The Art of Science

Some people think that scientists are not creative at all; however, that is a misconception. “A lot of kids think that science is a body of knowledge, a collection of facts they need to memorize,” says Bill Wallace, a science teacher at Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C. But the main things scientists do is discover, make, and invent things. I know that sounds pretty vague but I will elaborate more as this blog goes on.

Discover

Mainly, archaeologists discover things like bones and other fossils. Some people may think thatsounds boring but it is actually thrilling when you find something. It takes creativity to know where to look and to figure out the history of fossils. There are already some practical applications for knowledge gained through archaeology. The U. S. Army has taken some of these applications to heart. The U.S. Army Survival Manual (FM 3-05.70) has for years included instructions on how to make improvised stone tools like clubs and flint knives. Most of this information comes from experiments in replicating stone tools recovered from archaeological sites. Now, I don’t know how many American lives have been saved by this information, but the fact that it is still being printed in the manuals indicates that someone sees its value.

Make

Scientists who make formulas and figure out scientific laws and theories have to be creative and make new things or come up with new ideas if the current ideas don't make sense or don't fit what they observe. A Nobel Prize-winning biologist, Peter Medawar, once referred to scientific research as "the art of the soluble" (Medawar, 1984, p. 254). Medawar did not mean that science is about things that dissolve – he meant that being successful in science is about figuring out which questions are solvable through scientific investigation, and then figuring out the solutions to those questions.

Invent

Scientists who invent things need to be creative so they can come up with an idea for something that can improve the world. Some people think scientists work really hard all day in a lab. In fact, the opposite approach is better, DeHaan argues. “The best time to come to a solution to a complex, high-level problem is to go for a hike in the woods or do something totally unrelated and let your mind wander,” he explains.

In conclusion, there is a real art to science and scientists are some of the most creative people in the world, who solve really difficult problems using ingenuity, serendipity, and creative problem solving.

SOURCES

Cutraro, Jennifer. "How Creativity Powers Science." Student Science. Society for Science & the Public, 24 May 2012. Web. 31 May 2016. <https://student.societyforscience.org/article/how-creativity-powers-science>.

Hoksbergen, Ben, Redstone Arsenal, and Installation Archaeologist And Cultural Resource Manager. "Why It Is Important to Preserve Archaeological Resources." Why It Is Important to Preserve Archaeological Resources (n.d.): n. pag. Http://www.garrison.redstone.army.mil. Web. <http://www.garrison.redstone.army.mil/uploads/WhyItIsImportantToPreserveArchaeologicalResources.pdf>.