The Night Science Workshop
What we call the scientific method tells us what to do once we have a hypothesis – but where do these hypotheses come from in the first place? Francois Jacob famously called this part the realm of ‘Night Science’.
Itai and Martin developed a workshop that teaches the dichotomy of the scientific process, which consists of both Day Science, the rigorous testing of ideas with empirical data, and Night Science, the creative scientific process.
The workshop then introduces the thinking tools of the creative scientific process, which include improvisational discussions, interdisciplinarity, metaphorical language, questions from contradictions, puzzle-switching, and a general attitude of openness toward new ideas.
Interested?
Itai and Martin have given their Night Science workshop all over the world.
If you are interested in having them visit your institution, please reach out.
What People Say
“I’ve rarely been in a workshop where there was such a good balance between learning new things, hard work and fun!”
“This is my fav class ever… I really feel so excited and happy for having this class.”
“Finally a fantastic, interactive and inspiring workshop! … The ideas were well presented and demonstrated!”
“The course was valuable for me at this stage of my career (3rd year post-doc).”
“it should be delivered to all scientists (possibly academics) at an early stage.”
“Puzzle switching was revolutionary, including defining problems as puzzle classes.”
“I was super focused the whole time. I learned a lot and I hope I will apply [it] in my daily life.”
This workshop was amazing! New ideas, and validation of some “hacks” we do but didn’t really know we could do. Really game changing. Muchas muchas gracias! 🙂
“I have never attended a workshop like this. It was innovative, inspiring and very interesting for me.”
Since 2021 over 30 Night Science Workshop and Courses have been held across the globe including at these host institutions:
The
Workshop Sessions
Creativity as a core component of the scientific process:
We distinguish the two modes of science that constitute hypothesis generation and hypothesis testing, and highlight the central role of creativity in the former.
Improvisational science and it takes two to think:
Borrowing concepts from improvisational theater – including the “yes, and” rule – we discuss the mechanics of ‘talking science’ and explore the creative powers unlocked through discussing ideas with colleagues, highlighting the roles of encouragement and a suspension of criticism.
The two languages of science:
Science reporting is precise; but the language of discovery is different, it thrives on analogies, metaphors, and anthropomorphisms, which exploit intuitive powers that human brains evolved in response to social interactions. We discuss and exercise the intentional stance, the role of metaphors in reasoning, and translating between the two languages of ‘Day Science’ and ‘Night Science’.
What is the question:
A discovery is unexpected – an unknown unknown – and often does not fit neatly into a ‘knowledge gap’. A crucial step in many discoveries is the invention or the refocusing of a scientific question, and we explore ways in which questions may be formulated or rephrased to facilitate scientific progress.
The data-hypothesis conversation:
The creative process thrives on an attitude that encourages exploration and speculation. Science relies on a back and forth between data and ideas, and the two corresponding modes of investigation overcome each other’s limitations.
Contradictions and Perseverance:
Contradictions are often perceived as nuisances; but embracing them counteracts our natural human tendency for confirmation bias. We exercise how Night Science’s exploratory mode counteracts cognitive biases, opening the door to new insights and predictions that can profoundly alter the course of a project.
Interdisciplinarity & Renaissance minds:
Disciplines and fields are historical constructions, representing just one way of clustering knowledge. We explore the ‘expert’s dilemma’ between disciplinary day science expertise and interdisciplinary night science creativity, which often involves the import or export of ideas and technologies between fields.
Science as a meta-puzzle:
Science is puzzle-solving. We describe a system for classifying puzzles, appropriate both for human-made puzzles and for scientific projects. But nature’s puzzles are different from artificial puzzles in one crucial aspect: in an ongoing research project, you can never be sure what kind of a puzzle you are in. We discuss how conscious ‘puzzle-switching’ boosts our scientific creativity.
Openness guides discovery:
Scientific research is often expected to follow a structured, linear plan, but in reality, it evolves unpredictably. Unexpected findings, new questions, and feedback reshape projects, requiring adaptability. We will discuss and practice how openness to experience is crucial for scientific creativity, much like in other creative fields. Engaging with diverse perspectives and collaborating with colleagues enhances idea generation. A project leader should guide its evolution, balancing structure with flexibility.
Getting creative with AI:
Can artificial intelligence make us more creative? We’ll explore how AI can act as a collaborator, sparking new ideas, challenging assumptions, and pushing the boundaries of scientific thinking. There are big opportunities for integration, in terms of transferring knowledge across distinct fields. AI could tell us how thinking in one field is similar to a solution in another field, which could be “imported” for progress.