhoa Aparicio-Monforte and Maëva Fézas of the Graduate School of Mathematics at Université Paris-Saclay, with AWC staff Michelle Awad and co-host Daniella Luca, head of the AWC.

Ainhoa is a research project manager focused on scientific mediation and gender equity, and recently authored a report on retaining female talent in the Magistère program. Maëva works in communications across the Graduate Schools of Mathematics and Engineering and helped lead the Just Do Maths traveling exhibition celebrating women mathematicians at Paris-Saclay.

Topics discussed include the persistent 20% statistic for women in mathematics in France, the gendered framing of genius versus hard work, how girls are socialized away from math from primary school, the Just Do Maths exhibition, findings from Ainhoa's report on female students in the Magistère program, and what men can do to support women in research.

 A second part of this conversation will be released soon. Additionally, a transcript to this episode is coming soon.

Thank you to Martin Kilbinger for creating our episode music!

"Struggling through something is a way to learn. This is how you have plastic connections emerging. It's how you're reinforcing the link between what you learn and the activity you're doing. It's through posing on a problem and pondering about it and then emerging to a solution." -Ervan Achirou

This is the fifth episode of the AWC's podcast, featuring neuroscience PhD researcher Ervan Achirou and AWC staff, Michelle Awad. Ervan studies how the brain integrates sensory information to help us navigate our environment at the Institute of Neuroscience of Paris-Saclay. Topics discussed include brain-computer interfaces, building accessible games for hospitalized patients, the ethics of AI in research and education, and what it means to learn through struggle in an age of increasing automation.

A transcript to this episode is coming soon.

Thank you to Martin Kilbinger for creating our episode music!

"I think we need creativity in science. And in my field specifically [philosophy of physics], I think that we can actually learn a lot from completely non-scientific areas, such as science fiction. We can also learn from different religions. We can take ideas about the way the world is and we can use that as a possible way of understanding our physics."

This is the fourth episode of the AWC's podcast, featuring Bethany Terris and AWC staff, Michelle Awad and Melissa Thomas. Topics discussed include the effective science communication, quantum theory in the popular science, and what it feels like to be a woman in physics.

"I think [AI tools] can be  helpful in so many ways for every step of the research, but maybe not for [the original] idea [you are exploring]. I don't think an AI tool can be very useful for that because an idea, it's something human really. You're wondering where you come from, for instance. You know, we are made of atoms that come from stars. And then we would like to know how this works. And it's not a program that is going to tell me like, hey, why don't you wonder where you come from? Why don't you have these philosophical questions? No, I want to have these questions. And then maybe I want AI to help me try to solve the problems." -Vianney Lebouteiller.  

This is the second episode of the AWC Podcast with CNRS researcher at CEA, Vianney Lebouteiller. Topics discussed include how PhD training has changed since COVID, the role of AI in the research process, and, as indicated in the quote above, a little philosophizing about the importance of the human element in the midst of the tools around us. 

Thank you to Martin Kilbinger for our music! 

"There has been research done by Paola Popesso about how difficult it is when you have children and to continue your career as a woman. Her research shows that having to deal with a family is an obstacle for women and not for men. And in the end, it is the toughest women who can maintain both, but it shouldn't be this way. We don't have to be WonderWoman just to be scientists" -Benedetta Franzelli 

This is the second episode of the AWC's podcast, featuring CNRS Researcher Benedetta Franzelli and AWC staff, Michelle Awad and Melissa Thomas. Topics discussed include the challenges women face in science as well as the importance of effective science communication. 

A link to Popesso's work can be found here. 

A transcript to this episode can be found here. 

Thank you to Martin Kilbinger for creating our episode music!  

"We are always concerned about how younger people will be confronted with these artificial intelligence tools. But actually, they adapt very well to these tools. And it's more that older people have difficulties in changing their habits and not being convinced by the positive feedback of these AI models. [...] So there's this new tool and we learn how to use it. We will then tell young people how we think they should use it, and then they will find new ways to make it work." -Nicolas Sabouret 

This is the first episode of the AWC's podcast, featuring AI researcher Nicolas Sabouret and AWC staff, Michelle Awad and Melissa Thomas. Topics discussed include Sabouret's books on demystifying AI to the public, how learning is changing in light of artifical intelligence,  and the role of AI in research and publication. 

Thank you to Martin Kilbinger for creating our episode music!  

If you would like to see a transcript of this conversation, you can find it here.