Big Ideas From Big Think

In a ten-week series called Think Science Now, web site Big Think welcomes shameless nerding out with ten interviews from the world's leading scientists about their cutting-edge research in biology, chemistry and human disease, and their biggest personal inspirations.

For example: Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa describes his experience as a Mexican migrant farm worker-turned-neuroscientist who left the fields, learned English and graduated with honors from Harvard Medical School to become a brain surgeon. And, Dr. Pardis Sabeti, a Rhoades Scholar considered to be among "the 100 smartest people in the world," plays in a rock band on top of her career exploring natural selection at the level of individual genes. Totally inspiring/hot.

Bonus: Viewers are encouraged to cast a vote for the most compelling profile, and for every ballot cast, Pfizer donates $1 to DonorsChoose.org. And you can vote for each scientist once. Go ahead; Pfizer can afford it.

Image: This week's interview is Dr. Jeffrey Friedman, a research scientist in neurobiology and genetics who earned his M.D. by the age of 22.