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Interview with Larry Niven: A Conversation with the Ringworld Legend on His Classic Science Fiction Novels

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Larry Niven, author of Ringworld, 2021

Eugene Powers/Alamy

Larry Niven is a towering figure in the realm of science fiction, and I felt honored to interview him via Zoom from his home in Los Angeles. His seminal 1970 novel, Ringworld, is this month’s selection for the New Scientist Book Club. However, his literary contributions span numerous novels and short stories, including one of my personal favorites, An outdated world. At 87, he continues to write, and we discussed his insights on Ringworld, the projects he’s currently working on, and his thoughts on humanity’s potential to venture beyond our solar system. Below is an edited transcript of our conversation.

Emily H. Wilson: Larry, thank you for participating in this interview and for being part of the New Scientist Book Club. It is a tremendous honor to speak with someone so central to the evolution of this genre.

Larry Niven: Thank you.

EHW: What inspired you to become a science fiction writer?

LN: I was immersed in science fiction during my early adulthood, but I only discovered the fandom when I started selling my stories. That connection was invaluable for me.

EHW: What was the genesis of the idea behind Ringworld?

LN: The concept of the Dyson sphere—hypothetical megastructures in space—was introduced to me by another writer, possibly Paul Anderson. Intrigued by the idea, I realized we could observe other civilizations based on their energy usage. But to harness that energy, one needs a way to block sunlight. I envisioned using rotational gravity for the Dyson sphere, focusing on its equatorial regions, and thus conceptualized the “poor man’s Dyson sphere.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a10qyat-oy8

EHW: A book club member noted that Ringworld evokes a sense of awe and wonder.

LN: My choice to depict a grand structure, despite the risk of ridicule, contributed to my success. Ringworld serves as a knowledge playground where readers can engage with its complexities and even rediscover my oversights.

EHW: Reflecting back from 2025, it seems like it was an immediate success, altering your career trajectory.

LN: That’s absolutely true.

EHW: You mentioned in your writings that New Scientist highlighted how students and scholars engaged with physics concepts in Ringworld post-publication. How did that affect you? Do you think we will see such global interaction today?

LN: Science fiction permeates various media like film and comics. While Ringworld remains significant, capturing the attention of mathematicians isn’t straightforward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xifbspaz83u

EHW: What is the essence of science fiction?

LN: It’s about envisioning the future. Things are in flux, and science fiction highlights the notion that minds can think similarly but are fundamentally different.

EHW: Why did you write Ringworld Engineers as a sequel? One book club member mentioned that it was their first introduction to your work.

LN: I aimed to improve upon Ringworld since its inhabitants were not fleshed out enough. Robert Heinlein told me that the two books together formed a significant narrative.

EHW: The universe in Ringworld set in known space led to extensive narrative weaving. How did that come about?

LN: It seemed logical to create interlinked stories within the universe I had built. This web of narrative has been evolving for over 60 years.

EHW: If you were to rewrite Ringworld today, would it differ from the original?

LN: I’ve often thought that if I were to begin anew, I would focus on the barriers of interstellar travel. Building a ring world implies challenges in reaching other stars.

EHW: At what point in your career did you become a full-time science writer? Did you ever balance it with other jobs?

LN: I was a science enthusiast, particularly in astrophysics and astronomy. At 24, I realized my options were limited, which led me to start writing.

EHW: How is science fiction perceived today?

LN: I’m not as engaged with the field nowadays. I often buy books online for my Kindle, but that doesn’t mean I make the most of the current offerings.

EHW: One of my favorites of yours, An outdated world, isn’t widely read despite being a fantastic story told concisely. What can you share about writing that book?

LN: Initially, it was a dystopian tale about people frozen for the future, struggling with their wishes when they were revived—without civil rights. I encapsulated that in a short story called Rammer, which turned into the first chapter of An outdated world. I eventually continued that narrative as I became comfortable exploring the future.

