Creative biology at work | High school biology | Khan Academy

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Hi everyone, Salcon here. From finding novel cures for a seemingly incurable disease to diagnosing what's going on with someone, if you're a physician or a nurse, you can imagine there's incredible creativity in biology. And don't take my word for it, you're now going to meet some of my friends who can tell you more about that connection between biology and creativity.

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All science careers involve creativity. Think about it: we're asking and answering questions, and we're solving the world's problems. So the more creatively we can solve the world's problems, the more new ideas and concepts and approaches we can use to address those problems, the better off we'll be. Creativity is the guiding force on the path to good science. So there isn't a science job out there that doesn't benefit from creativity.

Like, you could be an engineer building more efficient transistors for tinier and tinier phones. You could be a climate scientist figuring out how we can reduce our carbon footprint and save the world from climate catastrophe, or an agricultural researcher deducing efficient ways to feed the planet. Or maybe an entomologist like me, understanding how relationships between organisms keep us all healthy. Creativity is important in all of these careers.

One really cool job is working for a science museum. The people who are like the chief directors or bioscientists or what have you for science museums usually have a biology or a science background of some kind, and maybe have gone through even being a PhD or a postdoctoral fellow. Their job is to design exhibits for visitors to museums and come up with engaging ways to share ideas in science. I just think that's a really cool job that you might not immediately think of.

As we move forward as scientists, as biologists, the old adage is true: a picture is worth a thousand words. So what is that image, that graph, that graphic, or even that imagery that really gets to the core of your idea? It almost gets to advertising. You want that image to stick in your listeners' minds, that both lets them understand the undeniably complex concept that you're trying to convey, but also makes it memorable. Developing that skill to come up with that picture that is truly worth a thousand words is going to be the skill that we will all need going into the future.

Creativity plays a role in my life pretty much every single day, reminding me not to stop just because I've reached a setback. Like hitting a wall as you're moving towards a goal doesn't have to be the end. For that goal, to me, it just means that the path to success isn't going to be quite as straightforward as I originally thought. The way around that wall may require me to climb over it, or tunnel under it, or maybe even dig straight through it. But if I'm creative enough, I can probably find a way to get to the other side. This plays out for me in the lab literally every single day. It feels a tenacity that can see you through things like graduate school if you ever choose to go that route.

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I allow my brain to do the work to get into my creative zone when I have a problem to resolve. Sometimes, I just sleep on it, and I let my subconscious mind work through resolving problems. Our brains are always at work, trying to be fragmented—break apart the things that we encounter. So I spend a little time thinking about how I can approach things creatively, and then I spend a little time not thinking about those things and allowing my brain and my subconscious mind to have an opportunity to do the work for me. A lot of times, when I come back afterwards, I've got a great idea; I've got the answers, and I have new ways to solve and resolve things that I've been thinking about.

To get into my creative zone, I do something that I'd like to call productive procrastination. I start what I'm working on way before it's due, and then in fits and starts, I work well giving my mind permission to wander to things that absolutely are not on the agenda. It's encouraged some of my most creative experiences: some of my best songwriting, educational videos, and even scientific breakthroughs while I was supposed to be working on something totally unrelated. This won't work for everyone, but my mind is most creative when it's free to go on unplanned adventures. Good music also helps—a great playlist to me is worth its weight in gold. My playlists are special because they only include instrumental music and songs in languages that I don't actually speak, so my thoughts don't get too pulled into the lyrics themselves.

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I've used creative communication to solve problems related, especially to people learning different science. For example, in chemistry, people sometimes have a hard time understanding subatomic particles and molecules and atoms, and making those connections between quantities and numbers. Instead of jumping right into that, which can be very difficult for people, I've learned to be creative and use analogies or relate that to something that is more accessible, such as cooking, or money, or building something. When people can make the relation between something large and familiar to something small or subatomic and unfamiliar, it makes it easier for them to make those connections and build upon that knowledge.

Several years ago, I started making videos of myself explaining biology and entomology in language that was accessible and familiar to people my age and people who don't fit the stereotypical model of a scientist. It's a choice that I'm really glad that I made; actually, I've received so much positive feedback about videos no more complicated than me holding a bug in front of a camera. And actually, just like this, me literally holding a bug in front of a camera and explaining what makes it tick. Note to self: I should make a video about what makes ticks tick—that'd be pretty cool.

Wait, sorry, there's nothing here nor there. Um, the point of what I'm saying is the choice not to excise my personality. The choice to bring all of my quirkiness into how I communicate is what seems to make the difference. A big part of being creative really can be just figuring out how to bring all of you to whatever it is that you choose to do.

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I think biology is so critical for everybody to learn because it defines who we are as human beings, as animals. It defines the whole animal kingdom, and then it goes on to define the whole plant kingdom, the insect kingdom. Understanding those principles of how living things are organized is not only a beautiful thing to understand, but it gives deep insight and deep appreciation for our own lives. I think that is the core of why I find it so important that everybody study this beautiful area of academia.

Biology is super important to learn for so many reasons, but the reason that stands out most to me is, well, the rarity of life outside of our little corner of the universe. You might not know what I mean, but stick with me for a sec.

So we are positively surrounded by biology every day here on earth, but we haven't encountered life, or even evidence of life, outside of this little blue marvel. Even though there is so much cosmic real estate out there, life is really complicated, and that goes for starting and sustaining life. Somehow, ancient organisms made it work here, but that doesn't mean that it's easy. All of us carry on this legacy of life finding a way, but one day maybe life will have to find a way through us. Maybe earth becomes inhospitable for some reason, and we have to figure out how to live somewhere else. On that day, success will depend on how well we understand the heaps of obstacles that the stubbornness of life has already overcome.