Derek Ham

While “intense rigor” seems to be the focal approach for research teams, I pose a tactic that might seem counterintuitive to this movement. I think we should become more “playfuly curious.” Play does not misplace rigor, but instead opens our minds to novel approaches and unconventional paths to new solutions to the problems we face. At times research is conducted through following meticulous rules, and other times researchers will remix and remake their approach to problem solving altogether. Yes, rules can also be broken, and sometimes discarded altogether. I believe some problems in the world are so unorthodox that narrow-based approaches can be the very thing that sabotages our ability to find unconventional solutions. The path forward might require us to abandon any conventional knowledge to launch us deeper into the unknown.