The Secret to a Successful Career in Science—According to Magritte
SEPT. 21, 2023
There is no shortage of words of advice on how to become a successful scientist.
Building Castles in the Sky and Houses of Cards That Don’t Collapse
SEPT. 28, 2022
The creative process involves two phases—generating new ideas and then focusing on the most tractable and useful ones.
The Surprise Element: A Hallmark of Creativity in Scientists, Artists, and Comedians
SEPT. 24, 2021
Truly creative works of science and art produce unexpected and surprising results—just like the punch line of a good joke that generates an unfamiliar twist on a familiar idea. Surprise stimulates curiosity, which triggers a search to reveal the mystery of things unknown.
Seurat’s Dots: A Shot Heard ‘Round the Art World — Fired by an Artist, Inspired by a Scientist
SEPT 08, 2019
The iconic phrase “a shot heard ‘round the world” signifies an exceptional event. Seurat’s masterpiece La Grande Jatte, painted with many thousand dots of color, came as a shot to the art world—a shot fired by the imagination of the artist and inspired by the color theories of a scientist.
What Makes a Piece of Art or Science a Masterpiece?
SEPT 08, 2018
Critics of art and philosophers of science and have long wrestled with the question of what elevates a piece of art or a set of experiments to masterpiece status. Masterpieces of art and science are like hooks that capture our imagination.
The Artist As Puzzle Creator, The Scientist As Puzzle Solver
SEPT 08, 2017
Unlike artists who get their thrills by creating puzzles that stimulate the imagination, scientists get their kicks by solving puzzles that advance biomedical research.
The Rule of Three for Prizes in Science and the Bold Triptychs of Francis Bacon
NOV. 22, 2016
Scientific awards afford a special opportunity to enlighten the general public on how scientific discoveries arise. Like a Francis Bacon triptych, a prizeworthy scientific discovery has its greatest impact in capturing the public’s imagination when the story of its origin can be traced to its fundamental roots and told in an engaging way
A Well-Hung Horse: Sired by Knowledge and Imagination
SEPT. 8, 2015
For more than a century, historians of science have been pondering which is more important in the creative process: knowledge or imagination. The most original scientists (and artists) in our day discover newness by blending existing knowledge with imaginative thinking.
Spotting the Next Big Thing in Art and Science
SEPT. 9, 2014
Lasker Jury Chair Joseph Goldstein writes about the essence of creativity making parallels between art and science. He begins by quoting Oscar Wilde, who has famously proclaimed that the most creative individuals are those who have taught their minds to misbehave.
Tip-Offs to Creativity in Art and Science
SEPT. 8, 2013
What do a sculpture in Trafalgar Square and Lasker Awards have in common?
