The Origins of Inspiration: A New Equations Discussion
Feb
24
2026
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Andrew Bujalski -
Lauren Ancel Meyers -
Karen Olsson
Feb
24
2026
-
Andrew Bujalski
-
Lauren Ancel Meyers
-
Karen Olsson
Description
Where do notable ideas come from? The source of ideas, discoveries and creativity are mysterious to the mathematicians, artists, writers and scientists behind them, but a common fuel drives them all.
Karen Olsson, author of “The Weil Conjectures: On Math and the Pursuit of the Unknown,” writes about siblings Simone and André Weil, the philosopher and mathematician. Olsson’s own experiences with mathematics, her filmmaker husband Andrew Bujalski’s creative process and award-winning UT epidemiologist Lauren Ancel Meyers will all feature in a rich panel discussion about moving from the abyss of not knowing to the firm ground of solutions. Explore the evolution of novel thinking, discovery-making and problem-solving with the author in lively conversation with fellow panelists and the audience.
- Advance registration is required to attend. Registration deadline is Tuesday, February 17.
- Following the discussion, consider attending the screening of Computer Chess, directed by panelist Andrew Bujalski, in the Union Theatre at 6:30 p.m. The screening is free and no registration is required to attend.
This event is part of the long-running UT College of Natural Sciences “New Equations” series, which brings together leading writers and members of the community for a discussion about the intersection of STEM and society.
About the Speakers
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Andrew Bujalski
Writer and Director
Andrew Bujalski has written and directed seven feature films. His first, Funny Ha Ha, was cited by the New York Times as one of the most influential movies of the ...
Andrew Bujalski has written and directed seven feature films. His first, Funny Ha Ha, was cited by the New York Times as one of the most influential movies of the ’00s. Computer Chess was featured in the 2014 Whitney Biennial, and Results was acquired for the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Support the Girls appeared on Barack Obama’s list of favorite movies of 2018. Outside of his independent film work, Bujalski has worked as a professional screenwriter, director, installation artist and occasionally teacher and essayist.
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Lauren Ancel Meyers
Professor
Department of Integrative Biology, UT Austin
Lauren Ancel Meyers is the Cooley Centennial Professor at The University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Integrative Biology and Department of Statistics and Data Sciences. She is ...
Lauren Ancel Meyers is the Cooley Centennial Professor at The University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Integrative Biology and Department of Statistics and Data Sciences. She is the director of epiEngage and the UT COVID-19 Modeling Consortium and serves on the steering committee for the Center for Pandemic Decision Science. For over 20 years, she has pioneered the application of data-driven models and machine learning to improve the detection, surveillance, forecasting and control of emerging viral threats, building decision-support tools and providing time-sensitive analyses during outbreaks to inform public health and government leaders. She has worked closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, U.S. National Defense Council and state and local agencies. She was previously named one of the top 100 global innovators under age 35 by the MIT Technology Review in 2004 and received the Joseph Lieberman Award for Significant Contributions to Science in 2017.
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Karen Olsson
Author and Editor
Karen Olsson is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. Her most recent book, “The Weil Conjectures: On Math and the Pursuit of the Unknown,” tells the stories of siblings André ...
Karen Olsson is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. Her most recent book, “The Weil Conjectures: On Math and the Pursuit of the Unknown,” tells the stories of siblings André Weil, a mathematician, and Simone Weil, a philosopher-writer-ascetic, interwoven with memories of her experiences studying math in college. She is the author of two previous novels, “All the Houses” and “Waterloo,” and will publish a new novel in the fall of 2026 about a conservation biologist in South Texas. As a journalist, she has explored a variety of politics, science and human interest subjects. She has worked as an editor of The Texas Observer and as a senior editor at Texas Monthly. She has also written pieces for The New York Times Magazine, The Nation, slate.com and other publications. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two children.
Location
Texas Union, Quadrangle Room 3.304
2308 Whitis Ave.
Parking: San Antonio Garage