This interview with a Portuguese scientist, an internationally renowned immunologist, takes the form of a wide-ranging conversation conducted by Vasco Barreto, a researcher at the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Universidade Nova de Lisboa. They talk about António Coutinho’s career and the roles he has played in public life, notably as director of the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, and also about theoretical questions relating to the philosophy of science and the scientific process. In addition, they discuss pragmatic issues concerning science policy.