EHW: You were known for your collaboration on The Mote in God’s Eye with Jerry Pournelle. How do two authors co-write a novel?

LN: Jerry and I collaborated on roughly nine novels. When he proposed the idea to co-write, I accepted without knowing where it would lead, and it turned out to be both fun and challenging. Our involvement with the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Association helped shape the narrative over three years and even earned us an award for the best unfinished novel.

EHW: Before this interview, you mentioned your book Draco’s Izakaya, a collection of short stories. I approached it hesitantly, as I’m not a short story person. It uniquely merges narratives, introducing readers to aliens through the bartender’s character. It felt more like a novel than a traditional collection. What was your aim in writing it?

LN: I started writing short stories knowing they needed substance beyond mere glimpses. My goal for Draco’s Izakaya was to convey wisdom within a lean structure, crafting a narrative that felt unified despite its brevity.

EHW: If you were to recommend four other books alongside Draco’s Izakaya, which would you choose?

LN: Depending on the individual asking, I might suggest: Lucifer’s Hammer for casual readers, Scaffold for military personnel, Ringworld for true fans, and Destiny’s Road for general audiences as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg3u-set38c

EHW: What are you currently working on?

LN: I’m collaborating with Stephen Burns on a space novel featuring Gil “Arm” Hamilton. We’ve begun an anthology project, and our short story, The Sacred Cow, which features Gil, won an award from Analog Magazine. Now, we’re encouraged to produce more content.

EHW: A few quick questions: What is your favorite science fiction book that you didn’t write?

LN: I truly enjoy Nova by Samuel R. Delany.

EHW: What is a favorite book in a genre you haven’t ventured into?

LN: I believe it must be The Wizard of Oz.

EHW: What is your favorite science fiction television show?

LN: Star Trek, but I’m not as caught up with it.

EHW: What is your all-time favorite sci-fi film?

LN: I have a fondness for Destination Moon and admire ambitious works like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Rollerball for their ambition.

EHW: What advice would you give to aspiring science fiction writers today?

LN: Simplify your approach, much like I did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llzdlkwgdpo

EHW: Do you still wish to meet aliens?

LN: I think I’m prepared to encounter the puppeteers from my works or the Mediator.

EHW: And do you think humanity will eventually leave this solar system?

LN: We’re making advancements, though not as quickly as we imagined. Initially, we thought reaching the moon would be simple, and it has proven quite challenging.

Larry, thank you for this enlightening conversation. It has truly been a privilege.

LN: You’re welcome. I always enjoy speaking with New Scientist. Be sure to read and savor!

Larry Niven’s Ringworld is the latest selection for the New Scientist Book Club. Join us to read along!

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  • New Scientist Book Club

Source: www.newscientist.com

AI chatbots are incapable of diagnosing patients solely through conversation

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Don’t call your favorite AI “Doctor” yet

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Advanced artificial intelligence models have scored highly in professional medical examinations, but they are still challenging one of the most important doctor tasks: talking to patients, gathering relevant medical information, and providing accurate diagnoses. I am still neglecting one thing.

“Large-scale language models perform well on multiple-choice tests, but their accuracy drops significantly on dynamic conversations,” he says. Pranav Rajpurkar at Harvard University. “Models especially struggle with open-ended diagnostic inference.”

This became clear when researchers developed a method to assess the reasoning ability of clinical AI models based on simulated doctor-patient conversations. “Patients” is based on 2000 medical cases drawn primarily from the United States Medical Board Specialty Examinations.

“Simulating patient interactions allows assessment of history-taking skills, which is an important element of clinical practice that cannot be assessed through case descriptions,” he says. shreya jolialso at Harvard University. The new assessment benchmark, called CRAFT-MD, “reflects real-world scenarios where patients may not know what details are important to share and may only disclose important information if prompted by specific questions. “I do,” she says.

