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Every book Dmitry Korkin recommended on podcasts
Dmitry Korkin appears on the Lex Fridman Podcast as a guest discussing complex topics such as the evolution of proteins, viruses, life, and artificial intelligence. Throughout his appearances, Korkin shares several influential literary and scientific works that shaped his perspective. He highlights Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita as an incredibly powerful book featuring intertwined parallel lives and a touch of magic. Korkin also discusses the writings of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, specifically noting Cancer Ward and November 1916 as poignant, powerful works that contributed to Solzhenitsyn receiving a Nobel Prize, drawing from his experiences in the gulag and surviving cancer. Additionally, Korkin highlights John von Neumann's essay The Computer and the Brain, praising its intellectual power and the fascinating parallels it draws between biological neural systems and computers, all while von Neumann was facing terminal illness. Finally, Korkin recommends Hope Jahren's memoir Lab Girl as an excellent audiobook that offers a deeply personal account of academic science and geochemical research, demonstrating his broad intellectual curiosity spanning literature, history, and the natural sciences.
Books recommended by Dmitry Korkin
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The Computer and the Brain
The Computer and the Brain by John von Neumann is a seminal, unfinished essay by the legendary mathematician comparing the computational architecture of early digital computers with the biological neural networks of the human brain.
Recommended“this is the book which it's not even a book it's an essay by jonathan neumann called the computer and the brain and that was the thing the book he was writing knowing that he he was dying of cancer”
Where to get it
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The Master and Margarita
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov is a classic Russian satirical novel that intertwines a fantastical visit by the devil to atheist Soviet Moscow with the tragic romance of the Master and Margarita and a retelling of the trial of Yeshua Ha-Nozri.
Recommended“it's bulgakov's master and margarita that's probably you know well not for russian maybe it's not super original but it's you know it's it's a really powerful book for for even in english so i write it in english so it is incredibly powerful”
Where to get it
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Cancer Ward
Cancer Ward by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is a powerful semi-autobiographical novel set in a Soviet provincial hospital that explores themes of mortality, morality, and the human condition under an oppressive political regime.
Recommended“so the second one is again another one that that happened i read it later in my life i think i read it first time when i was a a graduate student and that's the solzhenitsyn's cancer ward that is an amazingly powerful book”
Where to get it
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Lab Girl
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren is a celebrated memoir by an accomplished geochemist that offers an intimate look into the life of a working scientist, the dedication required for academic research, and the wonders of the natural world.
Recommended“so this is a book called lab girl by hope jaron so hope jaren is she is a a scientist she is a a geo chemist that essentially studies”
Where to get it
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November 1916: A Novel
November 1916: A Novel by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is a historical fiction epic that forms part of the author's expansive wheel cycle examining the events leading up to and during the Russian Revolution.
Recommended“him being a part of the of the you know of someone sent to the to gulag camp right and also someone who who experienced cancer in his life you know the the good luck archipelago and this book these are the works that actually made him uh you know receive a nobel prize”
Where to get it
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The Master & Margarita
The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov is a celebrated satirical masterpiece that weaves together a Moscow visit by the devil, a novel about Pontius Pilate, and a profound love story.
Recommended“uh it's bulgakov's master and margarita so that's probably you know well not for russian maybe it's not super original but it's you know it's it's a really powerful book for uh even in english so i write it in english”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| #153 – Dmitry Korkin: Evolution of Proteins, Viruses, Life, and AI | Lex Fridman Podcast | 2021-01-11 | 8 |