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Microsoft Research's Dimitris Papailiopoulos argues that R&D automation makes formulating the correct questions the central scientific skill

Research engineer Shital Shah questioned how scientists prioritize chosen inquiries.

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Given this talk a couple of times the past month, and it still resonates with how I'm thinking about research in the era of R&D automation. It is the golden age of asking questions!

2:10 PM · May 27, 2026 View on X

link to slides: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mexrg6033i8y3ceqvz77r/golden-age-of-asking-questions.pdf?rlkey=m5mixplofvvjut3wqmjpdsttr&st=jjdjuzne&dl=0

Dimitris PapailiopoulosDimitris Papailiopoulos@DimitrisPapail

Given this talk a couple of times the past month, and it still resonates with how I'm thinking about research in the era of R&D automation. It is the golden age of asking questions!

9:10 PM · May 27, 2026 · 4.1K Views
9:10 PM · May 27, 2026 · 677 Views

Thanks to agents, I now do a lot more high temperature research

Dimitris PapailiopoulosDimitris Papailiopoulos@DimitrisPapail

Given this talk a couple of times the past month, and it still resonates with how I'm thinking about research in the era of R&D automation. It is the golden age of asking questions!

9:10 PM · May 27, 2026 · 4.1K Views
9:12 PM · May 27, 2026 · 1.6K Views

@DimitrisPapail Makes me wonder why we ask the questions that we do ask.

Dimitris PapailiopoulosDimitris Papailiopoulos@DimitrisPapail

Given this talk a couple of times the past month, and it still resonates with how I'm thinking about research in the era of R&D automation. It is the golden age of asking questions!

9:10 PM · May 27, 2026 · 4.1K Views
11:46 PM · May 27, 2026 · 140 Views