Question: You seem like the elder of the Science-Group - do you think knowledge come with experience?

Alan Winfield answered on 17 Mar 2011:

Yes I guess I am the eldest. If by knowledge you mean lots of facts – the sort of thing you need to be on University Challenge – then no. In fact I think it’s easier to learn and remember lots of stuff when you’re younger.

But if by knowledge you mean understanding, or perhaps wisdom, then yes I think being older does help. Something I’ve found as I have got older is that it becomes easier to see the big picture. Let me try and explain what I mean. Science is divided into specialisms, called disciplines. Generally people can only study one discipline in depth, they become an expert in that discipline, and if they’re lucky they can make a career out of it. But knowing alot about one particular specialism doesn’t help you to see the big picture. I’ve been lucky that over the last 35 years I’ve learned about other disciplines than engineering – partly because of people I’ve known, or worked with – and partly because of reading books. This means that I’ve collected enough bits of knowledge – and had enough conversations with experts over the years – that I believe I can start to see how the different disciplines answer questions about the same things but from very different perspectives. Also quite recently, in the last 5 years or so, I’ve started to work closely with people from the arts and humanities and that’s made me realise that the arts – sciences split is not good for science, the arts or society.

Sorry if this is a rather rambling answer. I think the basic answer to your question is yes. But let me leave you with a final thought which comes from experience. I think the secret of creativity is to spend time with people from different specialisms from your own. Creative thinking happens when previously disconnected ideas come together in a new way that makes sense. In my experience that coming together is more likely when people with different scientific or and/or artistic interests work or spend time together.