Embedding the scientist mindset is important in every life aspect?

Leaders often talk about the application of sound business practices to universities and other public services. I want to turn the conversation on its head and suggest that a scientific mindset can inform and benefit the decision-making process outside of the laboratory. Adopting the mindset of a scientist can help all of us approach a changing world.

What skills and mindset will our leaders, workforces, students and young people need to tackle the problems of this century? Ubiquitous information, complexity and new technologies have challenged traditional approaches to solving problems. The internet and communication technologies have created new sources of information and have made that information more accessible. But they have also forced us to think more deeply about what information can be trusted as a basis for decision-making. Our attempts to follow logical processes are constantly challenged by new and disruptive influences.

One area of promise has been the increasing collaboration between the business and academic communities. This collaboration has fostered research, accelerated the movement of ideas and insights from the lab to the marketplace, and benefited society as a whole. In this process, businesses and universities have learned and gained greater respect for one another.

What does a scientist do?

While most agree that the outputs of science are beneficial to society, a sizeable part of the general public do not know what scientists do and scientists are often stereotyped as apt to be odd and peculiar. The science community is likely in part responsible for these misconceptions and the public feel that scientists are poor communicators and appear secretive.

Scientists are, even when pursuing discovery- or curiosity-driven research, keenly aware of potential future applications of research and how it will impact society. The scientists who have worked tirelessly for decades at CERN to see and measure the fundamental particles of the universe are, for example, extremely excited about the way technology from particle accelerators creates new medical diagnostics such as PET imaging scanners. They are also motivated by the way the hunt for the Higgs boson has stirred public interest in science and raised the engagement of the world community.

Science is also a profession that embraces change. We are seeing the epithet “scientist” applied to new disciplines outside of the conventional laboratory, such as the data scientist. While there is no strict definition, data scientists could be considered scientists because of their ability to go beyond analysis and programming and show a detailed understanding of problems and contexts. New multidisciplinary scientists are emerging, such as bioengineers and synthetic biologists, who combine scientific knowledge and techniques with engineering and medical knowledge.





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