OPINION MATERIAL MATTERS

The critical role of

creativity in research
Katherine L. Van Aken

A s a senior doctoral student, I often

motivate our research group in
weekly meetings by bringing up impor-
research is meant to dis-
cover the unknown and
solve problems that don’t
tant events, seminars, lab reminders, and yet have solutions. It of-
anything that is worthy of discussion. A ten doesn’t go as planned
few months ago, I posed this question and leads to solutions
to our group (~30 researchers): “Does and problems that were
anyone have any crazy, out-of-the-box not part of the original
suggestions for how we can use this question. In the modern
material?” Unfortunately, my question world, the problems that
was answered with blank stares, a few science attempts to solve
confused looks, and a wall of silence. are also extremely com-
While we eventually had a discussion plex, leading to more and
along those lines, it was clear that “out- more interdisciplinary
of-the-box” thinking was not something fields and collaborations.
that came naturally to us. But this unfor- For example, Materials
tunate situation got me thinking about Science is a naturally
research today and where creativity and interdiscipli-nary field
innovation fit into our research process. consisting of chemistry,
By most definitions, creativity and biology, physics, math,
innovation—while used interchangeably and many engineering © 2016 Vince Dorse

in many disciplines—are two different components. The nature

things. Creativity is defined as coming of a materials science discipline is cre- or product, similar to the technology in-
up with something original or unusual. ative in itself, acknowledging the fact that novations we are familiar with today.
Motivated by curiosity on top of a vast problems such as self-healing polymers For example, trying a new material in a
knowledge base, creativity allows one to and energy storage cannot be solved with completely different application could
shake up the normal way of thinking and any one strict science discipline alone. be considered innovative. But in most
come up with new solutions to a prob- These complex problems require com- cases, it will be a new way of testing
lem. Innovation, on the other hand, is plex solutions from scientists who can or a new way of synthesizing, and these
creating something new that has obvious creatively combine their multiple fields small changes can have a large impact
value to others. While we may have our of knowledge. on research and our understanding of the
own way of separating the two ideas in But how does innovation fit into a re- scientific world.
the world around us, I would posit that search laboratory? In many labs, it does So let’s go back to my group’s appar-
there is a very interesting space where not. Scientists who have run tests and ent confusion when they were challenged
both concepts can coexist and even com- analyzed results the same way for years to be creative and innovative at our meet-
plement each other: a scientific research are not likely to innovate. In fact, many ing. Why do scientists seem to be too busy
laboratory. researchers are moving too fast through to innovate? In industry, it makes sense to
At first, this might sound ridiculous. what they know without considering be cautious with new ideas because there
Aren’t the creative process and the sci- what they don’t know. They don’t take are always budget limits, and funds need
entific process entirely different? Isn’t in- a step back to ask if there is another way to be used where they create the best out-
novation reserved for industry and prod- to get to the solution. While creativity comes for the enterprise. But why hesitate
uct development? Perhaps, but, in fact, in the lab can yield new ways of think- to try a crazy idea in the lab when at the
scientific research is a field where there ing about the problem, innovation can very worst it simply won’t work?
are no rules, no standards, and no direct create new ways of solving it. In some An IQ test is a standardized measure of
expectations of an outcome. Fundamental cases, this may lead to a patentable idea intelligence that has existed for decades.

Katherine L. Van Aken, doctoral student at A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute, Drexel University

