Next week I will virtually meet with an elementary school class for Skype a Scientist. I love this program, beause it enables me to discuss science with young students, the next generation of scientists. Even though they do not have any formal training yet, they always amaze me with their insightful comments and questions. My goal is to spark their interest in science and foster an appreciation for it.

Kids have an immense amount of interest and wonder about everything. This is because there is novelty in most of their interactions. Why does it snow? How earthquakes happen? What makes cars move? What is the Sun? Kids have questions about everything! Unfortunately, as we grow older, we tend to be much less curious. The reasons for that range from flaws in the educational system to the concerns of everyday life and a general familiarity with reality. This is also one of the reasons that we think time passes so fast when we are older.

In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.

-Shunryu Suzuki

I started getting interested and studying eastern philosophies as a graduate student. One of the concepts that has ever since amazed me is shoshin (初心) or the beginner’s mind. This is mainly a Zen Buddhism idea, however one can find similar concepts in Taoism as well. Shoshin is an attitude towards a child-like wonder mindset for something, despite a previous relevant experience. Simply put, it is being curious like a kid when it sees something for the first time. I still remember my excitement when I watched for the first time kids science documentaries about the universe and dinosaurs (which kid doesn’t like dinosaurs?).

The ideogram of shoshin or beginner's mind.

In everyday life, one cas practice shoshin by dropping any preconceived ideas about something and experiencing it as a beginner. Imagine going for a walk in the forest; you might have walked the same route countless times. You are confident that you know it extremely well (that is the preconception). Next time, try to see the same route with the eyes of a kid, as going to the forest for the first time. So many new images, sounds and smells. Try to pay attention to all of these. Is it not beautiful?

Let us now bring shoshin into scientific research. Practinioners of science feel more comfortable with what they already know, something known as the einstellung effect. The paradox is that the more you know about a subject, the more defensive you get to further learning. People might say “I have a Ph.D. on X. Why should I read this paper?”. The mainstream knowledge and the scientific status quo are quite enchanting and the insiders tend to cling on it and defend it at all costs. The philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn has argued that the breakthroughs in science, or as he called them revolutions, are led by either young scientists, who are not invested in the normal (or status quo) science or by scientists that have changed disciplines, and therefore can provide a fresh perspective.

I argue that creativity and your potential to create original ideas is hampered when you are in a feedback loop of concepts you are familiar with. That way, you overestimate your capabilities and knowledge and develop a confirmation bias. One needs to expand their mental horizon in different avenues, not necessarily scientific. For example, practicing a new sport as a novice could potentially provide with useful insights for one’s research endeavours. Last year I read “Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning” by Tom Vanderbilt, in which the author starts learning chess with his daughter and then moves on and tries surfing, swimming, drawing, juggling and singing. You can also listen to a podcast where he discusses these ideas. Keeping up with the latest advancements in your field and also adjacent fields definitely helps to develop a healthy attitude towards research. Don’t forget the art of remixing!

The bottom line can be summarized in the following: stay curious, be open to new experiences/skills, quiet your ego and become a beginner.