Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Aug 7

“And now there are things that I can’t unsee.”

AI is reshaping particle physics. And physics is reshaping AI.

I spoke with @mitphysics.bsky.social prof + NSF's AI for Physics director Jesse Thaler about AI, the LHC, diffusion models, and the future of discovery.

🎧 Full episode in thread.

Physicists disagree wildly on what quantum mechanics says about reality, Nature survey shows

Reposted by nabil

Elizabeth Gibney @lizziegibney.bsky.social · Jul 30

This year quantum physics turns 100, so @nature.com decided to conduct the biggest ever survey of what lies behind it. Do physicists really believe in multiple universes? Can influences happen instantaneously? Is the Copenhagen interpretation all it's cut out to be? ⚛️🧪 www.nature.com/articles/d41...

First major attempt to chart researchers’ views finds interpretations in conflict.

www.nature.com

11 47 85

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Jul 21

In the block universe, past, present, and future all simultaneously exist. Turns out, Now & Laters were really onto something. #physics #specialrelativity #confectionarywisdom

Reposted by nabil

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · Jul 15

Scientists have released the closest images ever taken near the sun, captured by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe flying 3.8 million miles above the solar surface.

See more images of solar eruptions on the sun: wapo.st/3Irm3P3

310 2K 11K

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Jul 14

Accelerating discovery in fundamental physics will reshape our understanding of reality and unlock massive economic value.

In this post, I explain why.

Follow me down the rabbit hole 🐰🕳️

The Case for Accelerating Physics Discovery

A Moral, Philosophical, and Economic Perspective

www.discoveryengines.co

BIO Convention 2025 - Walkabout & Takeaways

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Jun 27

Organs on chips, quality control on wheels, automated liquid biopsies, oh my.

I had a blast meeting founders and researchers accelerating biotech at the 2025 BIO International Convention in Boston.

Come walk the convention floor with me and hear directly from the experts - video attached!

Universal Lab Automation - Rick Wierenga of PyLabRobot

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Jun 20

Full episode:
YouTube: youtu.be/tCxF37cCcWM
Spotify: spoti.fi/3BzMqiy
Apple: apple.co/40sQCu9

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Jun 20

What if we could integrate, play with, and control lab hardware as easily as we do software?

Thrilled to have sat down with @rickwierenga.bsky.social of @pylabrobot.bsky.social to learn how the movement he's leading is enabling more scientists, hackers, and startups to “ship science”!

Universal Lab Automation - Rick Wierenga of PyLabRobot

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Jun 19

Full episode:
YouTube: youtu.be/tCxF37cCcWM
Spotify: spoti.fi/3BzMqiy
Apple: apple.co/40sQCu9

Breaking Into AI for Science - Alishba Imran of UC Berkeley BAIR, Arc Institute, CZ Biohub, Voltx

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · May 7

YouTube: youtu.be/T7-flqOP3rU
Spotify: spoti.fi/3BzMqiy
Apple Podcasts: apple.co/40sQCu9

Alishba's new book: link.springer.com/book/10.1007...

Unleashing Scientific Data - Nicholas Larus-Stone of Sphinx Bio, Bits in Bio

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · May 7

“I think you’d be shocked how often people are willing to chat and help you out.”

Inspired by my recent sit-down with @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social's Alishba Imran, now a Research Fellow with the @arcinstitute.org, on how she broke into AI for Science.

Full episode linked in thread! 🧵

1 1

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Apr 23

YouTube: youtu.be/nux8geE6liA
Spotify: spoti.fi/3BzMqiy
Apple Podcasts: apple.co/40sQCu9

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Apr 23

"Anytime you ask a question, that should be contextualized in all the data that you've generated"

I love this vision on the future of scientific discovery shared by @nlarusstone.bsky.social, founder of @bitsinbio.bsky.social, and Sphinx Bio.

Link to the full episode in thread 🧵

Inside the DOE's Autonomous Lab for Materials Discovery - David Milsted, Lab Systems Engineer

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Apr 2

YouTube: youtu.be/UoGyefEIbH0
Spotify: spoti.fi/3BzMqiy
Apple Podcasts (audio only): apple.co/40sQCu9

1 1

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Apr 2

“We can have people constantly inserting new experiments, and the lab’s going to manage everything, calling us from time to time just to clean some things.”

In awe of the engineering behind @berkeleylab.lbl.gov's “A-Lab," a facility for autonomous materials discovery.

Full episode link in thread.

1 1 1

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Mar 19

Watch here:
+ Youtube: youtu.be/dp9TcruPmlU
+ Spotify: spoti.fi/3BzMqiy
+ Apple Podcasts: apple.co/40sQCu9

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Mar 19

"Stage your automation. Only automate what you really need to, and wait until you really need it."

I love this insight from Transon Nguyen, CEO of Eigen Therapeutics, a biotech startup leveraging automation and AI to accelerate developing cancer priming therapies.

Full episode linked in thread.

Reposted by nabil

The Automated Lab @theautomatedlab.bsky.social · Mar 5

It was a real honor to join Nabil on Discovery Engines to talk #labautomation!

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Mar 5

Thrilled to have sat down with Sudha and Madeline of @theautomatedlab.bsky.social to explore how organizations can unlock the full potential of lab automation.

Catch our full conversation:
YouTube: youtu.be/sPRU18BJNR4
Spotify: spoti.fi/3BzMqiy
Apple Podcasts: apple.co/40sQCu9

1 1

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Mar 5

Thrilled to have sat down with Sudha and Madeline of @theautomatedlab.bsky.social to explore how organizations can unlock the full potential of lab automation.

Catch our full conversation:
YouTube: youtu.be/sPRU18BJNR4
Spotify: spoti.fi/3BzMqiy
Apple Podcasts: apple.co/40sQCu9

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Feb 20

I love this insight on building teams from @genophoria.bsky.social, Core Investigator at Arc Institute, which just released Evo 2: the largest AI model for biology to date.

Catch the full conversation:
+ YouTube: youtu.be/sWcoslBueiE
+ Spotify: spoti.fi/4hLk3xo
+ Apple Podcasts: apple.co/40sQCu9

4 2

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Feb 18

From AI-powered agent labs, to deep tech acceleration, excited to spotlight the breakthroughs accelerating science this month.

Read it here: open.substack.com/pub/discover...

#AIforScience #DeepTech #LLMs #Genomics #TechBio

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Feb 6

Luck. Timing. And Mentorship.

I love this insight on what's needed for research success from Hemai Parthasarathy, a neuroscientist, experienced editor (Nature, PLOS), and expert in scaling deep tech startups (Thiel Foundation, Google X, MIT The Engine).

Our full conversation: youtu.be/VQ58kU1bRrw

Interview with Deepseek Founder: We're Done Following. It's Time to Lead.

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Jan 27

Insightful interview with @deepseek_ai founder Liang Wenfeng: "Our real moat lies in our team’s growth – accumulating know-how, fostering an innovative culture ... Open-source is cultural, not just commercial. Giving back is an honor, and it attracts talent."

thechinaacademy.org/interview-wi...

Silicon Valley is reeling. However, founder Liang Wenfeng has remained low-key, with his most recent appearance being on China Central Television's Xinwen Lianbo (CCTV News).

thechinaacademy.org

nabil @nabilwrites.bsky.social · Jan 25

Enjoyed recording these "hot takes" from startup founders and friends on today’s hot topics in health! 🩺🎥🔥
#JPM2025 #Healthcare #MITCNC #DiscoveryEngines

youtube.com/shorts/7Kn_C...

Hot Takes from JPM Health 2025

youtube.com