I know, it’s been a hot minute since I posted on InSci! I’ve dedicated a lot of time to teaching. But wow has working with my students been a game changer for me. I’m finally ready to start crafting what I know into tools and trainings for others to pursue discovery. I’ve been working hard …
On the influence of tracking the evolution of your ideas on the pace of discovery. Have you ever moved, or had a big change in your situation, and when you started sorting through everything you wondered why you kept it all? I have been looking through all the handwritten paper notes I scanned …
Many of us believe we struggle because we can’t come up with ideas. My new opinion is that having “breakthroughs” is not the reason why we struggle with scientific discovery. Knowing what to do after you’ve had a breakthrough is where you’ll have challenges. I have come across people who self-identify with one of …
On the website, I focus on how to foster your individual ability to make scientific discoveries. It’s your individual contribution that’s emphasized, even if you work as part of a team, group, or formal collaboration. If you’ve read many of my posts, you will know that I have so far divided aspects of an individual’s …
Why are categories so useful? When we think about things, especially when we try to understand why things are the way they are, we often try to put things into categories. We like to decide that certain elements fit categories A and B; we match certain processes to categories H and W; and then we …
I love a good mash-up, so let me ask you this: What do you get when you mash-up the ideas of two prolific female academics, one in social work and the other in theoretical physics? The answer is: my musings for this week’s post, which boils down to the phrase “the ugly truth.” A …
It’s tempting when we talk to others about our ideas to only want to share the good stuff. To only share the things we think are logical, sound reasonable, maybe only the things we think (or hope) will make us seem smart and focused. But this tendency to re-frame our real experiences and distill them …
When someone asks you what you do for a living, how do you answer? Do you give your job title? Do you say what kinds of project(s) you are working on? Do you give your company name or name of the topic you work on? From researchers of all stripes, working in non-profits, volunteer and …
How to use the trial and error method to make a scientific discovery. I like moving, exploring new places, and visiting friends and family (for short manageable doses). I can put up with traveling for work. But one thing never ceases to annoy me: Whenever I take a shower for the first time in …
Tell me if this sounds familiar to you: You have a lightbulb moment. A great idea you’ve never seen or heard before. It seems like it could really move things in an amazing new direction. You’re excited. No, SUPER excited. You deluge your friends and family with all the amazing, awesome outcomes your idea could …