Name: The pursuit of ignorance
Uploaded: 2013-09-24T15:03:56Z
Duration: 18 min 19 s
Description: What does real scientific work look like? As neuroscientist Stuart Firestein jokes: It looks a lot less like the scientific method and a lot more like "farting around ... in the dark." In this witty talk, Firestein gets to the heart of science as it is really practiced and suggests that we should value what we don't know -- or "high-quality ignorance" -- just as much as what we know.

Stuart Firestein: The pursuit of ignorance

The pursuit of ignorance

What does real scientific work look like? As neuroscientist Stuart Firestein jokes: It looks a lot less like the scientific method and a lot more like "farting around ... in the dark." In this witty talk, Firestein gets to the heart of science as it is really practiced and suggests that we should value what we don't know -- or "high-quality ignorance" -- just as much as what we know.

Real science looks more like fumbling in a dark room than following a strict method. Instead of celebrating facts alone, scientific progress thrives on what remains unknown. With over 1.5 million scientific papers published each year, the true excitement comes from the questions that still need answers. Ignorance, thoughtfully pursued, sparks curiosity and ignites new ideas far beyond what textbooks can capture.