In this episode, I sit down with Adrian Currie, Associate Professor at the University of Exeter, whose work explores the philosophy of historical sciences like paleontology and geology. We dive into what it means to "know" something, particularly when our evidence from the deep past is fragmentary and seemingly impoverished. Adrian unpacks how paleontologists can create rich narratives about ancient life from the tiniest fossils — sometimes just a single molar — and what this reveals about the nature of evidence, imagination, and scientific inquiry.
We also explore the idea that knowledge is not a static collection of facts but an evolving, embodied relationship with the world, more akin to love than to utility. Adrian shares his perspective on why wonder is essential — how awe at the immensity of deep time can reshape our imaginations and free us from the narrowness of the present. Along the way, we discuss the institutional challenges facing disciplines like paleontology, the shifting cultural perceptions of intelligence, and why some of the most important knowledge resists simple instrumental justifications. This conversation left me feeling reconnected to the joy of exploration, and I hope it does the same for you.

00:00 – Introduction: Meeting Dr. Adrian Currie

02:00 – What is paleontology, and what does it mean to study its philosophy?

06:00 – How much can we know from a single fossil?

10:00 – Reconstructing the past from fragments

15:00 – The difference between experiencing and studying a science

20:00 – What does it mean to “know” something?

25:00 – Knowing how versus knowing that

31:00 – Intelligence, culture, and the limits of measurement

36:00 – Learning about ancient cognition through fossils

41:00 – What fossils reveal about aesthetic sense and meaning

46:00 – Why we should care about the deep past

51:00 – Wonder, imagination, and rethinking the present

56:00 – Knowledge as intrinsic value, not utility

1:01:00 – Education, curiosity, and how we learn

1:05:00 – The beauty of not knowing everything

1:08:00 – Closing reflections: curiosity, time, and the infinite pursuit of knowledge