Research often derided for being a waste of money has led to world-changing breakthroughs, ranging from GPS to Ozempic.

To celebrate Sir Paul’s 83rd birthday June 18th we are reprising a wonderful conversation recorded five years ago. Alan and Paul exchange their experiences writing and performing; and McCartney demonstrates how some of the Beatles’ greatest hits began with what he calls “oobley” chords on the piano.

Reaching back to the first season of Clear and Vivid, a replay of the July 2018 episode when the violin virtuoso tells Alan why he likes to talk to his audience as well as play for them; why he plays Bach very differently from Tchaikovsky; and why the first time he played the Stradivarius that was to become his 30 years later, “I thought that I'd died and went to heaven.”

A mathematician and epidemiologist, his research helped save lives during the Covid pandemic in the UK by predicting the effectiveness of interventions like social distancing and masks. In his new book, he tackles the thorny problem of how you find truth in a world awash with falsehoods.

Playing attending physician “Robby” Robinavitch in the hit HBO Max series The Pitt has given him insights into how the harrowing world of the emergency room could be improved in real life.

The recent discovery on a distant planet of a chemical that could be a sign of life has this astrophysicist intrigued if not convinced. But if it turns out to be real it would mean that not only are we not alone – “It would really mean that our Galaxy is teeming with life.”

Now starring in the Netflix series The Four Seasons – based on Alan’s 1981 movie – he’s won an Emmy and has been nominated for two Oscars and two Tony awards. In 2024, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. And you surely didn’t miss him at this year’s Met Gala!

While promises of extending the human lifespan to 125 and beyond are premature, recent breakthroughs in the early detection of killer diseases of the major organs and brain offer a healthier old age – especially when paired with behavioral changes that Dr Topol calls “Lifestyle+.”