Fascination of Science: Encounters With Pioneering Researchers of Our Time

An intimate collection of portraits of internationally renowned scientists and Nobel Prize winners, paired with interviews and personal stories.

What makes a brilliant scientist? Who are the people behind the greatest discoveries of our time? Connecting art and science, photographer Herlinde Koelbl seeks the answers in her book “Fascination of Science,” an indelible collection of portraits of and interviews with 60 pioneering scientists of the 21st century. Koelbl’s approach is intimate and accessible, and her highly personal interviews with her subjects reveal the forces (as well as the personal quirks) that motivate the scientists’ work.

Her interview subjects include Nobel Prize winners Dan Shechtman, Frances Arnold, Carolyn Bertozzi, and cover scientific fields from astronomy, biochemistry, and quantum physics to stem-cell research and AI. “I wanted to know how they think and with what insights they influence our lives, our future,” writes Koelbl in the book’s preface. “To this end, I traveled halfway around the world to ‘research’ these top scientists and to pass on their fascinating scientific results and life experiences — in other words, to bring science to life.”

Four interviews from the book can be found below, followed by a complete list of scientists featured in the book.

Science & Tech	The Extraordinary Path of Nobel Laureate Françoise Barré-Sinoussi Our “Fascination of Science” series culminates with a powerful conversation with Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, who earned a Nobel Prize for her role in the discovery of HIV. Herlinde Koelbl |
Science & Tech	In Conversation With Urban Epidemiologist Tolullah Oni “You need sheer persistence and the ability to remember your ultimate goal of why you do what you do.” Herlinde Koelbl |
Science & Tech	“By destroying an idea, you actually make progress”: In Conversation With Paul Nurse The leading geneticist talks about his Nobel Prize-winning discovery, the importance of failure, and a shocking personal revelation about his family history. Herlinde Koelbl |
Science & Tech	In Conversation With Nobel Laureate Frances Arnold The pioneer of directed evolution reflects on her seminal work, being a woman in science, and her resilience in the face of personal tragedy. Herlinde Koelbl |

A complete list of scientists featured in “Fascination of Science“:

Karl Deisseroth / Peter Seeberger / Stefan Hell / Antje Boetius / Thomas Südhof / David Avnir / Alessio Figalli / Jennifer Doudna / Tom Rapoport / Tandong Yao / Robert Laughlin / Bruce Alberts / Viola Vogel / Pascale Cossart / Brian Schmidt / Avi Loeb / Wolfgang Ketterle / Ron Naaman / Faith Osier / Helmut Schwarz / Bernhard Schölkopf / Martin Rees / Richard Timothy Hunt / Carla Shatz / Patrick Cramer / Dan Shechtman / Aaron Ciechanover / Jian-Wei Pan / Detlef Günther / George M. Church / Robert Weinberg / Peter Doherty / Klaus von Klitzing / Shigefumi Mori / Cédric Villani / Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard / Marcelle Soares-Santos / Tao Zhang / Ruth Arnon / Vittorio Gallese / Onur Güntürkün / Carolyn Bertozzi / Ulyana Shimanovich / Richard Zare / Ottmar Edenhofer / Bruno Reichart / Shuji Nakamura / Eric Kandel / Sallie Chisholm / Robert Langer / Anton Zeilinger / Arieh Warshel / Edward Boyden / Sangheeta Bhatia / Emmanuelle Charpentier / Hermann Parzinger / Maria Schuld / Katharine L. Bouman / Moisés Expósito-Alonso / Elaine Y. Hsiao