Knowing the type of scientific discovery you are trying to make can save you years of effort
If we have the choice between being successful now or successful 10 years from now, most of us would choose to do it now.
It’s a no brainer. We’re impatient by nature and like to enjoy good things as soon as possible.
The point is: we prefer to take the more direct route.
Scientific discovery is no different. The clearer you are on what you’re trying to accomplish, the more likely you are to get it done efficiently and enjoy success sooner.
Picking a category of discovery to work on for your next project is one way to carve a straighter path to discovery.
Let’s define these discovery categories and talk about the effort needed to pursue them.
In my overview of the architecture of scientific discovery framework, I spelled out six core themes that I think power discovery.
I also wrote that scientific discovery is one of four human discovery capacities. The capacity to learn something new about the world.
That learning can be divided into scientific discovery learning categories, or discovery types. These tell you what kind of information is gained when a discovery is made.
Discovery types are one of the six core themes behind discovery.
I’ve divided the discovery types into three categories.
Attribute type discovery: Learns about the properties of a known object.
This is the easiest discovery type. Already knowing the object exists; probably having a way to interact with it; maybe even knowing its other properties. These make it easy to guess what else might be true.
Object type discovery: Learns about an unknown object.
This is the next hardest to discover. Lots of possibilities exist. And we may not have any known way to interact with the options yet. Still, there’s a reason why someone thinks it might exist. That “why” limits the range of what it could be.
Mechanism type discovery: Learns about how and why the world works the way it does.
This is the hardest to discover. The cause could be any source (object, property, known or unknown, etc.). Or it could be a mix of influences (factors, systems, actions, etc.). A vast number of possibilities means lots of chances to get it wrong before getting it right. It’s like looking at a parallel universe through a kaleidoscope—you have no idea what you are seeing.
Some categories are easier to make discoveries in.
That’s because the learning curve is smaller.
For attribute type discoveries the new knowledge gained is a small amount or closely connected to what we already know.
So, for attribute discoveries the learning curve is smaller. It’s easier to think up ideas. We probably already have technologies to work with it.
In the physical science community this is called “low hanging fruit”. A little work quickly brings a sweet reward. These kinds of discoveries are easier to achieve by small teams or by individuals in a shorter time.
In contrast, object and, especially, mechanism type discoveries have big learning curves.
You need lots of new information to narrow down the possibilities. That’s why these types of discoveries often involve more resources, like more/larger teams and decades.
No matter what type of discovery you’re after, being clear on the learning category can help you make smart choices to save effort.
Here are three reasons why knowing the type of scientific discovery you are looking for can guide your choices:
- Because the discovery category tells you how large the pool of possibilities is.
The information gained for an attribute-type discovery is small, often just one characteristic or property. But for a new object or mechanism it can be a lot–many new properties, maybe a whole class of objects, or additional mechanisms that support the main discovery. This means there are many possibilities to brainstorm and explore for discoveries in the object and mechanism categories. Start small if you are new or have limited time or resources. Try making an attribute type discovery. The range of ideas is smaller and a lot of information is already known for you to build on. If you go for a mechanism or object type discovery, use analogies to narrow the range of possibilities by extending an example from somewhere else into a new area. Or get a large group of people working on separate ideas so you can crank through the range of possibilities faster.
- Because the discovery category suggests ways to scale back to baby steps or blow up to big leaps.
If the number of ideas or models is exploding exponentially and you’re not making any headway you can scale back to a smaller information hill and go after an attribute type discovery. Alternatively, dig around for an object or mechanism type discovery if your area is stuck in a vicious cycle of “we know everything” and/or “we’re learning nothing”. Again, analogies from a wildly different field (like sociology to physics or vice versa) can create a quick smart starting point.
- Because the discovery category tells you what you are looking for.
Here’s an obvious one, but the reminder helps: Science mostly works by looking for something on purpose and then seeing if you find it or not. That’s because technologies and techniques are designed to look for specific evidence from the real world. Knowing what kind of information you are seeking (properties, things, processes) helps you decide what tools you need. Another trick: use existing tools/techniques for things they weren’t originally designed to look for. Anomalies have a way of popping up and those anomalies can be evidence for discoveries.
Determining your scientific discovery learning goal, or re-evaluating it mid-project, impacts how you plan and what you try.
Make smart choices and you can get to discovery sooner. Make unwise choices and you can set yourself back by years.
Simply put, knowing the type of scientific discovery you are trying to make can save you years of effort by matching your category to your resources.
Reflection Question
Looking back on past projects you’ve contributed to, or dream projects you’d like to do. What discovery types have you thought about? What obstacles did you experience, or do you foresee?
Related Links
On The Insightful Scientist (InSci) website
Blog (The Scientist’s Log)
- Mini-series overview post
- —
- Previous mini-series post
- n/a
- Next mini-series post
- Finding new properties of known objects is a beginner-friendly way to make a scientific discovery
- Other mini-series posts
- Finding new objects is only one way you can make a scientific discovery
- You should try to discover how and why things happen and help save the world
- Mega-series overview post
- Top related posts
Research (Research Spotlight)
- —
How-To’s (The Scientist’s Repertoire)
- —
Infographics (The Illustrated Scientist)
- —
Printables (Spark Points)
- —
Other blogs
Bulletproof Musician (performance psychology)
zen habits (achieving purpose)
Farnam Street (famous insights)
Around the web
- —
How to cite this post
Bernadette K. Cogswell, “Knowing the type of scientific discovery you are trying to make can save you years of effort”, The Insightful Scientist Blog, July 23, 2021.
[Page feature photo: Photo by Malcolm Lightbody on Unsplash.]