Episode · The Peterman Pod · 2026-11-09

Ryan Peterman & Venki Ramakrishnan: books mentioned on The Peterman Pod

Nobel Prize Winner: AI’s Impact On Drug Discovery And Biology | Venki Ramakrishnan

2 books · With Venki Ramakrishnan · Listen · Watch on YouTube

Venki Ramakrishnan (Molecular biologist, Nobel Prize): "The experimental part [of drug discovery] is always going to be the bottleneck." Recent headlines about using AI to speed up drug discovery made me curious about what that looks like and where it is today.

Venki Ramakrishnan recommended Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard P. Feynman, and discussed The Double Helix by James D. Watson.

Books mentioned, in the order they came up

We earn a commission if you buy through the store links below, at no cost to you.

1. 

   Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!

   Richard P. Feynman · at 38:44

   Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! is an entertaining collection of autobiographical anecdotes by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard P. Feynman, detailing his curious adventures, unconventional pursuits, and brilliant scientific career.

   Recommended

   “In, uh, physics, I, I really enjoyed Feynman's biographies. Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman.”

   Venki Ramakrishnan Nobel Prize Winner: AI’s Impact On Drug Discovery And Biology | Venki … 2026-11-09 ▶ Play 38:44

   Where to get it

   Listen free with an Audible trialAmazon
2. 

   The Double Helix

   James D. Watson · at 39:00

   The Double Helix by James D. Watson is a personal and controversial autobiographical account of the discovery of the molecular structure of DNA.

   Discussed

   “I was very influenced by a book that's highly controversial, which is Jim Watson's, uh, The Double Helix, uh, because for the first time, it made me realize that biology was not a rote collection of facts.”

   Venki Ramakrishnan Nobel Prize Winner: AI’s Impact On Drug Discovery And Biology | Venki … 2026-11-09 ▶ Play 39:00

   Where to get it

   Listen free with an Audible trialAmazon