The CRAFT-MD benchmark itself relies on AI. OpenAI's GPT-4 model acted as a “patient AI” that conversed with the “clinical AI” being tested. GPT-4 also helped score the results by comparing the clinical AI's diagnosis with the correct answer for each case. Human medical experts reconfirmed these assessments. We also reviewed the conversations to confirm the accuracy of the patient AI and whether the clinical AI was able to gather relevant medical information.

Multiple experiments have shown that the performance of four major large-scale language models (OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 models, Meta's Llama-2-7b model, and Mistral AI's Mistral-v2-7b model) is performance on benchmarks was shown to be significantly lower than at the time. Makes a diagnosis based on a written summary of the case. OpenAI, Meta, and Mistral AI did not respond to requests for comment.

For example, GPT-4's diagnostic accuracy was an impressive 82 percent when a structured case summary was presented and the diagnosis could be selected from a list of multiple-choice answers, but not when a multiple-choice option was provided. However, when it had to make a diagnosis from a simulated patient conversation, its accuracy dropped to just 26%.

And GPT-4 performs best among the AI ​​models tested in this study, with GPT-3.5 often coming in second place, and Mistral AI models sometimes coming in second or third place. Meta's Llama models generally had the lowest scores.

AI models also failed to collect complete medical histories a significant proportion of the time, with the leading model, GPT-4, only able to do so in 71% of simulated patient conversations. Even if an AI model collects a patient's relevant medical history, it doesn't necessarily yield the correct diagnosis.

It says such simulated patient conversations are a “much more useful” way to assess an AI's clinical reasoning ability than medical tests. Eric Topol At the Scripps Research Institute Translational Institute in California.

Even if an AI model ultimately passes this benchmark and consistently makes accurate diagnoses based on conversations with simulated patients, it won't necessarily be better than a human doctor. says Rajpurkar. He points out that real-world medical procedures are “more troublesome” than simulations. That includes managing multiple patients, coordinating with medical teams, performing physical exams, and understanding the “complex social and systemic factors” in the local health care setting.

“While the strong performance in the benchmarks suggests that AI may be a powerful tool to support clinical practice, it does not necessarily replace the holistic judgment of experienced physicians.” says Rajpurkar.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Tom Rosenthal engages in conversation with unfamiliar individuals on a park bench | Podcast

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Nobody wants to hear about men making comebacks right now, especially when it doesn’t involve Frank Skinner.

Skinner left Absolute Radio’s breakfast show in March after 15 years, stating, “I’m not going to pretend I got it.” Despite Absolute’s initial plans for more podcast series, they never materialized.

Skinner recently launched a twice-weekly podcast with Dean and Novelly, achieving the number two spot on Apple’s comedy podcast chart. He’s also relaunching his poetry podcasts, sans “Absolute,” showcasing podcasting’s embrace of diverse voices.

On a different scale, “Strangers on a Bench” offers lo-fi conversations with random individuals on public benches, covering various intriguing stories.

Alexi Duggins
TV Deputy Editor-in-Chief

This week’s picks

Unfit for Service explores what it means to be gay and in the U.S. military. Photo: dts News Agency Germany/REX/Shutterstock

Check out these podcast picks for a variety of engaging content this week.

sunshine place
Listen to Valerie’s harrowing experience in a drug rehabilitation program in the ’80s, along with other compelling stories.

unfit for service
Discover the struggles of Randy Taylor, a gay man serving in the U.S. military during the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ era.

bunny trap
Explore the dark reality behind the glamour of a ‘Playboy photographer’ in this eye-opening series.

cotton club murder case
Dive into the dramatic mystery surrounding a Hollywood murder case in this gripping podcast.

strangers on the bench
Experience raw and honest conversations with strangers in this captivating series.

There’s a podcast for that

Courtney Love is unsurprisingly outspoken about her “60 Songs That Describe the ’90s.” Photo: Mick Hutson/Redferns

Explore the best ’90s podcasts and delve into the nostalgia of the decade through music and football.

