• Question: When doing a specific project or experiment what would you do if you struggled to find a solution or next step?

    Asked by GaelleB on 14 Jun 2023.
    • Photo: John Grasmeder

      John Grasmeder answered on 14 Jun 2023:

      This happens a lot! I would review all the information I have and think of some new ideas. I’d also make some notes about the things I don’t understand, all my questions. I’d then have a think about who might be able to help me. This might be colleagues in the company or it might be organisations outside the company, like universities or industrial labs. Conversations with any or all of these people almost always generate new ideas, new approaches and new experiments to try.

    • Photo: Amy Stockwell

      Amy Stockwell answered on 14 Jun 2023:

      This happens every day. My first step is to take a short break and make a cup of tea. Sometimes just thinking about something else for 5 minutes lets me see the problem with fresh eyes.

      If that doesn’t work then I talk to my colleagues. Maybe they have had a similar challenge. Or they ask me a question which makes me look at my problem from a new perspective.
      Next step is to look to the outside world of scientific literature, books and people. Others may have solved a similar problem, or I can get ideas on new approaches.

    • Photo: Alexander De Bruin

      Alexander De Bruin answered on 16 Jun 2023:

      This happens nearly daily for me! I will either look at my training notes, look up reference materials, or ask my team/my boss. Science is rarely done by one person in isolation any more, with almost every problem solved by a team rather than an individual.

    • Photo: Ferran Brosa Planella

      Ferran Brosa Planella answered on 16 Jun 2023:

      Often just taking a break really helps a lot. If it is a bigger struggle, talking to colleagues is a great way of getting new ideas.

    • Photo: Maddy Carter

      Maddy Carter answered on 21 Jun 2023:

      This is really common! The first step is talking it through with my colleagues who might have different experience or good ideas.

      Going back over my work and planning things out again is also helpful, to see if I’ve made any mistakes, or could do something differently.

      If I find a specific problem, I will search and read through scientific literature online (basically an academic google search), to see if anyone has had the same problem and found a way to solve it.

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