Science as Play | American Scientist

Play in scientific research is seldom discussed in print. Perhaps we scientists take it for granted. Or maybe we are a little self–conscious and try to hide it from others. After all, we don't want taxpayers to think they are subsidizing adults who are acting like a bunch of kids, thereby squandering hefty amounts of public money. Over the night of May 8, 1994, a fake campus police car was placed on top of one of the buildings at MIT—a famous "hack" in the slang of the students. By performing such hoaxes, students get into the spirit of science which, as often as not, is playful and challenges conventionalities. Courtesy MIT Museum Play in science is thus an elusive and difficult topic. I chose to examine it because I know how fundamental it is from my experience as a practicing chemist and through the testimony of many colleagues. In charting this little–explored territory, I found that the extreme thesis—that science equals play—is untenable. I content myself with the more modest ass

Play in scientific research is seldom discussed in print. Perhaps we scientists take it for granted. Or maybe we are a little self–conscious and try to hide it from others. After all, we don't want taxpayers to think they are subsidizing adults who are acting like a bunch of kids, thereby squandering hefty amounts of public money. Over the night of May 8, 1994, a fake campus police car was placed on top of one of the buildings at MIT—a famous "hack" in the slang of the students. By performing such hoaxes, students get into the spirit of science which, as often as not, is playful and challenges