60 songs that describe the 90s
Discover iconic ’90s songs and interviews with music legends in this engaging podcast.

Hurry up Kevin.
Delve into ’90s football nostalgia with insightful discussions on the game and its cultural impact.

Popular: 1990s
Explore the fashion and style of the ’90s through discussions with industry insiders and iconic figures.

Head on: Surviving Y2K
Learn about the Y2K hysteria and its impact on society in this riveting podcast series.

Why not try it…

  • screen rotComedians break down the weirdest aspects of social media in this entertaining show.

  • Explore the multi-billion-dollar cocaine industry in The Times’ investigative podcast; cocaine company.

  • shrink boxJoin TV characters in psychotherapy sessions in this unique podcast.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Conversation with Kathy Willis: Utilizing the therapeutic properties of plants to alleviate anxiety and enhance overall health

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We all know that being in nature is good for our health and mental wellbeing. But how does its magic work? For example, how do we explain research showing that patients who had gallbladder surgery and had a green view from their hospital windows spent less time in nature afterwards? They recovered three times faster and required far fewer painkillers than those simply staring out of a brick wall.?

It was this mystery that led botanist Kathy Willis on her latest mission. Former scientific director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, and now professor of biodiversity at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University, she says the discovery has changed her life. In her new book, Good NatureIn this article, she explores a growing body of research that illuminates what happens to our brains and bodies when we connect with nature. Though we tend to think of ourselves as a visual species, it turns out the benefits we derive from our other senses — smell, hearing, touch, and the mysterious “hidden senses” — are just as impressive, and sometimes even more so. There's still much to discover, but as she says, New ScientistWe have already learned many things that can improve our lives.

Kate Douglas: What happens when you observe nature?

Kathy Willis: It induces different pathways in our body. Lowers heart rate and blood pressure, Decreased stress hormones such as adrenaline And our Brainwave activity There is an increase in areas that indicate we are in a calmer, more clear minded state.

Are there any “natural” colors we should look for?

Looking at physiological indicators of calmness, Green and white leavesand Yellow or white flowers…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Chimpanzees communicate with each other at a speed comparable to human conversation

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Chimpanzees in Budongo Forest, Uganda

Catherine Hobaiter

When chimpanzees socialize, they exchange gestures at a rate similar to how humans converse.

The researchers surveyed five wild chimpanzees.Pan troglodytesThe researchers studied 8,559 gestures made by 252 chimpanzees across chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) communities in East Africa — one of the largest studies of its kind. They recorded face-to-face interactions between the apes, recording the timing of one chimpanzee's gestures relative to those of the other.

An analysis of the ape “conversations” found that chimpanzees' signaling intervals are remarkably similar to human interactions, and even a little faster: “On average, it takes 120 milliseconds between the end of one gesture and the start of the next,” the researchers say. Gal Badig “In humans, the average is about 200 milliseconds, so this is very close,” said researchers at the University of St Andrews in the UK.

All chimpanzee groups responded quickly, but the exact timing varied from group to group: for example, chimpanzees from Sonso, Uganda, took a few milliseconds longer to return the gesture than the other chimpanzee groups studied.

Such differences in timing exist in human languages ​​too. For example, Japanese speakers generally Faster turn changes Japanese people have a different conversational style than Danish speakers. “We don't know exactly why,” says Vadig. “As with humans, we don't know if it's a cultural difference, something we've learned over time, or a reaction to our environment.”

Chimpanzees interacting in the Budongo Forest in Uganda

Adrian Soldati

Only 14 percent of the interactions the researchers observed between chimpanzees involved any kind of interaction. Most consisted of a single gesture, such as “go away” or “follow me,” in which the other person ran away or followed. But interactions were more frequent when the chimpanzees were negotiating over food or grooming.

“What's really exciting about this study is that it shows that communication is a cooperative, socially engaged process in non-human animals,” Budig says, “and that the processes involved in human language may have actually evolved much earlier than we thought.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com