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 OPINION MATERIAL MATTERS

About 30 years ago, when raw IQ scores judgment, and I said: “Isn't it a shame one of the world’s most pressing issues.
were analyzed, James Flynn discovered that with the tremendous amount of You will never know unless you try.
that the scores had been increasing over work you have done you haven't been Six tips toward increasing scientific
time.1 This led to the “Flynn effect,” a able to get any results?” Edison turned creativity:
on me like a flash, and with a smile re-
concept suggesting that people are get- 1. Knowledge is the basis for which cre-
plied: “Results! Why, man, I have gotten
ting smarter with each new generation. ativity and innovation can develop.
lots of results! I know several thousand
There are many suggested reasons for things that won't work!”
Make sure you are open to learning
this trend, including increased levels new things at all stages of the prob-
of nutrition, longer years of schooling, In science and especially research, getting lem-solving process, since new infor-
and more stimulating environments. it wrong is just as important as getting it mation might be the key to finding a
About 50 years ago, E. Paul Torrance right. Once we are able to accept that our creative solution.
developed a similar test to measure the creative idea might not work, but that is 2. Take a break from the problem state-
creative intelligence of a person (Test okay, we can unleash a whole new poten- ment and let your mind wander.
of Creative Thinking). This test is also tial of creativity and innovation toward Research shows that by giving your
standardized to compare individuals solving the world’s problems. mind time to focus on something
with their peers. Recently at The Col- Knowing that our environment and else or to relax, you free your mind
lege of William and Mary, raw emo- the wealth of accessible information to come up with a newly innovative
tional quotient scores were analyzed are acting against our potential creative idea. In 1869, struggling to organize
over time, revealing that people are skills is only partly helpful. Acknowl- the chemical elements, Dmitri Men-
becoming less creative with each new edging that one can be more creative in deleev took a nap at his desk. While
generation.2 Despite the positive trend the lab is great, but thinking creatively is he slept, his subconscious mind kept
of the Flynn effect, a reverse trend is often a departure from the norm. A good working. In a dream he “saw a table
seen in creativity, suggesting that the example of creative science is some- where all the elements fell into place
technology and ease at which we can thing that has a large impact on the field as required,” and this was the basis of
gather information today has reduced and is simple enough that many people our current Periodic Table.
our need to think creatively. have had the chance to make the same 3. Open your mind. Perceptions and
A major factor that limits one’s desire discovery. For example, the isolation of judgments can limit the information
to take creative risks in their field is the graphene sheets from graphite has both you take in. Don’t let these feelings
fear of getting it wrong. We are repeat- of these characteristics. In 2004, Geim close your mind to a potentially cre-
edly taught that there is a correct answer and Novoselov received a Nobel Prize ative idea.
to every problem, and anything else is for their work, so it was definitely influ- 4. Rewrite the problem in a completely
wrong. Therefore, trying something new ential to the field of materials science.4 different way. You might see the solu-
and creative could seem difficult to sci- On the other hand, it was a very simple tion from this perspective. Or ask a
entists who are used to solving issues solution, consisting of simply cleaving friend for help! Another pair of eyes
with a single focus. However, one of the layers of graphite using Scotch tape. It may be able to see the problem in a
most important discoveries was made was something any scientist could have different light.
after thousands of failed attempts. In a done without expensive equipment, but 5. Try things others are not trying and look
biography3 of Thomas Edison, the author only these scientists did it, making their where they are not looking. Sometimes
interviews Edison’s associate Walter S. discovery creative. So next time when the answer is a creative twist on what
Mallory about these experiments: you are running a routine experiment people have not tried. Don’t be afraid
This [the research] had been going that you have done a thousand times, to be the one to give it a shot.
on more than five months, seven days stop to consider a new way you could 6. Don’t be afraid to get it wrong. Re-
a week, when I was called down to the do it, or daydream about different ap- search is the best avenue for taking
laboratory to see him [Edison]. I found plications that could benefit from your risks because of the freedom you have
him at a bench about three feet wide new materials. But most of all, don’t to solve problems that no one has
and twelve feet long, on which there forget to learn as much as you can both solved before. Edison made several
were hundreds of little test cells that had inside and outside of your field. Do not thousand attempts before he discov-
been made up by his corps of chemists
let the scientific process and busy ex- ered the one that worked.
and experimenters. I then learned that
periment schedules keep you from try-
he had thus made over nine thousand References
ing crazy, out-of-the-box ideas. There
experiments in trying to devise this 1. J.R. Flynn, Psychol. Bull. 101 (2), 171 (1987).
new type of storage battery, but had
is no better time or place to be creative 2. K.H. Kim, Creat. Res. J. 23, 285 (2011).
not produced a single thing that prom- than a research lab. 3. F. Dyer, T.C. Martin, Edison: His Life and Inventions
ised to solve the question. In view of I am providing some tips to increase (Harper and Brothers, New York, 1910).
4. K.S. Novoselov, A.K. Geim, S.V. Morozov, D. Jiang,
this immense amount of thought and your ability to be creative and innova- Y. Zhang, S.V. Dubonos, I.V. Grigorieva, A.A. Firsov,
labor, my sympathy got the better of my tive. Who knows, maybe you will solve Science 306 (5696), 666 (2004).

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 2017 SPRING MEETING & EXHIBIT
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PREREGISTRATION OPENS MID-JANUARY

CHARACTERIZATION, THEORY AND MODELING ENERGY STORAGE AND CONVERSION
CM1 Emergent Material Properties and Phase Transitions Under Pressure ES1 Perovskite Solar Cells—Towards Commercialization
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